Knowledge Base

Problem

A user asks whether using 4K camera footage provides any benefit for FaceReader facial analysis, or whether the software downgrades high-resolution video to a lower resolution during processing.

Details

Users sometimes assume FaceReader compresses or ignores resolution above a certain threshold. This is a general guidance question relevant to research study design and camera selection. Applies to FaceReader's offline video analysis workflow.

Solution

FaceReader does not automatically compress or cap video at 1080p, but in most practical scenarios 4K resolution provides no meaningful improvement to analysis accuracy:

1. Full HD (1920×1080) is sufficient for the vast majority of face analysis use cases.
2. Even 720p can be adequate if the participant's face occupies a significant portion of the frame.
3. 4K may offer a practical benefit in specific situations: the participant is at a distance from the camera, post-recording crop or zoom is required, or multiple faces are captured in a wide-angle shot.
4. If storage or processing performance is a concern, recording at 1080p is recommended over 4K.
5. Focus on face framing and lighting quality rather than resolution as the primary factors for reliable FaceReader output.