I've improved my video sharpness by turning down the 4K size

[Adam_c]

So, I have always wondered why my Blade Chroma 4K outputs super sharp 4K when my Typhoon H does not, So last night I looked at the Chroma's settings and the resolution was on 3840x2160 30fps and the typhoon H was on 4096x2160 25fps, I've looked into it and found that both resolutions are classed as 4K, so I adjusted the Typhoon H down to the 3840x2160 30fps and now it's super pin sharp! http://www.cedia.co.uk/cda_/images/Resources/4K-Industry-Whitepaper_ENG.pdf

 

[Comtech]

Great to know, Does the camera setting keep, or do you have to reselect every time you boot the bird up?

 

[hiflyer1]

So, I have always wondered why my Blade Chroma 4K outputs super sharp 4K when my Typhoon H does not, So last night I looked at the Chroma's settings and the resolution was on 3840x2160 30fps and the typhoon H was on 4096x2160 25fps, I've looked into it and found that both resolutions are classed as 4K, so I adjusted the Typhoon H down to the 3840x2160 30fps and now it's super pin sharp! http://www.cedia.co.uk/cda_/images/Resources/4K-Industry-Whitepaper_ENG.pdf

Good going OM, I do that myself on a few of GoPro type camera and makes a huge difference. May help some one else too. Good / Safe Flying
hyflyer1/EdK

 

[Adam_c]

Great to know, Does the camera setting keep, or do you have to reselect every time you boot the bird up?

no it keeps!

and by definition as per that document it's still 4K! Check it out...

 

[THoff]

3840x2160 is QHD, 1920x1080 is HD. If the camera is set to 4096x2160 instead, there will be more complicated scaling and a slight change in aspect ratio to display it on a HD TV (which is what most of us still use).

 

[Adam_c]

Never heard of QHD in my life, that industry spec above simply states 4k!

 

[Adam_c]

"QHD is specified as 2560x1440 pixels at a16x9 aspect ratio, four times that of 720p standard high definition. Ultra wide QHD boosts the horizontal pixels to 3440 for a 21x9 aspect ratio."
What is QHD (quad high definition)? - Definition from WhatIs.com
So that's incorrect.

 

[THoff]

You are correct, that should have been UHD, not QHD, though confusingly UHD is four times the resolution we commonly associate with HD.

My point remains that if you record at 4096 pixels across (4K), then both scaling and an aspect ratio change have to take place (unless you crop), which is what makes the image softer.

 

[Rubik]

So, I have always wondered why my Blade Chroma 4K outputs super sharp 4K when my Typhoon H does not, So last night I looked at the Chroma's settings and the resolution was on 3840x2160 30fps and the typhoon H was on 4096x2160 25fps, I've looked into it and found that both resolutions are classed as 4K, so I adjusted the Typhoon H down to the 3840x2160 30fps and now it's super pin sharp! http://www.cedia.co.uk/cda_/images/Resources/4K-Industry-Whitepaper_ENG.pdf

What is the native resolution of the monitor you are using to evaluate the sharpness of your video? If you are viewing 4096 on a native 3840 monitor, the extra processing may be the source of the softer image quality. I will give 4096 a try on my next flight along with 3840 and view it on my 3840 monitor for comparison.

 

[Adam_c]

Not sure, but keep us updated with your findings,

 

[Rubik]

Not sure, but keep us updated with your findings,

OK Adam. I flew yesterday and took video at both 3840x2160x30p and 4096x2160x24p. Here are screen captures taken while hovering and changing the settings. Except for the different frame size and a bit more distortion at the right and left edges of the 4096 image, I don't see any significant difference, at least on my 4k monitor. Remember, these are screen capture from video. Still shots would be much better but not what you are concerned about here.

 

[Adam_c]

It must be down to the 4K monitor, if you don't have one which millions haven't then I presume targeting your videos to 3840 would be a better choice unless you are selling to a company stock footage...

 

[Marine One]

Just purchased my first drone, Typhoon H. Before flying I updated firmware. Just checked the camera setting and it's 3840x2160 30fps. Since I never change anything this must be standard with new drones or firmware update?

 

[Rubik]

Just purchased my first drone, Typhoon H. Before flying I updated firmware. Just checked the camera setting and it's 3840x2160 30fps. Since I never change anything this must be standard with new drones or firmware update?

Yes. You can down-convert to 1920x1080x30p if necessary in your editor. But, when viewed on a 4k TV or monitor, the 4k footage is spectacular!

 

[Dave Stingray]

QHD has another advantage for me - they will play on my iPad Pro whereas 4K clips won't!

 

[Rubik]

Here's another consideration when shooting 4k photos. At the default sharpness of the CGO3+ (6), 4000x3000 .jpg photos in Natural color setting look way over-sharpened on my 4K monitor but just fine on my HD monitor. Since I am mainly using the 4K monitor and 4K TV now, I find the .dng photos to be better after post processing. Thankfully, the 3840x2160x30p video shots do not look over-sharpened like the stills.

I recently discovered that Cyberlink PhotoDirector 7 (or newer) does a great job of handling .dng photos and is a lot less expensive and easier to use than Lightroom. Once I've fixed a .dng photo, I can save the settings so fixing additional photos is snap.