March 21, 2020

Why 4k is great but meh too

I’ve decided from now on to record my Big G Photo YouTube videos in 4K. This isn’t for 4Ks sake, but is to achieve a higher bit rate and therefore a better quality of what is seen on YouTube.

I have two options when recording in 4K:

  • Record in 4K and publish in 1080
  • Record in 4K and publish in 4K

If I record in 4K and publish at 1080 I can do zoom and pan (in post) without loosing quality. This is very handy and can give a more professional look as it simulates using two camera or movement.

If I record in 4K and publish in 4K then my video will be very future proof on YouTube. The downside to 4K publishing is that the file size will be 4 times bigger and will take 4 times as long to upload.

My upload rate is about 270mb per hour, so bigger 4K files aren’t always practical to upload.

Below is my first 100mbs 4K video on YouTube:

It was intentionally short, due to my short patience with 4K uploads.

So I’m undecided if I will publish at 1080 (with a higher bit rate) or 4K. Time will tell…


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