Difference between 4K, 6K and 8K resolution

Difference between 4K, 6K and 8K resolution

When it comes to telling your story, the medium matters. 

Words on a page are often not enough. They can miss inflection, passion, and personality. Compelling storytelling requires a powerful medium, and no medium is more absorbing than high-resolution video featuring cinematic visuals and sound.

Brands have started to understand this and are actively working it into their marketing and media plans. In fact, tech giant Cisco Systems estimates video could account for as much as 82 percent of all consumer internet traffic by 2020. It’s already playing a role in B2B engagement, with about 39% of executives saying they’ll call a vendor after watching a compelling video.  

Choosing to integrate video into your messaging is the first step toward distancing yourself from your competitors. The decisions you make about how you pursue video production, including the format you choose, can have a tremendous impact on how your brand is perceived. Viewers recognize quality and excellence.

If you’ve been considering video promotion, you may have seen the format designation 4K (and to a lesser extent, 6K and 8K). What does this mean?

The K stands for the number, in thousands, of horizontal pixels in an image. For example, a 4K video will have approximately 4,000 pixels. The more pixels a video contains, the higher the resolution and the more details the viewer will see. With 4K production, an editor can zoom into images and reframe them without losing quality. The higher the resolution, coupled with a higher spectrum of colors are noticeable.  This makes it much easier for viewers to distinguish between details and nuanced color shades. 

The current standard in professional video and film production is 4K, also referred to as UHD (ultra high definition). From a viewing perspective, 4k/UHD but it has become rather mainstream. For example, YouTube and Netflix have featured 4K streaming capabilities for some time, and the format is viewable on many mobile devices. 

Videos shot in 6K offer even more detail than their 4K counterparts. While most mainstream consumers aren’t viewing images in 6k just yet, this resolution is quickly becoming a trend as more companies are beginning to shoot in this format. The third season of the Netflix hit series House of Cards and blockbusters such as The Avengers, The Revenant, and Transformers were filmed in 6K. MindMotion Films has produced 6K resolution since it entered the market. It's not just about the pixel count.

8k video is on the forefront of high-resolution video technology, producing razor-sharp images. Few cameras (and consequently, few production companies) have the ability to shoot in 8K. MindMotion Films is once again on the cutting edge, offering 8K digital resolution for our clients utilizing Red Camera’s top-of-the-line Weapon 8K Helium.

WHY CONSIDER UHD RESOLUTION FOR MARKETING?

As a brand or organization, your story is the reason people buy your products, hire your services, or donate to your cause. Higher resolutions, like 4K and above, bring out the dynamic details that make your brand story real and relatable, from the melty, steaming goodness of a fresh pizza slice to the vulnerable soul captured in the eyes of a child. It's about the details.

IS 8K EXCESSIVE?

8k video experience provides sharp, vivid images, and when you stand right near an 8K UHDTV, no pixel block can even be seen. The math works out to 8 million pixels for 4K UHD, while 8K has an incredible 33 million pixels.

8K also provides for a more exciting visual perspective, offering a 100-degree horizontal viewing angle, as opposed to the previous 55-degree viewing angle available in 2K and 4K.

High resolution video formats deliver other advantages, as well. They make particularly impressive displays at trade shows, conferences, and other high-profile events where first impressions matter. Likewise, UHD video production gives marketing films longevity, so your projects won’t look grainy or stretched over time as new technology enters the consumer market. Future-proofing your content is a wise strategy for longevity and maximizes your ability to leverage assets.

WHICH VIDEO FORMAT IS RIGHT FOR YOUR MARKETING PURPOSES? 

Professional video results require professional video production. An experienced film production company will be able to point you in the direction of the correct format for your video or campaign needs. 

MindMotion Films delivers cinema-quality storytelling that connects with your audiences wherever they are. We are one of the few production companies in the Northeast Region to step up to 8K resolution, while offering a post production solution to match. We run multiple client-friendly editing suites (including the state-of-the-art Davinci Resolve color suite) all networked together and all equipped to properly edit in 8K. We also use a ProTools audio finishing suite to offer a total end-to-end solution. Best of all, our production suites collaborate simultaneously and in real time, to accommodate fast delivery timelines.