4K is an emerging standard for resolution in digital film and computer graphics. The name is derived from the horizontal resolution which is approximately 4,000 pixels. This designation is different to the standard resolution designations which are represented by the vertical pixel count; for example 720p and 1080p. 4K represents the horizontal resolution because there are numerous aspect ratios used in film — so while the horizontal resolution stays constant, the vertical resolution depends on the video source (a.k.a. letterboxing). There are several different resolutions that qualify as 4K.
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In digital film, the pixel resolution varies by aspect ratio. Examples of 4K digital recording devices are the Dalsa Origin (announced in 2003 and released in 2006 as the first commercially available 4K digital cinema camera), the Red One (announced in 2006 and released in 2007), the Red Epic (released in early 2011), and the Sony CineAlta F65 (announced in April 2011). The Dalsa Origin system records images at a resolution of 4096 × 2048 and the Red One records images at 4096 × 2304.
| Standard | Resolution | DAR | Pixels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Aperture 4K | 4096 × 3112 | 1.32:1 | 12,746,752 |
| Academy 4K | 3656 × 2664 | 1.37:1 | 9,739,584 |
| Digital cinema 4K | 4096 × 1714 | 2.39:1 | 7,020,544 |
| Digital cinema 4K | 3996 × 2160 | 1.85:1 | 8,631,360 |
| Standard | Resolution | DAR | PAR | Pixels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Aperture 4K | 4096 × 3112 | 4:3 | 1:1 | 12,746,752 |
| Academy 4K | 3656 × 2664 | 1.37:1 | 1:1 | 9,739,584 |
Quad Full High Definition (QFHD), at 3840 x 2160 pixels, doubles the 1080p high-definition television standard in both the vertical and horizontal dimensions. However, it has often been debated if this resolution should be classified as 4K since it is fewer than 4000 pixels horizontally.
| QFHD (3840x2160) | |
|---|---|
| 1080p (1920x1080) |
1080p (1920x1080) |
| 1080p (1920x1080) |
1080p (1920x1080) |
In July 2010, YouTube began streaming certain videos at 4096 × 2304 pixels (in the 16:9 aspect ratio) to 4096 x 3072 (4:3).[2] Registered users at YouTube are allowed to upload videos with a resolution higher than 1080p.
The following monitors and projectors support 4K resolution:
| Manufacturer | Device Type | Model | Resolution | Diagonal | DPI | Launch date | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barco | monitor projector |
LC-5621[3] DP4K-23B[4] DP4K-32B[5] SIM 10[6] Galaxy 4K-12[7] Galaxy 4K-23[8] Galaxy 4K-32[9] |
3840x2160 4096x2160 4096x2160 4096x2400 4096x2160 4096x2160 4096x2160 |
56 inch Up to 23m/75ft Up to 32m/105ft Up to 23m/75ft Up to 23m/75ft Up to 32m/105ft |
78 varies varies varies varies varies varies |
Apr 16, 2007 Mar 24, 2011 Mar 24, 2011 Nov 29, 2010 Jun 11, 2011 Jun 11, 2011 Jun 11, 2011 |
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| Eizo Nanao | monitor | DuraVision FDH3601 | 4096x2160 | 36.4 inch | 127.2 pixel/inch | $34,844 USD | |
| IBM | monitor | T220/T221 | 3840x2400 | 22.2 inch | 204 pixel/inch | Jun 27, 2001 | Out Of Production |
| Sharp, Eyevis | monitor | EYE-LCD6400-4K | 4096x2160 | 64 inch | 72.4 pixel/inch | $53,000 USD | |
| Toshiba | monitor (television); 3D (autostereoscopic) |
Regza 55X3[10] | 3840x2160 (QFHD) | 55 inch | 80.1 pixel/inch | Dec 2011 in Japan | $11,730 USD |
| Christie | DLP projector | D4K35[11] | 4096x2160 | up to 30.5 m | varies | ||
| Sony | projector | VPL-VW1000ES | 4096x2160 | varies | varies | Dec 2011 | <$25,000 USD |
| Panasonic | monitor (television); 3D (active shutter glasses) |
TH-152UX1[12] | 4096x2160 | 152 inch | 30.5 pixel/inch | July 1, 2010 | $500,000 USD[13] |
| TVLogic | monitor | LUM-56W[14] | 3840x2160 | 56 inch | 78.4 pixel/inch |
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