People in the videography ad filmmaking world use complicated terminology like Ultra High Def to describe 4K videos. Even though you are not a complete stranger to the term 4K, you might still be unaware of what it means.
In a nutshell, 4K is the highest resolution you can watch your movies and videos. The details are incredibly crisp, meaning you can see pimples or the pores on an actor's face through the screen. However, the frame rate will significantly affect how you enjoy a 4K video. Therefore, it would be wise to learn how to choose the ideal frame rate to suit your needs.
Keep reading this article to learn more about frame rates and which is suitable for a 4K video.
In this article
How Do Frame Rates Affect Video Viewing?
The motion will appear smoother if your video contains more frames per second. Even though your viewers are not tech-savvy, they will definitely notice the difference.
Consider a video of a duck drinking water from a pond. If you film and playback the same video in 24, 30, and 60fps, you will see a noticeable difference, assuming your shutter speed is set according to the 180-degree shutter rule.
If you are filming quicker motions of wildlife and birds, you are better off sticking to higher resolutions to give the viewer a pleasant experience and ensure the motion is fluid.
On the other hand, lower frame rates like 24fps are ideal for human movements, which are not as smooth as wildlife. Suppose you used 60fps for a cinematic film or a TV show. The video would look a bit odd because that is not how we see things in the natural world. In addition, your viewers aren't used to such smoothness.
Viewing Requirements of 4K Videos
You may have heard about 4K videos and wondered what people mean by that term. In simple terms, a 4K video is a high-resolution video that is four times the usual 1080p HD video. When it comes to 4K videos, there are two standard resolutions. One of them is the standard for Digital Cinema which is 4096*2160 pixels. The other is for television and is 3840*2160 pixels.
To stream 4K content, you need a bandwidth between 10 and 20 Mbps. On the other hand, streaming platforms like Netflix require higher bandwidths of not less than 15 Mbps. In addition to the bandwidth we mentioned earlier, you need a 4KTV or 4K monitor.
This specification was brought up at the UHD Alliance, a union of more than 50 tech companies working together to support 4K content. Tech companies ought to ensure the devices they produce are compatible with 4K videos, which are becoming increasingly popular.
Below is a list of requirements any electronic device should fulfill before being termed a 4KTV or 4K monitor.
- A resolution of not less than 3840*2160.
- A 10-bit color depth that allows for 1,024 shades of red, yellow, and blue.
- A high dynamic range for color accuracy.
- An excellent combination of black level and peak brightness. The peak brightness should not exceed 1,000 nits, and the black level shouldn't go below 0.5 nits. Alternatively, the peak brightness shouldn't exceed 540 nits; neither should the black level plummet below 0.0005 nits.
Best Frame Rate for 4K Video
We all know that the frame rate you choose for your video will significantly impact the viewer's experience and the overall style of your video. The frame rate will also affect how the video looks. For instance, a frame rate lower than 24fps will make your video look unprofessional and of poor quality. The content will also flicker because there aren't many still images per second.
On the other hand, a lower FPS causes the file size to be smaller, causing it to consume a lower bandwidth. The vice versa is also true. Now that you understand these facts, you might wonder which frame rate would be best for your 4K videos.
Research reveals that the most acceptable frame rate is 30fps and 60fps. This is because the motion will appear natural to the human eye without being too fast or unrealistic.
If you are wondering what is the best frame rate for 4k videos, we urge you to select 60fps because it contains more detail. The higher frame rate also makes the motion look very smooth and crisp. Perhaps you want to shoot a slow-motion video. In that case, an even higher frame rate of 120fps would be ideal.
How To Choose The Base Frame Rates for Your Next Video
Choosing a frame rate for your videos is not complicated. However, it is not a straightforward process either. There are numerous moving parts that ought to work harmoniously for your video to turn out perfect and guarantee your audience will have a pleasant viewing experience. Before we dive into choosing the best frame rate for your 4K videos, let's help you understand the filmmaking process.
Most filmmakers and videographers see it fit to shoot videos in 120p or 4K. This step makes their work easier during the editing process. If the raw footage is in 4K, they can de-emphasize or retain specific plot points that would look great in the final video. However, not everyone is shooting a video for Hollywood. Therefore, shooting in 4K on your laptop for your YouTube channel might be difficult.
Below are some factors you should consider when choosing the best frame rate for a 4k video.
File size
Shooting your video at a higher frame rate means more still images are packed into a single second of the video. Therefore, you will end up with a larger file size. If you want to shoot a video for your YouTube channel, it would be wise to stick to a smaller frame rate.
Purpose
It wouldn't make sense to shoot a talking head video at more than 24fps. However, a higher frame rate would be ideal for a travel vlog, where the details need to be crisp.
Medium of delivery
The standard frame rate for television is 24fps. On the other hand, it would be best to stick to a higher frame rate of 60fps if you intend to shoot content for the silver screen.
Motion in the video
Lastly, the movement within the video will play a massive role in the frame rate you choose. The faster the motion, the higher the frame rate needs to be. For instance, action movies don't do well in frame rates of less than 60 fps.
How To Set the Frame Rate of Your Editing Tools
Even though you didn't use the ideal frame rate for 4k video during filming, you could use an editing tool to tweak the frame rate to where you need it to be. In our opinion, Wondershare Filmora is an excellent editing tool to set the ideal frame rate and take your videos to the next level.
Wondershare Filmora is a feature-rich platform that takes the tedium out of editing your videos and makes the outcome look spectacular. People won't believe you when you say you edited the video yourself!
The platform is user-friendly, eliminating the need for a learning curve. You also don't need to be an experienced editor or graphic designer to use this platform. Here is a list of nifty features you might find helpful on this platform.
- GIF support
- Audio equalizer
- Advanced text editing
- Noise removal
- Scene detection
- Audio mixer
- Color tuning
Out of all the wonderful features mentioned above, we will zero in on 4K editing support for now. You can use this feature to edit and export videos up to 4K without breaking a sweat.
Wondershare Filmora allows you to customize your 4K videos by zooming in on a particular scene, tilting the video, or incorporating panning to give it a serene effect. We guarantee you will have fun using this platform and will get better at creating exquisite 4K content for your channel.
Below is a simple guide on using Wondershare Filmora to set the 4k video frame rate.
Step1 Launch the platform on your device and select the "File" tab. After a drop-down menu appears, select "Project Settings."
Step2 In the dialogue box, select "Frame Rate" and choose the frame rate you think is ideal for your video.
Step3 Click "OK" and edit the videos as you like.
Conclusion
4K is the trend of the era, and it would be a shame if you got left behind. The viewer's expectations are rising steadily, and they would rather skip your video to watch another if the quality is not up to par. In addition to giving you a competitive edge, 4K videos are very crisp and allow you to enjoy deep, vibrant colors.
You can also capture still photos from the video without compromising on quality. We can go on and on about the benefits of adopting 4K resolution in your videos. Therefore, it would be wise to increase your knowledge base and learn everything there is to know about 4K videos and how to set the best frame rates.
