4K Resolution 15fps vs 1080p 30FPS

[Nyghthawk]

I have noticed a LOT of people (especially in reviews) turn their cameras to 1080p (which is why the 2mp starlights are recommended).

My question is, isn't having HIGHER resolution better over "smoother" playback?

Do people use 1080p due to their hardware/storage limitations?

What is the advantage of going 1080p over 4K?

I have bullet cameras that do 4k 15fps max, or (2k?)1080p at 30fps, and am running them at 4K due to higher resolution "just" in case i need to zoom (digitally) a bit more.

Would I be better off going 1080p for a "smoother" playback?

if this is in the wrong forum/thread , please move, was unsure where to put.

EDITED for clarification

I wasn't trying to say a "starlight 2mp at 1080p" was worse than my current 4K bullet cameras.

What I wanted to know was, 1080p with my current cameras versus 4k with my current cameras.

 

[SouthernYankee]

There are no 4k cameras at a reasonable price that are any good at night.

Do not fail for more mp are better BS.

 

[Nyghthawk]

so 1080p at night is better than 4k at night?

There are no 4k cameras at a reasonable price that are any good at night.

Do not fail for more mp are better BS.

I wasn't trying to say a "starlight 2mp" was worse than my current 4K bullet cameras.

What I wanted to know was, 1080p with my current cameras versus 4k with my current cameras.

 

[bp2008]

Run your cameras at their native resolution unless you have a good reason not to, like if your BI system can't handle the higher resolution. You will not get better low-light performance by running them at a lower resolution. You only get better low-light performance by buying a camera that is better at low light. The best at low light tend to be lower resolution because that means each pixel is bigger and has more light-collecting area (but this is not all there is to it).

Higher frame rates (smoother playback) is not important for a security camera to achieve its goals. 15 FPS is plenty. 5 FPS would even be enough for most situations.

 

[TL1096r]

I am looking into a 8mp 4k cam now. I like the digital zoom. Nights are quiet and have 2 other 2mp superstarlight cams that pickup and during day the 8mp 4k digital is great feature.

 

[Nyghthawk]

Run your cameras at their native resolution unless you have a good reason not to, like if your BI system can't handle the higher resolution. You will not get better low-light performance by running them at a lower resolution. You only get better low-light performance by buying a camera that is better at low light. The best at low light tend to be lower resolution because that means each pixel is bigger and has more light-collecting area (but this is not all there is to it).

Higher frame rates (smoother playback) is not important for a security camera to achieve its goals. 15 FPS is plenty. 5 FPS would even be enough for most situations.

thanks for straight forward explanation!

 

[mat200]

thanks for straight forward explanation!

Hi @Nyghthawk

Also do check out the recent reviews members have been doing with the new starlight+ models coming out ( 4MP ), they look very interesting so far.

 

[Nyghthawk]

Hi @Nyghthawk

Also do check out the recent reviews members have been doing with the new starlight+ models coming out ( 4MP ), they look very interesting so far.

thank you, while I do think the new (or even older) starlights could be better in low light over my current 4K cameras, I am not looking at upgrading my current cameras. I was just curious as to why a lot of the reviews mentioned "make sure to set 1080p". My assumption was these were higher resolution cameras being "down set" to the 1080p, not that the 1080p was the "highest" choice for these cameras. So I wanted to clarify that there wasn't something I was missing with my current 4k bullet cameras versus moving them to a resolution of 1080p.

My NVR/BI setup captures 4K resolution no problems, no hiccups, storage space is not an issue, and playing back is not an issue, so I was affirmed that leaving them in their native resolution (4k) would be the best choice at this point.

 

[mat200]

Hi @Nyghthawk

"I was just curious as to why a lot of the reviews mentioned "make sure to set 1080p"." - I do not recall anyone of merit stating that here.

As bp2008 notes - selecting a lower resolution ( down res ) on a camera does not make the camera perform better.

What members have stated numerous times, is that a 2MP camera can be a better low light option than a 8MP ( "4K" ) camera provided it has larger sized pixels ( and f-stop, and DSP, and .. ) compared to the 8MP camera. Thus when comparing cameras you want to compare more than just resolution.

Downsizing the resolution within a particular camera can provide other benefits. Remember each IP camera is a linux box with processing power and ram. Less resolution images typically means the processing power can be allocated to other tasks. For example - selecting a lower resolution setting in a camera can result in more fps being processed, or other calculations. ( H.265, IVS functions, etc.. )

 

[Nyghthawk]

Example One:
"Be sure to select 1080p" Review-Dahua Starlight IPC-HDW5231R-ZE 800 meter capable ePOE
When I was looking for other cameras I had seen this same phrase. (I am looking for those other examples now)

I did not THINK setting a lower resolution made the camera perform better, I was wondering why people were saying that....

and I am NOT disagreeing with the fact a camera that is made for low light, even at 2mp, could perform better than an 4k (hell an 8k) camera that is NOT built for low light.



@mat200 are you the one from slickdeals? cause if you are, you are the reason why I went with the Costco Lorex Kit =))

I think your LAST sentence is the best one. As if people want IVS functions, might only work on 1080p versus the 4k, which these lorex cameras do not.


EDIT: now what I went looking for the quotes more, it seems everyone is saying to turn YOUTUBE to 1080p resolution, not necessarily the cameras themselves......(whoooooshhhh) my bads!

 

[bigredfish]

Example One:
"Be sure to select 1080p" Review-Dahua Starlight IPC-HDW5231R-ZE 800 meter capable ePOE
When I was looking for other cameras I had seen this same phrase. (I am looking for those other examples now)

I did not THINK setting a lower resolution made the camera perform better, I was wondering why people were saying that....

He said that because he embedded a Youtube video, when you view Youtube videos the YT player often defaults to a very low 240/480 bitrate.
Many of us remind folks to "Be sure to select 1080p" referring to changing the resolution to 1080p on the Youtube player. Probably 90%+ of the videos posted here are 2MP (1080p) and most hosted on Youtube.

 

[Nyghthawk]

He said that because he embedded a Youtube video, when you view Youtube videos the YT player often defaults to a very low 240/480 bitrate.
Many of us remind folks to "Be sure to select 1080p" referring to changing the resolution to 1080p on the Youtube player. Probably 90%+ of the videos posted here are 2MP (1080p) and most hosted on Youtube.

yup i think I came to the same conclusion after re-re-re-reading the same posts over and over and noticing they were only mentioned near youtube videos lol

 

[looney2ns]

If you haven't, study this Cliff Notes.

 

[Ri22o]

Regarding the discussion on Full HD 1080p vs 4K, it's important to consider the specific needs and limitations of your setup. While higher resolution can offer more details and potential for digital zoom, it does come with certain hardware and storage requirements. Some users may opt for 1080p due to hardware or storage limitations, as it requires less bandwidth and storage space compared to 4K.

However, it's worth noting that higher resolution doesn't necessarily guarantee a "smoother" playback. Smoothness of playback is influenced by factors such as frame rate and video compression. Sometimes, a lower resolution with a higher frame rate may result in a smoother viewing experience.

Ultimately, the decision between 1080p and 4K depends on your specific preferences and requirements. It's advisable to consider factors such as available storage, bandwidth, and the importance of details or digital zoom in your surveillance needs.

Read more about the differences between Full HD 1080p and 4K

I hope this helps clarify the topic!

It's only been 4.5 years since the original post.

 

[tigerwillow1]

Regarding the discussion on Full HD 1080p vs 4K, it's important to consider the specific needs and limitations of your setup.

Very similar tone and wording to other posts identified as bots.