Viewing 1080p on a MacBook Pro 15 inch (1440 x 900) screen? What's it look like?

So I'm planning to get a MacBook Pro 15-inch. I'll be using it primarily for video editing, but also for surfing the internet, and other stuff.

All the video editing guys I've talked to say you should go with a screen that can handle 1080p (in other words, the MacBook Pro 17-inch with a 1920 x 1200 hi-res screen).

I'm not going with the 17-inch, for all kinds of reasons: it's expensive, the hi-res screen makes text small, and who wants a 17-inch laptop anyway (might as well get a desktop).

So here's my question: When my MacBook Pro 15-inch arrives, what is 1080p video going to look like on it? Will it just have thin horizontal bars running along the top and bottom?

Thanks for the input guys. It's much appreciated.

 

1080p video will be downscaled to fit your resolution. Because 1440x900 is 16:10 ratio and not 16:9 ratio like 1080p is, you will have thin black bars at the top and bottom while viewing 1080p video.

Edit: By the way, you would have bars at the top and bottom on the 1920x1200 screen too while watching 1080p video. Remember 1080p is 1920x1080. So on a 1920x1200 screen, you would have a total of 120 vertical pixels that are unaccounted for. These pixels would split at the top and bottom, leaving you with a 60 pixel bar at the top and a 60 pixel bar at the bottom.

 

hook it up to a 1080p external monitor

 

DFI Fan: thanks so much, that's an excellent, clear answer to my question.

arknsashilbilly: that's what I figure I'll end up doing eventually, should I be so inclined.

 

oh, its awesome, especially with video allocated a high bit-rate