Deciding If 4K Is Right For Your Next Corporate Video ...

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Standardizing 4K is going to be a work in progress for years to come, but that doesn't mean you should wait for the dust to settle before you plan your next corporate video.

We recently detailed what 4K means for Marketing, and there are plenty of creative and strategic reasons why a 4K production makes sense. But often certain considerations are overlooked. Cameras that have the ability to shoot in 4K continue to drop in price, but with 4x the amount of data, all other areas of the workflow need to be able to scale up and handle that data which is going to impact the bottom line.

If you're not sure whether to invest in upgrading your equipment, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Am I producing content that will be useful to my intended audience for years to come? If so, it's worthwhile to invest in future proofing that content. Also consider how fast the library of content will grow and how to make the most of the investment. If videos are stored centrally and transcribed with searchable metadata, marketing teams will be easily able to find, access and collaborate on the materials they need in years to come.

2. Is my brand associated with quality or innovative design? Keep in mind that people will associate the quality of your product with the quality of your content. In academic research, this phenomenon is called the Halo Effect. If you need people to think wow, give them the best viewing experience possible.

The real 4K pay-off, however, will come into play when utilized in virtual marketing experiences. CMO's who are looking to deliver an exciting and differentiated experience to their existing channels will profit from 4K's stunning resolution as it helps content look more immersive and authentic. This in turn will create deeper and more powerful touchpoints between brand and consumer.

3. Should I wait for 8K? With consumers only beginning to get their heads around the notion of 4K TVs, and 4K content just beginning to become popular and widespread, it seems premature to start preparing for 8K.

Technically, the display technology isn't currently feasible and only one company (Japanese State Owned NHK) publically said it intends to commercialize the technology - this speaks volumes. It's safe to view 4K purchases as longer-term investments than we're used to seeing in the technology industry.

4. Consumer or professional tools? If you're producing content in-house then you'll most likely need to upgrade some of your equipment. Two of the most popular cameras are the $2,200 Sony FDR-AX100 and the $1,500 Panasonic DMC-GH4.

If you're on a budget, consider a GoPro. The GoPro Hero4 Black can do 4K recordings with 30 frames per second and 2.7 K at 50 fps and will only set you back $620.

Additionally, many of the latest smartphones are also capable of capturing 4K video, including the iPhone 6s, Samsung Galaxy S6, HTC One M9, and the Nexus 6.

5. Can we handle the workflow? Bottlenecks will appear if anywhere between a 4K source and a 4K display is not capable of handling 4K resolution. It could be something as simple as an archaic graphic card, transmitter, or HDMI cable. Your system designer will have to ensure that each component is capable of handling 4K.

Each 4K image has double the amount of pixels when compared with HD or more than 8 million individual pixels on average. But the impact is far greater than just the pixel count. To handle this additional load, 4K workflows require roughly 4x the amount of processing power and storage capacity of standard HD. Can your computer systems chomp through all that?

Corporations that lead the charge in developing 4K content and technology now will be best placed to thrive in future. Begin the process by formulating a video strategy that integrates 4K. By making sure you have detailed answers to these five questions and you'll be well on your way to maximize ROI from your next 4K corporate video. Further tips on developing a video strategy can be found below.

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