Dave is running a test upscaling his 1080p 50fps footage to 4K UHD (3840x2160) 30fps and uploading to Youtube. Rumour has it that Youtube is supposed to detect this 4K footage and give better quality converted video quality.
Can you see any difference between this video at 1080p and this other one uploaded at 1080p?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q95mfnmMdwA
And if there is a quality difference, is it worth the extra file size, rendering, transcoding, upload, and youtube processing time?
Render times for the 5min video are:
4K = 17:29
1080p = 1:59
Transcoding (Handbrake) times:
4K = 6:53
1080p = 1:09
Filesizes:
4K = 1281M
1080p = 312M
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Actually, there's a quick thing I wanted to mention with this video: I'm actually doing an experiment with 4k now I don't actually have a 4k resolution capable camera I'm still shot this thing and I'm shooting this now with my existing Canon Hf G30 camcorder which I shoot most of the bench footage here and it's capable of about 50 frames per second because it's the PAL Australian version it's not the international one and I shoot all my footage including this one at 50 frames per second. And for the last I don't know what? six months or something I've been uploading that high frame rate. I've been rendering my editing and rendering my videos in 50 frames per second and a lot of people out there say i love you know the 50 frames per second. It looks really great, but there's also been some people that has been saying well, if you use a particular type of browser, it forces you to watch full HD and 50 frames per second and choose a lot of extra band width, etc.

And well, ok, fair enough. Now Also, my before I stud this high frame rate video stuff I actually I Just discovered a little while back that I was actually my Sony Vegas software was actually blending frames together and that's why some of my footage wasn't probably as crisp as it could have been and I've been fixing that in for the last couple of months at least, so my video should have actually been sharp a bit. Anyway, out: YouTube actually does you know a fair bit of compression and stuff like that? so what you see on Youtube is actually not really the full quality that I'm actually shooting and rendering and exporting the video at Youtube has to lost. So what? I want to try here I've been not reading that if you take a regular HD like I shot this cat like I'm shooting this video with now and you upscale it to 4k and you render in 4k and then you upload to YouTube in 4k if you've got a 4k capable monitor which I don't so I can't I'm not able to test this myself really, but if you're watching in 4k, it provides a higher bandwidth, higher-quality download option.

So hopefully even though it's upscaled video, the quality should be better. and I think when YouTube detects that it's 4k and then down samples to produce all the other versions because I just upload the full HD In this case, I'll upload a 4k version of this particular video and then Youtube processes in the background all the different formats you know, 1080p, 720p, and 3, 4, 80, and six and 360p and all the different versions it generates those. so hopefully YouTube might actually generate a crisper and better version of my video if I upscale it to 4k. I Know it doesn't kind of make sense, but people have done comparison videos of these sort of things.

Very careful comparisons and they say they can't see the difference between a consumer quality you know, IE one that I can afford 4k camera. you know, like a while, you know, like a two-thousand-dollar 4k camera and 1080 and a regular 1080p camera like I'm my Hf G30 I'm using now. with it upscale to 4k, they can't actually see the difference when you upload and view it on. YouTube on a regular monda on regular, you know, locally on your desktop, yet you'll be able to see it.
But YouTube Because it does compression and you know that sort of stuff, it actually doesn't. It tries to save bandwidth wherever possible YouTube does. so. I've heard that doesn't Virtually no perceptible difference between a true 4k camera and an upscale 1080p.

so that's what I'm going to try today. I'm going to render this in 4k upload to YouTube and let me know if you can see the difference. So I'm doing this talking head shot now just to give some extra you know, extra different type of material rather than just the pretty much static bench material. So I danced around so let me know if you see the difference, this will be 30 frames per seconds.

If this works, then I won't upload the higher frame rate anymore because I fix the blending problem so my renders should actually be sharper than what they were. You know, six months, 9 months 12 months ago? that sort of things. So if this experiment works, I'll actually continue to shoot at key frames per second on my Canon camera and 60 frames per second on my Sony camera which I do like talking head mailbag footage with on that camera. And I'll actually render in 30 frames per second in 4k instead of full HD in 50 frames per second.

which is what I've been doing for like the last six months. So it's an experiment. And yeah, I can muck around with, you know, shooting some test footage, it uploading to Youtube, but nothing beats sort of. you know, crowdsourcing and opinion on this thing.

Catch you next time.

Avatar photo

By YTB

30 thoughts on “Eevblab #16 – 4k render youtube experiment”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Jānis Bērziņš says:

    Definitely better this way, more crisp image. Does its worth 8x rendering time…

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars aaron picksley says:

    much crisper on 4k, its basicly letting me see true 1080p now.

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Kenji Gunawan says:

    The 1080p video in this video is better than the 1080p video in the link that you give. I was watching both in 1080p in a 1440p AMOLED screen.

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Jack Allen Walters, Jr. says:

    I spy with my little eye, six dollars American.

