Blog Post

4K is a revolutionary new addition to video.. Or is it?

  • By Mike
  • 17 Aug, 2016
4K is a revolutionary new addition to video.. Or is it? We’ve been hearing this little term bandied around a lot recently, and as a consumer, it sounds good, right? More resolution, sexier picture, they say – but is it really? Lets take a simple and uncomplicated look at what it actually is and whether […]
4K is a revolutionary new addition to video.. Or is it?
We’ve been hearing this little term bandied around a lot recently, and as a consumer, it sounds good, right? More resolution, sexier picture, they say – but is it really?
Lets take a simple and uncomplicated look at what it actually is and whether it’s all it’s cracked up to be.
To start with, full high definition is 1080 x 1920 pixles. This is the standard high definition format for most consumer grade content – think television, DVDs (those old things), and internet (Youtube, Netflix, etc.).
4K definition is (roughly) 2000 x 4000 pixles, hence the name. For a clearer picture of the relative size difference:
 
As you can see, the 4K image is much larger.
But what does that mean?
It means that if you’re watching content in 4K, you get the same relative image but in twice the resolution (see below).
But of course, this is where the major problems lie.
Firstly, most televisions don’t support 4K images, so even if you’ve got a movie in 4K, unless your television can support it, it’s basically useless.
Secondly, there is a limited number of content that’s formatted for 4K. That means if you’re fortunate enough to have a 4K television, chances are there won’t be much content to watch within that format.
So what are the positives? Why is it marketed so heavily and why do all new cameras have this function if it’s not even functional?
A lot of the positives come from the filming end. Think about it like this: if you’re shooting a video at normal HD (1080), you’re only getting so many pixles in your camera. But if you shoot in 4K, you’re theoretically getting four times the pixel count (but only twice the resolution).
 
 
When you go to play with your picture in the edit, you have much more information to play with. Then, when you inevitably export your 4K footage to 1080, it will usually keep the better image quality. Of course, all of these things are dependent on many factors (hit us up for more info), but this is a basic guide to 4K.
4K can be very useful when used in shooting – but not so useful when consuming content.
So is 4K a revolutionary new addition to video? You be the judge..

Digital Masters Blog

By Matt Clements 09 Oct, 2018
Aerial photography and video work has exploded since the introduction of low cost drones, and the pace that it is advancing is rapid to say the least.
After using our DJI Phantom 3 Professional (Lenny) for the last 3 years, we decided it was time to keep up and ahead of the playing field, so meet our new baby, the DJI Inspire 2 with the X7 Camera Kit (or SkyNet it has now been nicknamed).

The new super 35mm sensor now matches the same sensor we use on our Sony FS7, which can film up to 6k RAW! With 14 stops of dynamic range, and a set of four lenses (16mm, 24mm, 35mm and 50mm) the images we can now get from the air are insane.

We have put together a small showreel from some recent shoots to show some of the drones capability.
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Social media is changing how we see video, literally. A fascinating study conducted by the folks at Buffer and Animoto found some really interesting results when it came to how people responded to video format via social media platforms. First, a little bit of context. Everyone knows that social media has taken off in recent […]
By matt 09 Nov, 2017
Go to all 12 branches across New Zealand. Get all 125 staff on camera. Show 25 years of history. Highlight our company culture. And then present this video to us on our big 25th anniversary celebration.   If what you’ve read above seems like a tall ask, we’d agree – how do you incorporate all […]
By matt 09 Nov, 2017
Our pals at Socialites came to us with a new challenge – To create a series of seamless infinate looping GIFs for the new range of hot chocolate from Jeds. 7 GIFs. 1 day. Making GIFs was something we had no experience in as usually you just see them pop up in your messenger chats […]
By Mike 18 Apr, 2017
Digital Masters recently had the pleasure of working with the people from Camair. Their brief was simple – they wanted an energetic and fun video, but was informative and showed the make-up airbrush in use. Their intended platform for the video was social media. There are only a few restrictions/specifications (especially when it comes to […]
By Mike 23 Feb, 2017
How much time do you spend online everyday? Are you increasingly spending time watching videos, chatting to friends and reading the news on the Internet? If the answer is yes, you’re not alone.   Surveys highlighting the ever increasing time we’re spending on the internet are everywhere, but here in New Zealand, a recent report […]
By Mike 20 Feb, 2017
A question that comes up very frequently from our clients is; who owns the content?   The answer is very simple: you do. Once we’ve got the content, cut it and have the final picture, it’s yours. But so too are all of the original raw files. It’s very common for companies to want to […]
By Mike 14 Feb, 2017
Obviously, you want people to see your brand sparkling new video once it’s finished. We thought we’d shed some light into the costs of distributing video across different platforms. For many, the Internet is the most cost efficient platform to distribute your video. There are many different choices available, but we’re also going to take […]
By Kit 19 Dec, 2016
Does everyone know about drones? The answer is probably yes, but if you’ve been living under a rock these last couple of years, check out our reel for the awesome images that come out of them: Aside from the amazing footage, what’s not so obvious about using drones as part of your video production, is […]
By Kit 01 Dec, 2016
We’ve all seen them – sleep inducing corporate videos – talking heads, cutaways of people looking at computers, a guy nodding in agreement. They’re uninspiring, and a little bit sad. So when Lighting Plus approached us to make a creative, dynamic, energetic and compelling video for their recruitment drive, we were excited with the prospect. […]
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