4K camera - P3 Pro - warning

0000edgar0000 · Dec 12, 2015

Got my P3 Pro during the Black Friday sale. Good deal i thought but the only thing i completely forgot was the 4K limitation on my computer.

Although i have a better than average PC (i7, nvidia card) it still cant play 4K video let alone edit it in 4K.

Had to convert the the 4K video to 1080 or less in order to view or edit it. Now instead of shooting at 4K vid I'm just taking 1080 so i dont have to go through the pain of converting the video.

Unless you have a new PC with 4K vid capabilities i would stay away from the pro unless of course you get a great deal on it.

teccer · Dec 12, 2015

all very well but I was going to get the P3A but having found out about the low bit rate on the A against the much higher bit rate on the P so it looks like I'll be going for the 3P as I do want to use goggles with a decent clear picture, but as you suggest I'll have to lower the res to watch it on my tv

480sparky · Dec 12, 2015

What's wrong with shooting at 4k for the sole reason you will have the original 4k files for future editing? Convert the files to a resolution you can edit, but retain the original 4k?

teccer · Dec 12, 2015

480sparky said:
What's wrong with shooting at 4k for the sole reason you will have the original 4k files for future editing? Convert the files to a resolution you can edit, but retain the original 4k?

good thinking man, glad you suggested that

alancan2 · Dec 12, 2015

OK if you up load them to you tub are they converted to 1080 or are they still at 4 k .

Donw35 · Dec 12, 2015

They will upload 4K and if your pc can play it you can watch it. Mine are up and 4K is a option

doomclam · Dec 12, 2015

If your computer isn't smart enough for 4k, like mine, proxy editing can solve the lag problem.

alokbhargava · Dec 12, 2015

I'm willing to exchange my P3A camera if you are not using your P3P Cam

480sparky · Dec 12, 2015

alancan2 said:
OK if you up load them to you tub are they converted to 1080 or are they still at 4 k .

I upload a 4k video to YT and it shows & plays at 4k.

Just not right away. It takes YT a while to process the 4k video, so right after uploading it will only play at the lower resolutions. But given time, the 4k option will appear.

WetDog · Dec 12, 2015

doomclam said:
If your computer isn't smart enough for 4k, like mine, proxy editing can solve the lag problem.

There are a couple of ways to solve the problem: 1) upgrade your hardware 2) be very patient 3) transcode your 4K files to 1080P and either edit them in 1080 or use proxy editing (if your software supports it). Adobe Media Encoder can watch file folders and automatically transcode as soon as you upload the file. Probably other software that has the same function.

On my ancient 2008 MacPro, direct viewing of 4K files are a bit of a stretch. But when working in Premiere Pro, it creates a transcoded file that is pretty snappy.

Wibble · Dec 12, 2015

That machine should cope easy!!!
More RAM always helps - also run task manager and see what is open. Sometimes Firefox or Chrome gets a memory hole and can end up using 2gb with just 1 window open. You need to end task on it if that is the case!
Also download this
Download K-Lite Codec Pack 11.75 (Full) - Download - FileHippo.com
Klite codec pack with media player classic - really helps.

stealthbomber · Dec 13, 2015

alancan2 said:
OK if you up load them to you tub are they converted to 1080 or are they still at 4 k .

If you use YouTube for editing then your vids will automatically be downgraded to 1080p.

stealthbomber · Dec 13, 2015

The trouble with 4K (P3P) is that the masses aren't ready for it yet- how many of us have a 4K tv or a 4K compatible computer?? By the time the 4K is mainstream the P3P will be obsolete!

WetDog · Dec 13, 2015

stealthbomber said:
The trouble with 4K (P3P) is that the masses aren't ready for it yet- how many of us have a 4K tv or a 4K compatible computer?? By the time the 4K is mainstream the P3P will be obsolete!

This is true. What 4K does is give you some 'head room' for editing. Cropping mostly. It also, to some extent, future proofs your images. If you aren't doing post process work, there is little reason to stay in 4K.

That said, this isn't 'professional' level 4K. It's not bad (especially for the price) but it doesn't match the $20,000 and higher (much higher) professional level gear. Hang out on the pro level video forums. A P3P is really a toy.

Wibble · Dec 13, 2015

P3P a toy? Actually if could be very dangerous in the wrong hands - it is NOT a toy!
Also it has capabilities far in advance of many military and police drones from say 2 or 3 years ago. Some of these cost $100,000 and yet have no more real capability. You can even get a FLIR camera for a P3 now!

stealthbomber · Dec 13, 2015

Wibble said:
P3P a toy? Actually if could be very dangerous in the wrong hands - it is NOT a toy!
Also it has capabilities far in advance of many military and police drones from say 2 or 3 years ago. Some of these cost $100,000 and yet have no more real capability. You can even get a FLIR camera for a P3 now!

Yep it's a toy, but for grown boys!
A $40 BB gun from Walmart can be a dangerous toy if placed in the wrong hands!!

WetDog · Dec 13, 2015

Wibble said:
P3P a toy? Actually if could be very dangerous in the wrong hands - it is NOT a toy!
Also it has capabilities far in advance of many military and police drones from say 2 or 3 years ago. Some of these cost $100,000 and yet have no more real capability. You can even get a FLIR camera for a P3 now!

Yes, it's a very advanced piece of kit, especially for the price. But it is NOT a professional video TOOL. It's actually pretty close but the lens quality and the lack of at least 4-2-2 video without transcoding puts it in the 'prosumer' category. You can produce 'pretty good ' stuff with it. But anybody here who is whining that this thing should be able to compete with a RED camera on a $15000 gimble attached to a helicopter is kidding themselves.

I think that in a couple of years, as DJI advances the camera tech and (likely) somebody else puts a decent lens on the thing they will give the copter a run for it's money. But it's not quite there yet.

I'm hardly complaining. I can't afford a RED, much less the gimble and a helicopter. But it is, at best, prosumer.

Wibble · Dec 13, 2015

The camera quality may not be there I agree but when it comes to stability and flight parameters it does pretty well. I have seen plenty of videos with far more expensive kit ruined by instability! Jello effect as some people call it.
The thing is the technology is improving so fast. If you spend £1000 on a P3 you dont mind upgrading again soon. If you have spent £20,000 on a high end drone you will hang onto it for longer to get your money's worth. By then the new P5 will be ahead of the game again!

Flyer91 · Dec 13, 2015

When they add digital zoom firmware upgrade/app (assuming somebody will eventually do that) having a 4K camera could be an advantage.

RF Guy · Dec 13, 2015

Nobody has said this yet: If you shoot in 4K and reduce it to 1080, the 1080 video is sharper than if you shoot it in 1080.
Why? Because when the video is downscaled, the noise is reduced...among other things. You Want 4K...all the editing programs edit in 4K by making a low-res copy of the incoming video and using that for editing... then it "renders" it to anything you want (using the original files). You could use Sony Vegas on your machine... edit in 4K with proxy (automatically done) and render it out at 4K...then put that file into a standalone media player that does 4K (cheap)..and pump it into a real 4K TV. Bam!