Enjoy 4K video from your camera
Make the most of your 4K video
Discover loads of ways to enjoy your 4K ultra-high-definition videos. Learn how to watch, save and edit your 4K videos shot with your 4K Handycam® or Action Cam. Not only keeping it in storage, make the most of 4K video and enjoy your masterpiece with your family and friends.
Watch
Learn how to watch 4K video on 4K or HD TVs and devices.
Q: How can I watch 4K video shot using a 4K Handycam® or Action Cam?
A: Watch your 4K Handycam® and Action Cam video on compatible TVs or computers. There are two ways to watch video in 4K: Watch your video on a 4K TV, or use 4K playback-compatible software to watch video on a computer.
Watch on 4K TV
Use HDMI cables (ver. 2.0 or higher) to connect your 4K-capable Handycam®, Action Cam or computer to a 4K-compatible TV.
Watch on computer
Use 4K playback-compatible software to watch 4K video on 4K-capable computer.
Additional tips on watching 4K video
Q: Can I watch 4K video on a Full HD TV?
A: Yes, easily watch 4K video down-converted to Full HD on HDTVs. Simply connect your 4K Handycam® or 4K Action Cam to a compatible Full HDTV to automatically down-convert 4K video to exceptionally detailed Full HD video.
*1 HDMI ver. 2.0 or higher is recommended
Save
Learn how to save 4K video to external memory
Q: Where can I save 4K video?
A: Save 4K video to computers, external hard drives, USB memories or SD memory cards. On computers, use free software like PlayMemories Home™ or Action Cam Movie Creator to easily manage or play back 4K video. To save 4K video to an external hard drive, directly copy video from Handycam® using Direct Copy (see Additional tips on saving 4K video), or copy via computer. Copy 4K video to USB memory or SD memory cards via computers.
Compatibility by Device
Computer
Use PlayMemories Home to easily manage and playback 4K video.
External hard drive
Direct copy from 4K Handycam®. Format: NTFS or exFAT
USB flash memory or SD memory card
Format: NTFS or exFAT
Transfer 4K video to portable devices using a computer
PlayMemories Home
Action Cam Movie Creator
Additional tips on saving 4K video
*1 Optional accessory. Availability depends on country.
Tips: Direct Copy
Easily back up or save 4K video to an external hard drive. Simply connect your Handycam® containing the original video to a hard drive using a USB cable .
Q: Can I save 4K video to Blu-ray Disc™?
A: While Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD do not support 4K video recording, you can burn 4K video to Blu-ray Disc™ by down-converting to AVCHD. As original video is recorded in 4K, you can enjoy exceptionally detailed Full HD.
Using PlayMemories Home
Use PlayMemories Home to easily down-convert your Handycam® or Action Cam 4K video to AVCHD format and burn it to Blu-ray Disc™.
Using editing software
Alternatively, use Movie Studio Platinum or other editing software to down-convert 4K XAVC S video to AVCHD and burn to Blu-ray Disc™. Please check software specification for compatibility.
Edit
Learn how to edit your 4K video for other uses
Q: Which editing software is 4K XAVC S-compatible?
A: Use free Sony software, PlayMemories Home or third-party software like Premiere Pro CC to edit your 4K video.
What you can do with video editing software
Creating original video
With a little editing, you can transform your 4K video into impressive original movies.
Converting video formats
Convert video from XAVC S (4K) to AVCHD (HD) to save HD-quality images on a Blu-ray Disc™.
Capturing still images from video
Extract 4K (8.29 megapixels) still images from your favourite 4K video scenes.
Q: How can I watch edited 4K video on a TV?
A: To watch edited 4K video on a TV, output the 4K video to an SD memory card or a camera and play back using an XAVC S-compatible camera.
When edited using PlayMemories Home or Premiere Pro CC with Video Edit Components (optional plug-in software), you can convert 4K video to XAVC S format, playable using Sony XAVC S-compatible camera. After converting to XAVC S format, output video to SD memory card or an XAVC S-compatible camera using PlayMemories Home; connect the camera to a 4K TV via a HDMI cable to watch your edited 4K video.
If you have 4K output capable computer, simply play back 4K video using the computer connected to a 4K TV via a HDMI cable without converting video format or outputting video to a camera.
With camera
1. Edit and convert video to XAVC S format
Edit video and convert it to XAVC S format using PlayMemories Home or Premiere Pro CC with Video Edit Components plug-in software.
2. Write back
Write back files to SD memory card or camera using PlayMemories Home.
3. Watch
Connect XAVC S-compatible camera to 4K TV via a HDMI cable and play back with the camera.
With computer
1. Edit and convert video to XAVC S format
Edit video using XAVC S-compatible software.
2. Watch
Connect 4K output capable computer to 4K TV via a HDMI cable and playback with the computer.
4K Format
Learn about the new 4K format, XAVC S
Q: What is XAVC S format?
A: XAVC S format was developed for 4K recording.
As AVCHD, popularly used for conventional camcorder, does not support 4K video recording, XAVC S was developed for 4K and HD video recording for consumer use, based on the professional XAVC 4K and HD format. XAVC S employs the Long GOP codec (H.264/AVC) for video file compression to extend 4K video capture capacity. Moreover, the MP4 container format simplifies the handling of 4K video. It also supports high-bit-rate recording, so you can record high-resolution video even when shooting high-action shots.
File format
File system
Container format
4 GB file size limit
Video codec
Audio codec
Maximum resolution
Maximum bit rate
Maximum bit rate will vary depending on the camera.