4K video editor that charges by the pixel
How do you discus an app that costs almost as much as many people’s monthly net income? At $999.99, there is certainly no argument that Vizzywig 4K doesn’t off value for money – but maybe that isn’t the point.
4K video in your pocket, kind of
By purchasing Vizzywig 4K you get a direct line to the developer, and thus have an influence on the app’s future development. It is a prof of concept, impressive and expensive, but still a work in progress and receiving regular updates.
So, if you happen to have the cash to spare and want to support this endeavor in the hope that one day normal people can afford it I salute your generosity.\n
Using the iPhone 5s’s 8-megapixel camera, Vizzywig 4K utilizes the burst photo capability to grab 24 pictures a second. It then syncs these with recorded audio to create a 4K movie.
To put 4K in perspective, when viewed at full screen that’s larger than most TVs or monitors can display. If you do have a nice big 4K monitor, however, you will be able to see that Vizzywig’s claims that it can capture the next generation of HD video are true and it is able to create beautiful, crisp, massive, movies.
Plus, with Youtube now supporting the 4K format, you can even share your videos with friends.
Basic, but easy
Vizzywig 4K contains a basic video editor. One feature of this is that it allows you to mark and split clips as you film to more easily make changes to the final video. Mostly edits are limited to topping and tailing footage with intros and outros, a sound track, and some trimming and transitions between clips.
These features are all easy to use. Dragging lines along either end of clips selects where you want to snip it, while tapping on the timeline offers up a selection of fades and cuts. Don’t expect a full editing suite, but if all you are looking for is a simple snips and clips then you will find all you need here. However, keep in mind that it offers no more than iMovie albeit in-app.
All of this is bottle necked by the shear weight of 4K video on the device. Rendering video takes forever and eats through storage. The app itself is barely over 50MB, but record even a minute of footage and you will see 3GB of memory swallowed up. It is for this reason that the devs not only specify iPhone 5s but also 32GB and 64GB models.
To further constrict things, iOS 8 has restricted burst capture. This leaves Vizzywig 4K only able to work on iOS 7 or at a painfully slow 10fps.
One for the future
Vizzywig 4K is a fascinating oddity. Does it need to be $999.99? Certainly not. But this price raised awareness of an interesting manipulation of existing technology for something different and forward thinking.
Hopefully, with continued support from altruistic buyers, Vizzywig 4K will be able to overcome the restriction imposed by iOS 8 and produce an affordable pocket sized app that can capture 4K footage… then all you’ll need is a phone with a terabyte hard-drive.
