YouTube let users upload 60 fps videos earlier this year, resulting in some gorgeous, silky-smooth video. It was especially great for gamers.
Now, they’re pushing the envelope again with 4K 60 fps videos. Yes, you read that right: 4K videos at 60 frames per second. The catch is that it’s a small experiment for now, and it’s restricted to a very small number of clips.
Well, that’s not a problem as far as the masses are concerned. Most cameras can’t shoot at 4k/60; the ones that do are incredibly expensive and are far from becoming the norm anytime soon.
Another problem is that most computers aren’t capable of playing back such high quality video. First of all, you’ll need a monitor or TV with 4K resolution. Then you’ll need a beefy computer, one that has a fast processor and a good GPU. Finally, you’ll need Chrome. Oh, and don’t forget: a fast internet connection capable of streaming 4K.
I tried it out on my Core i7 computer—it runs brilliantly. On my old laptop, however, it’s a choppy, unplayable mess.
So, all this raises a very important question: why are they doing this? Well, because they can. More importantly, they can do it now. They’ve tweaked their codec and processing power to help them deliver such high quality content. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t ready yet, though that will change very soon.
4K/60 is the future. This is just a small glimpse at the future.
