To 4K or Not to 4k

That is the question.

When speaking of 4k in videography I admit the picture quality is vastly superior to standard 1080p HD , and how could it not be? Let's look at the numbers. 4K, or sometimes referred to as Ultra HD is 3840 x 2160 resolution. It is easy to see those numbers easily trump the typical 1080p. You're probably wondering however where the 4k term comes from? The resolution is 3840 x 2160. Why not 3K?? Well, the genius marketers decided to round up. Point blank. I mean how would 3.8k sound when you are in the market to buy a $15,000 TV? You would immediately ask , “Where is the .2K !? “ Truthfully movie theatres are the original and current providers of 4K cinema . Their resolution comes in at 4096 x 2960!

So now that we have some brief education of what 4k is let's talk about how it effects the videography world. The first thing you have to discuss when determining if 4k is right for you is will 4k add increased benefit to you and your final product? If the answer is yes then 4k is for you! But if you aren't sure then you are right to be skeptical. 4K cameras like TVs are EXPENSIVE! Which means to produce with one of these cameras production costs will sky rocket! Imagine shooting a multi camera piece and you want everything shot in 4k … so that will take a minimum of 3 cameras...I am sure you can do the math. Most production companies that have 4k cameras can only afford to have one which drastically eliminates their ability to do a wide range of projects without incurring additional costs by renting more cameras ( If they are available ) and we haven’t even touched on the lens situation … Other problems that are faced with shooting in 4k is final product.  Who is going to be able to view it in all its spender and glory? I'll be honest I don't know a single person that owns a 4k TV. So you have this 4k footage and.... cool.. maybe in 3-5 years someone will be able to see it in its native format. Furthermore , the storage of these enormous files can become problematic. I have read various articles listing three minute movie trailers in an uncompressed format can take up as much space as 500GB !! Guess I better start investing in a server now... At this point there is no standard format for 4k either.. The problems continue. One final thought on the problems of 4k . Take a minute to think about purchasing that 4k TV. Remember how bad DVDs look and even up scaled movies on Blu Ray.  Remember how grainy they were? Imagine that but 3 times worse. 4K content is not widely available and will cost an arm and a leg!

Don't get me wrong I love 4K! I am not bashing it --- completely. I am just stating we the world as a whole are not quite ready for it yet. I am excited for 4K and the possibilities of having such amazing quality at my finger tips and the versatility of choosing various resolutions as well. I embrace technology , Caliber Video embraces technology!  When the world is ready for 4K so will we!

If you were to tell me buying a 4K camera right now would give me more business than I can handle.. then yes.. yes, I will join the 4K revolution!

Until next time, I will leave you with words of Wisdom from William Shakespeare.

“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”

-Mike