Ghost Towns Is the First 8K Video Posted To YouTube -- But Can You Watch It?

Iddo Genuth writes: 4K videos and movies are still far from common and now 8K seems to start making its appearance online. A few days ago, what might be the first 8K video entitled "Ghost Towns" was published on Youtube and you can now watch it for yourself in its full 7680 × 4320 pixel glory — that is if you happen to have access to a 8K display (or projector).

The video was created by cinematographer Luke Neumann who used a 6K EPIC DRAGON camera using some advanced and complex techniques such as shooting in portrait orientation and then stitched the video together in Adobe After Effects. Some shots simply scaled up by 125% from 6.1K to meet the 7.6K standard and handheld stuff was 6K scaled up by 125% and sharpened up.

Youtube is now offering an 8K option and according to Google: "8K video has been supported since 2010, but that labeling for 8K video (the 4320p/8K quality setting like pictured above) was added "earlier this year — but presumably there was noting to view — until now...

Comments

I predict ...

[gstoddart]

I predict zero consumer demand for this.

HD was a moving target for years, and early adopters eventually got screwed as their gear no longer worked.

The movie studios dickered over the HD replacement for DVD.

If they think we're going to buy new TVs and the like every time someone makes it bigger, they're sorely mistaken.

I'm sure it will be beautiful and wonderful, and people with lots of money will rush to run out and drop thousands of dollars on new gear so they can brag to their friends.

And the overwhelming majority of household consumers will yawn, scratch their asses, and wonder what the hell is in it for them.

I find myself with zero motivation to replace any of my TV/stereo stuff just because someone has said "fuck it, we're going to 8K".

But suddenly it seems like every 2-3 years people believe we'll all swap out our existing stuff just because some filmmaker decided to use it.

This will be mostly a non-existent technology for most people.

Re:Slashdotters

[Anonymous Coward]

If it increased the battery life, hell yes I'd take a lower resolution phone.

Plus, yeah, the phone has 10x the dot pitch. But on the other hand, it's rarely more than 1.5-3 feet away from my face. My 50' TV is generally at least 12 feet away.

"advanced and complex techniques"

[jolyonr]

Such as "shooting in portrait"

Well.. sorry to say this but this particular advanced and complex technique has been used by every idiot with a smartphone recording videos for years.

Also... 6k video scaled up isn't 8k. it's 6k video with some random pixels thrown in for marketing reasons.