By now, everyone has heard of 4K video. If you’ve been to any of the major retail stores in the past two years, you’ve likely stopped in your tracks as you walked past the electronics department. Mesmerizing televisions with much more detail than ever before and digital cameras with “4K” advertised across the label both get their name from the impressive 4,000 pixels of width of the footage.
The advancements in video that we’ve seen over the last twenty years have been incredible, but arguably the biggest jump in quality is the latest upgrade from Full HD (1080p) to Ultra HD (4K). Just as the name suggests, 4K has twice as many pixels horizontally and four times as many pixels in total. While 4K has already been around for a few years, there are still some filmmakers who have not upgraded. If this sounds like you, here are five reasons it’s time to make the switch to shooting video in 4K.
- It Looks Better
This one is pretty easy to decipher. Compare any 1080p video to 4K and there is no denying that 4K just looks better. Video shot in 4K contains 4 times as much information about a picture as 1080p. Even if you decide to output as 1080p, filming the video in 4K gives it better quality because the end result is based on 4 times the information (more on this later). - Video Drives Brand Engagement and Conversions
Video is King of content marketing and that’s not changing anytime soon. Brands are increasingly swarming to video for their marketing efforts, and for good reason – video drives visibility, engagement and conversions. According to Hubspot, after watching a video, 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online. A whopping 80% of users recall a video ad they viewed in the last 30 days. Shooting in 4K means doubling down on your video marketing, by delivering crisp, clean quality that will capture your audience. - It’s Great for Getting Still Frames
Grabbing still frames from video can be extremely useful for filmmakers and their clients. After filming and before publishing, it’s often a good idea to advertise about the upcoming video. Still frames make for great sneak peaks for posting on social media. What clients sometimes don’t realize is that a screen grab taken from 1080p video lacks detail, making it hard to capture a frame without too much blur. The extra detail provided with 4K video makes it much easier to export quality screen shots. - It Gives You More Options
As we mentioned earlier, sometimes filmmakers will shoot in 4K knowing their output will eventually be 1080p. 4K provides quadrupled resolution and the flexibility to export film to a lower resolution, but with more pixels to work with. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there may come a day when your video is played in large formats like on the big screen or at film festivals. These situations require higher resolution. 4K can be exported into several workable formats while maintaining quality, giving you more options for viewing. - It is the Future
While 1080p will be a relevant standard over the next several years, there’s no telling how fast times will change. The future of viewing lies with 4K and you want your videos to be ready for it now. In 20 years, watching 1080p will be similar to watching videos from the 90’s and early 2000’s today. Times are changing and by shooting in 4K, you’re assuring your videos will keep up as long as they can.
If you’re thinking about making the switch to shooting in 4K, do it. If you’re a business owner and your marketing team isn’t leveraging video, change things. In just a few years’ time, you’ll be glad you made the change to better quality, more flexibility and increased engagement.
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