Exporting 4K video without unnecessary upscaling
Keep useful source detail, choose a suitable frame size and test the encoder before processing a long 4K video.
Understand the trade-off
A common landscape 4K frame is 3840 × 2160; the corresponding portrait dimensions are 2160 × 3840. An export cannot recover detail absent from the source. Use custom dimensions only when you deliberately want to resize.
The 4K preset limits the longest edge to 3840 pixels without upscaling. Cropping may leave fewer source pixels available. Browser encoder capabilities vary, so an unavailable codec or frame size may require a different setting.
A useful starting point
- Choose 4K (2160p) under Advanced export settings.
- Use Custom for an explicit width and height.
- Link dimensions to retain the crop aspect ratio.
- Unlinked dimensions add padding if the crop ratio differs.
Use the editor
- Drop a video onto the home page; processing happens in your browser.
- Use the thumbnail timeline to set the clip boundaries. Zoom to the clip for precise adjustments.
- Choose an aspect ratio, then move or resize the crop frame.
- Select the output format. Open Advanced export settings only if you need quality, resolution, frame rate or bitrate controls.
- Export, then play the saved file before sharing it.
Test a short sample
Test a short section that includes movement, text and audio before exporting the full video. Trim and crop edits re-encode the selected video; Auto can preserve compatible unedited streams. Keep the source file so you can try again.
Check the result
Inspect the beginning and end, the subject’s framing, audio sync and small text. Check file size and dimensions, then preview the destination platform’s upload: it may resize or recompress the result.