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Phillip Parr says:

    this seems better than your usual 1080p content, but it's not as sharp as some of the proper 4K videos on YT.

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Thrifty Chic Home says:

    @eevblog Question… In search your video has the "4k" symbol. When I upload 4K video- even though you can watch it in 4k on Youtube the symbol still shows "HD" instead… any ideas?

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Okovermeke Amglight says:

    I don't see the difference because I am always watching it in 480p or 360p

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars gamccoy says:

    All I notice is that 4K stuttered badly (Youtube's fault, I have BW to spare). I really cannot see the difference from 720. From what I see, it is probably best not to invest in any 4K hardware on your end for a while longer.

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars compactc9 says:

    I can't really benefit from 4K, the screen in my iMac is 1440p though, so watching that full screen looked much better than a regular 1080P in full screen (naturally, on a 1440p screen…). I do want to say that the regular 1080 even looks better, but I can't tell if its just me or not.

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars volvo09 says:

    Unfortunately my laptop isn't fast enough to decode any of the "4k" videos on youtube… CPU load goes to 100%, video lags behind audio, and framerate drops. This is on a 2nd gen i5 2520 with dedicated video and a 1920×1080 lcd panel. What are some others running for older machines that are ok? I'm trying to figure out what the minimum requirements are.

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars WamWooWam says:

    Have you tried changing the cannon to NTSC video output? On mine it changes it to 60fps

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Mostlyharmless1985 says:

    AHHH! Too REAL! Seriously though, I honestly can't tell between 1080 and 1440, which is the level my monitor is capable of displaying. Honestly I think it's all a bunch of hype anyway. In before "lol ur blind of course its better cause the numbers are bigger!"

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars bBrain says:

    i couldn't tell any sharpness difference between 4k and 1080, but you do at 720, was looking at the lines on the whiteboard, seem to hit max crispness at 1080p…

  14. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Funcrusher says:

    4k user here, THANKS!

  15. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Scott C. Kramer says:

    People comparing need to use a 4K display, DELL, 5K mac etc.

  16. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars TCWordz says:

    The 4k version looks sharper to me even on a 1080p monitor due to the higher bitrates youtube produces.
    However, I would rather 1080p/50 than 4k/30. But remember that if you upload in 4k/50 then youtube will support this. The only resolution that is limitted to 30 FPS is currently 8k.
    Although it should be noted that in browsers that support the higher frame rates, they will force you to use said higher frame rates which some people don't like. Firefox doesn't support it for example.

  17. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars TheLazyComet says:

    for whatever reason watching in 4K option causes the video to become stuttery and desync the audio. no idea what could cause that but it shouldn't matter anyways since i my monitor isnt 4K.

  18. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Laurent Laborde says:

    i'm watching this on a 1440p screen. your upscale doesn't provide any usefull quality improvement compared true 4K camera, so don't waste your time doing upscale from 1080 to 4K.
    I have a 4K camera : Sony A7S + Atomos Shogun. With a 256GB SSD on the shogun you get "only" 40mn of recording (insane bitrate).

    Don't bother with 4K unless you want us to see very fine detail on a chip or something. And the vaaaaast majority of people are on 1080 monitor anyway.
    So… meh. who care ? 🙂

  19. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars lez briddon says:

    i think the fps is way too high, whats wrong with the 6fps from the 386 days….

  20. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars aadz93 says:

    Yeah, there's a difference, 4K seems to put some age on you dave, LOL.

  21. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Benedikt says:

    Well seriously I don't see any benfit of a 4K video on a normal PC. 1080p is more than enough for just about anything.

  22. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars ValugaTheLord says:

    quite honestly, I never go full screen on youtube, I cannot see difference in 720p and 4k.

  23. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Chris Cowley says:

    "Haitch". Grrr… you have no idea how thick this makes you sound to me 🙁

  24. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars redtails says:

    oh and as far as video quality.. 1080 is fine, just shoot more interesting videos, people came for the content, not so much the quality. Mikeselectricstuff and that crazy Photonicinduction both shoot videos on a potato and they're still loved

  25. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars redtails says:

    if you set your camera to NTSC, it will shoot in 60fps. It's just a software thing.

  26. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Ed Waggoner Sr. says:

    The very instant I clicked on 4K the screen went blank.  I shoot everything in 720, 30P,MP4, 4 Mbps.  I use to shoot high resolution but the results weren't worth the extra render and upload time.  IMO

  27. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Dave P says:

    I like the higher frame rate, smoother and easier to watch especially in those long teardowns. But what ever works best for the majority.

  28. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Isaiah Ash says:

    i don't HD would matter for me. I am using a CRT monitor. : )
    I can not see the diffrence.

  29. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars elborgund says:

    The picture is crisp, but movment makes a lot of ghosting.

  30. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars xDevs_com says:

    Don't smoke those PCB's anymore, Dave 🙂 Can't get more data out of nothing, if it's not there in first place 😉

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