1080p 60fps Samsung Tv

[rkersh409]

We will be taking a trip to Costa Rica in a few months. So I purchased a Yi 4K action camera to take videos on our trip. The Yi 4K is basically a GoPro Herro 5 knock off with video resolution of 4K 30fps and lower. While testing the camera I like the 1080p at 60fps recordings on my pc. But when I try to play them on my older Samsung tv it said file not supported. The tv plays 1080p 30fps fine. It seems that my tv (LN46C630K1FXZA) only plays up to 30fps through USB port.

I was wondering what options I might have while videoing? I would really like to video in 1080P at 60fps for later when I get a new 4K tv. Could I convert 60fps to 30fps just to be able to watch on my tv for the time being?

[sneaker]

Yes. But personally I would recommend to either convert to 720p60 keeping the full temporal resolution (software like VidCoder or HandBrake etc. can do the job) or to buy a cheap media player that can play 1080p60 and feed your old TV via HDMI.

[johnmeyer]

I'd also recommend trading in the camera for a "real" video camcorder. The GoPro and its equivalents are marvelous if you want to do FPV videos of you windsurfing, skydiving, rollerblading, etc., but are an absolutely awful camera for recording scenery, beaches, etc. The fixed focal length is an issue because the wide angle is not what you want for many scenes. Add to that the lack of a viewfinder (can be fixed with an add-on), difficult menu settings, etc., and they really are a specialty camera.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Sony Action Cam (another GoPro equivalent) and it saved me when I visited Banff two years ago, and the first two days were nothing but downpours. Having a waterproof camera was great because I was still able to get some shots.

However, when the weather cleared and I was able to switch to my "normal" Sony camcorder, I got infinitely better video.

[rkersh409]

Thanks for the input. I will be looking into a media player.

John I agree with what you are saying. I got the cam mostly for using in the water. We will be doing lots of water activities and zip lining. I figured we could use our phones for more close up nature scenes.

Was wondering with a media player if I wanted to record at say 2K 60fps could it out put it at 1080p 60fps for my tv? That way I have the file at 2K for later when I get a better 4K tv. Would I need to get a 4K media player?

Do you have any recommendations on good cheap players?

[johnmeyer]

I don't know what sort of media player you are asking about. A software media player for your PC? Or a Roku media player that attaches to your TV. If the latter, then Roku is a safe bet, although I don't know how well it handles 4K.

As for 4K, you'll find hundreds of threads, here and elsewhere, about the pros and cons of 4K vs. 1080p 60 fps HD. I have a fair amount of experience, going all the way back to printing images on paper (desktop publishing), and what I know from experience is that at a given display size, and given viewing distance, increasing the total number of pixels beyond a certain point will not produce a result which has any noticeable improvement in sharpness. With a 55" TV viewed at ten feet or more, you probably won't see any improvement of 4K over HD. This is especially true when viewing video from lesser cameras, like the GoPro, where my own tests have shown that the sensor may be mostly up-sampling and not actually capturing more pixels. This is compounded by the fact that the optics in any GoPro are pretty average (like a cell phone camera lens) compared to a decent prosumer video camera or DSLR. You need some decent glass to get the full effect of 4K.

So, my statement has always been that 4K is a wonderful acquisition format, because you have extra detail that you can use for things like zooming in post-production without losing detail. However, as a delivery format, it may not provide any better viewing experience on a typical home theater screen, and it is a PIA to edit and save, by comparison to HD (certainly not impossible; just more difficult).

I would therefore concentrate more on using equipment that provides great optics, good color rendition, has zooming capability, etc.