Scanning Films at 4K Resolution
Why should you be scanning films at 4K resolution? SD, HD, 1080p, 2k, 4k. If you have shopped for a television in the last ten years, you may be familiar with some of these terms. While it is easy to think about viewing the latest Hollywood blockbuster on a new high-quality resolution TV; what you may not have realized, is that you can achieve a high-quality resolution from those old dusty film reels in your closet.
What is 4K Resolution?
First let’s define what resolution means. Resolution is the sum of pixels (the little squares that make up a picture) within the area of an image. Which is typically identified by the width and the length of the image. For example:
Standard Definition (SD) has a height of 720 pixels and a width of 480 pixels. Typically written as 720×480 using standard measurement naming conventions.
High Definition (HD) measures at 1920×1080 pixels, while 4K Ultra High Definition (4K UHD) measures at 3840 x 2160.
The higher number of pixels to fit on a screen, the smaller the pixels need to be. Thus, the smaller the pixels, the more detail a picture will have with a more defined image.
Take a look at our comparison video:
Do I really need 4K?
It’s in the details.
Having a higher picture quality in your 8mm / 16mm film reels allows you to observe and take in the history of your content in greater detail. With a 4K resolution, you have the potential to notice detail that perhaps would have been otherwise overlooked (i.e. the name of a store across the street from your grandparent’s house, a necklace your mother always wore, or the favorite toy you received for Christmas.) Though small, these details can be significant when added to the full context of the time and place of your film.
The test of time.
If you don’t have a television that is already 4K, 2K, or much less HD, is it still worth going for 4K when digitizing your old films? The short answer is yes. Beyond picture quality, what you are essentially buying yourself is more time with your treasured film. As the demand for new and better technology continues to inundate the market, 4K will be here for a while. Don’t get us wrong there are 8K televisions already on the market; however, the difference that is seen by the naked eye is minimal to none. Once your videos have been transferred to a 4K format, Memories Renewed will load your files to a hard drive, which will allow you a variety of ways to use your film files and provide for long term storage.
As an industry leader, Memories Renewed takes pride in its process of transferring your memories to a 4K resolution. Your film is carefully cleaned and prepped, and then each individual frame is gently captured to produce a 4K resolution picture.
16mm 4K Film Scan
If you are looking for greater detail and a longer-lasting, adaptable format when digitizing your 8mm/16mm film reels, 4K resolution is the best option. Happy viewing!
