4K is a new resolution standard designed for digital cinema and computer graphics. It has following advantages: higher image definition quality, more detailed picture, better fast-action and larger projection surface visibility.
4K format was named because it has 4000 pixels horizontal resolution approximately. Meanwhile, standard 1080p and 720p resolutions were named because of its vertical resolution. The new standard renders more than four times higher image definition than 1080p resolutions for example.
This format can't have the change in horizontal resolution, so changes in aspect are made through the vertical resolution. For example 4096×2304 is a frame size with aspect 16:9 and 4096×3072 — 4:3. The digital video resolutions examples:
| Full Aperture 4k | 4096 x 3112 | 12,746,752 pixels |
| Academy 4k | 3656 x 2664 | 9,739,584 pixels |
| Digital Cinema 4k | 4096 x 1714 | 7,020,544 pixels |
| Digital Cinema Aperture 4k | 3996 x 2160 | 8,631,360 pixels |
YouTube enabled 4K video support in the middle of 2010. Today, it's the highest resolution format available for consumers and it has great potential! It's quite possible that the demand for this format will increase in near future, specially by digital video data delivery services.
If you wish to download 4K video from YouTube or similiar services, you should read the our detailed How To guide.
