# GoPro 3 - 1440 vs. 1080



## sinfony78 (Dec 2, 2012)

just picked one up and unfortunately i don't have a lot of time to mess around with settings before i go on my trip...heading out to the swiss alps for a couple days and want to get some good vids

so my question is:

what would you recommend for creating a video...i don't like the 4:3 aspect ratio of 1440 and am not sure if pulling a 16:9 portion of the video would yield as wide a view as if it were captured with 1080

what are your opinions?

this is my first time filming and editing so any advice is appreciated

thanks


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## RandomGuyOnABike (Mar 5, 2013)

On the editting side of things, if you record in the higher, 4:3 aspect ratio, and then composite it to the lower widescreen, 16:9 aspect ratio, you'll get your widescreen view, at least, as far as the viewer is concerned.

AFAIK (I've never done this personally), but you're not getting the true widescreen as it was intended, that is why you see in movies on TV, "This film as been modified for widescreen" or whatever the "disclaimer" is when it starts.

However, ignorance is bliss.. what the viewer doesn't know won't kill them, right? 

edit: Is it 2560x1440 or is it 1440x900? If it is the later, you'll need to resize the video so that it fits, and won't get the black bars.. this will increase the pixelation of the video.. if it is the former, then you can leave it as is, and just make the composition 1920x1080.. or make the comp size 1080 and shrink the video so that it fits within the boundaries (you will still get some "overlap", but the viewer will see more of the video).


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## Lawson Raider (Jul 24, 2006)

I record in 720p all the time and have never had issue with enjoyable content. I also use 720p as it is easier for me to edit on my system. I may try 1080 and 1440 just to get familiar with it.


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## jhazard (Aug 16, 2004)

sinfony78 said:


> so my question is:
> 
> what would you recommend for creating a video...i don't like the 4:3 aspect ratio of 1440 and am not sure if pulling a 16:9 portion of the video would yield as wide a view as if it were captured with 1080
> 
> ...


Yes, it's the same view, 1080 is a cropped portion of the 1440 setting.

As far as the GoPro is concerned, the 1440 & 1080 describe the HEIGHT of the video. The 1080 and 1440 both shoot the _*same pixel width of 1920*_. So, you can shoot at 1440, then crop it down to 16x9/widescreen when you edit (larger files), or you can shoot at the 1080 setting, and it will be widescreen already.

I don't have a ton of ram on my system so I shoot the 1080 setting more often.

Here's an image that illustrates how a GoPro's settings look: (sorry for the wide image)










And here's the web page I pulled it from, it has some great information on sensor settings that most people may not realize:
UNDERSTANDING YOUR GOPRO


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## Procter (Feb 3, 2012)

Definitely recommend you film some 1440 before your trip and see how well it plays and edits on your pc. I have a relatively new imac, core i7 with 4gb ram, and it struggles with the 1440. So i run 1080.

Also you tube and vimeo won't play 1440 yet as far as I'm aware. And if you burned to dvd, you either need to chop off top and bottom, or some software may allow you to keep the aspect ratio but it will convert down to 1080 resolution with side letterboxes most likely.

And it will take more battery, and battery life is the biggest issue on the gopro3. And it will suck up your SD's faster.

P.s. Bring extra batteries regardless of what resolution you decide to film.

Hope that helps.


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## net wurker (Sep 13, 2007)

ddprocter said:


> P.s. Bring extra batteries regardless of what resolution you decide to film.
> 
> Hope that helps.


This.

You can get a Wasabi kit that has two batteries and a wall charger for about 24 bux on Amazon. (just slightly more than one GoPro branded replacement battery) The general consensus on the GoPRo forums is that the Wasabi batteries are every bit as good as the original GoPro batteries, and the wall charger is a quality unit. It also includes a car lighter 12v adapter with it.

This way, you'll have three batteries and a charger....great way to accessorize your new camera.

Amazon.com: Wasabi Power Battery (2-Pack) and Charger for GoPro HD HERO3 and GoPro AHDBT-201, AHDBT-301: Camera & Photo


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## sinfony78 (Dec 2, 2012)

thanks for the info everyone. I've already purchased a ton of different mounts, a transcend sd card, and some liquc batteries. i take extra batteries for everything when i go out of town. 

i may just end up shooting in 1080. i have neither the skills or patience to sit through any kind of video rendering while i try to learn how to create a video. hopefully i do a decent job at the end of the day


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