# What's happened to google earth resolution? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 16, 2008, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happened-to-google-earth-resolution/453097 "2008-06-16T12:32:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happened-to-google-earth-resolution/453097/1 "2008-06-16T12:32:46Z")
It seems like google earth no longer shows the maximum resolution data at all zoom levels. It shows a horrible low res version. I know google has more data to show than that because when you zoom in you get the extra data. crappy google earth resolution [![](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/lobley/douglas.jpg) ](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/lobley/douglas.jpg) proper full google maps resolution I am sure google earth used to show the full res image like the google maps version. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happened-to-google-earth-resolution/453097/2 "2008-06-16T12:57:52Z")
I don’t know, but I’m annoyed with the low resolution of some of the photos on Google maps. For example, the downtown and eastern portions of Peoria, Illinois. MS Live Search Maps have really sharp photos for this area, though. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happened-to-google-earth-resolution/453097/3 "2008-06-16T13:00:41Z")
Google has never shown high res images of my area. I check in regularly to see if they’ve updated it, but they never do. And now finally more and more folks are discovering that, as they try to zoom in on the flood damage in central Wisconsin. So I go with mapquest, whose satellite images are quite nice & recent & high resolution. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happened-to-google-earth-resolution/453097/4 "2008-06-16T13:02:26Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] Google has never shown high res images of my area. I check in regularly to see if they’ve updated it, but they never do. [/QUOTE] But google has the high res data for the area I’m looking at. My gripe is that it won’t show it unless I’m zoomed right in. Zoomed out it looks shit. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happened-to-google-earth-resolution/453097/5 "2008-06-16T13:19:11Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] Google has never shown high res images of my area. I check in regularly to see if they’ve updated it, but they never do. And now finally more and more folks are discovering that, as they try to zoom in on the flood damage in central Wisconsin. So I go with mapquest, whose satellite images are quite nice & recent & high resolution. [/QUOTE] They just updated the UP in the last… I dunno, whenever. I don’t check all that often, but I checked last week and there’s high-rez in my area. 6 months ago, there wasn’t. Maybe there’s hope for WI. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happened-to-google-earth-resolution/453097/6 "2008-06-16T13:22:47Z")
[QUOTE=Lobsang] But google has the high res data for the area I’m looking at. My gripe is that it won’t show it unless I’m zoomed right in. Zoomed out it looks shit. [/QUOTE] Then you still got more than I do. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happened-to-google-earth-resolution/453097/7 "2008-06-16T13:30:02Z")
[QUOTE=Athena] They just updated the UP in the last… I dunno, whenever. I don’t check all that often, but I checked last week and there’s high-rez in my area. 6 months ago, there wasn’t. Maybe there’s hope for WI. [/QUOTE] Hope’s a fine thing. The poor resolution is patchy. 3 miles north of me, they have high res photos, added about a year ago. But due west is low res, at least to Baraboo. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happened-to-google-earth-resolution/453097/8 "2008-06-16T13:37:44Z")
In my testing (Aroab, Namibia), Google Maps has by far the best resolution of their photos, even if it’s not the resolution you’d see in the states. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happened-to-google-earth-resolution/453097/9 "2008-06-17T16:02:13Z")
I just downloaded it at work on an XP Pro machine - The resolution is ok - I guess it must be something to do with Vista (GRR!)