It’s 2019. Costs are going down on video cameras. We all have good bandwidth in our homes. When will TWiT invest in 4K content? Is it in the works?
Since they are starting to launch “audio only” podcast, I don’t see 4k coming anytime in the near future.
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They seem to have significant overhead when it comes to video because they’ve said it costs them many times more than audio. Not sure if most of it is on the staff/editing side, but even consumer-grade cameras (they don’t need fancy RED setup) just to cover the live stream sets shouldn’t be prohibitively expensive (even many lower budget techtubers do 4K).
I’m guessing the costs can’t be coming from server bandwidth, because if I remember correctly Cachefly covers that, and Youtube is free. That might just cover streaming and not downloads, though. Maybe storage and backup costs? And probably the calculation includes their local internet connection (Sonic?) which likely isn’t cheap if they aren’t getting any sponsor deal or discount.
I don’t need 4K, but I do think it’s getting to the point where it’s increasingly expected. They may be able to hold off doing it for a few years, though. I doubt very many people are watching even the HD versions as it is.
The cost of high resolution video is in the ability to have enough high speed storage to collect it in raw for editing and encoding. I don’t know if the hardware is there yet for efficient real time H.264 transcoding of many channels. And to make the transmission costs manageable, you’re going to want to deliver H.265 video to customers… and H.265 transcoding is still slow and painful, even with many core machines, because the current codecs aren’t efficient at parallel encoding.
Unrelatedly, here in Canada Samsung is running ads to entice people to buy 8K TV’s when there isn’t even much 4K content available 
I’d wager that most a lot of people are like me. I download the shows I want to see, watch them once and never look again. It doesn’t make a lot of difference what the video quality is as long as it is viewable.
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I agree with everyone here. Even if the cost has been reduced as of late it doesn’t seem worth it to put these shows into 4K. I almost never watch fwiw.
Why would you want 4k?
You can’t tell 4k from 1080 at the distance that most people watch TV. It is only noticeable when you get your nose in the screen.
4k devices are only good for doing VR, otherwise it is wasted cash. My ‘new’ TV is 1080 and should last 5 more years or more. 4k content is wasted on me and the vast majority of people.
I’m as much an HD snob as anyone, but TWiT is generally something I have playing in the background, glancing at the video if I hear them talking about something visual. Even if I have it playing on a 4k-capable display, it’s usually shared with other programs.
I don’t think there’s a ton of value in it for them to invest in 4k equipment just yet. I’d bet their viewership metrics reflect this as well - probably a very small minority watching on 4k-capable displays. Wait until costs come down and then we’ll see the move to a 4k feed.
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We’re going to skip 4k and go straight to 8k.
Seriously we’re 720p and that seems a good compromise between file size and picture quality. Going to 4k would require buying ALL new gear. I just don’t see it for now.
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As someone who WATCHES all my TWiT podcasts on my iPad I’m not asking for 4K. I used to subscribe to the HD versions but switched to the HI versions since the HD took too long to download and really didn’t make that much difference on the iPad.
Is it on us (the community) to study the trends or you as a broadcaster to guage the interest? If as a collective whole we’re saying this the whole time, we do not know the path at all.
4k is awesome for action/blockbuster movies. For tech news and reviews it seems a bit overkill…
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I want to see every pore in Leo’s face 
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We’d have to call him Leo LaPores, then.
…
Let’s make this happen, people. 
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Most people around my area no not have the bandwidth for 4k. 720p & 1080p will likely be my standard for the next 2 years. (small town NZ) By then we ‘might’ have 5G.
unless you’re MKHBD! 
4k is awesome for tech tubers and reviewers who know how to do good video. Hardware Canucks and Optimum Tech come to mind. Sometimes jayztwocents, especially with slow mo water loops (one of them made the rounds as gif). Borderline lewd, high res gadget and hardware eyecandy. 
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See? Right there. That’s exactly why. Is TWiT any different from a YouTuber or reviewer?
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Yes much different. Visual aspects are not as important as a lot of those examples. The main point of the shows are not to show you anything visually but to inform you. They are podcast based with video whereas MKHBD is visual based, plus he is a huge camera nerd.
I would argue you do not need visuals at all to enjoy TWiT.
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