NASA Brings 4K Content to YouTube With 20-second Teaser

NASA is bringing 4K content to YouTube, and here’s a 20-second teaser

By David Nield June 13, 2015

Ultra High Definition Video from the International Space Station

What better way to show off videos running at a whopping 3840 x 2160-pixel 4K resolution than with the vast emptiness of space? That’s obviously NASA’s thinking, as they’ve launched a new series of 4K videos on the ReelNASA channel with the 20-second clip you can see above. The forthcoming series of clips are going to be shot in smooth 60 frames-per-second quality as well.

You’re not just going to need a speedy Internet connection to watch 4K without buffering — you’re also going to need a fairly powerful computer too. The effort of displaying some 8 million pixels on screen 60 times every second can put a lot of strain on your machine’s CPU and RAM, so don’t be too surprised if you see glitches. Right now 4K is aimed more at the next generation of computers and cameras than current hardware.

“The view of life in space is getting a major boost with the introduction of 4K Ultra High-Definition (UHD) video, providing an unprecedented look at what it’s like to live and work aboard the International Space Station,” writes NASA in the video blurb, which also includes a download link.

“This important new capability will allow researchers to acquire high resolution, high frame rate video to provide new insight into the vast array of experiments taking place every day. It will also bestow the most breathtaking views of planet Earth and space station activities ever acquired for consumption by those still dreaming of making the trip to outer space.”

NASA promises that more 4K content is coming down the pipe in the near future, but YouTube has already moved on to the next level — the first 8K clip on the portal was posted earlier this week by Neumann films. That gives you a quality that’s twice as sharp as 4K, but you’re going to need an even more powerful computer setup to be able to get through it.

Via TechRadar

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