4k videos ending up as 1080 on YouTube

[Aaron24]

I am recording all my drone videos at 3840 x 2160 30fps. I am editing them and then exporting them in the same as they were recorded. But when I am uploading them to YouTube they only play in 1080. Any ideas why?

 

[crazyju]

Are you waiting long enough? When they are first uploaded they will be lower quality. Can you post an example?

 

[FoxhallGH]

Are you looking at them immediately after the upload??? I heard somewhere that there is a time period where YouTube processes the video to display in higher resolution, and while they do that, they show a low-rez version of your movie.

 

[FoxhallGH]

Are you waiting long enough? When they are first uploaded they will be lower quality. Can you post an example?

Snap!

 

[PortCanaveralFlorida]

I am recording all my drone videos at 3840 x 2160 30fps. I am editing them and then exporting them in the same as they were recorded. But when I am uploading them to YouTube they only play in 1080. Any ideas why?

Also just a note. Make sure you have the bandwidth to receive that high resolution, if not, your throwing kbps/resolution to the wind. YT will ping your connection and give you what you can handle (It may not be 4k.) Or, just play it on your own 4k TV

 

[FoxhallGH]

Post the YouTube URL and let us have a look ...

 

[Aaron24]

Um....seems to be working now actually in 4K. Up to now was watching on my phone or tablet but on my PC it plays each time in 4K.

Sorry.

 

[FoxhallGH]

Looks good here too ... well done. I think you were just having to wait while YouTube processed them into high resolution.

 

[crazyju]

It is only showing up as 480p on my end. Just joking. It looks great!

 

[ColinF]

Um....seems to be working now actually in 4K. Up to now was watching on my phone or tablet but on my PC it plays each time in 4K.

Sorry.

Love the Mavic 2 Zoom!

 

[Kilrah]

Up to now was watching on my phone or tablet but on my PC it plays each time in 4K.

YouTube only offers the resolutions it considers the particular viewing device used is capable of playing.

 

[Daggad]

I am recording all my drone videos at 3840 x 2160 30fps. I am editing them and then exporting them in the same as they were recorded. But when I am uploading them to YouTube they only play in 1080. Any ideas why?

If you use Mac then Safari will not play 4K from Youtube.

 

[buddb55]

Looking good here in Chicagoland.

 

[DrPhilGood]

Welcome to 'straya bandwidth... Which is worse in Perth!

 

[Aussie Oldtimer]

Welcome to 'straya bandwidth... Which is worse in Perth!

Try using a mobile phone data package and then you will see slooowwww

 

[mavicn00b]

If you're using an iPhone or Apple device of some sort, you wont get Youtube 4k. Basically its down to patents. Google uses VP9 for playback whereas Apple devices opted for HEVC. So if you dont have VP9 capability, no 4k. Most recent android phones will do both. By playback I mean supported in hardware. They could in theory kick over to software mode but then you get stuttering framerates, high/hot CPU usage and high battery drain.

Try Vimeo if you need to use HEVC on an apple device.