Tricks for Downscaling GoPro Hero5 4K to 1080P

Hard to deal with your 4K footage form GoPro Hero5? Here is a simple tutorial on how to downscale GoPro Hero5 4K MP4 to 1080p for easier playback and editing.

When I got some 4K clips from my new GoPro Hero5 black, I'm seeking for the way to downscale GoPro Hero5 4K to 1080P for importing my GoPro Hero5 video to iMovie for further editing.

If you recorded some videos by GoPro Hero5, you may like me prefer editing the 4K videos. Final Cut Pro, Avid Media Composer, iMovie, Adobe Premiere Pro are all your choices. But, we can't import GoPro 4K to FCP/iMovie/Avid/Premiere Pro directly due to the codec incompatibility. But above all, there's actually no way to edit a 4K project in FCP 7/iMovie/Avid/Premiere natively. In this case, downscale 4K to 1080P is really necessary since 1080p would be the best settings. It will save you both time and trouble, and all you need is to drag the result videos for prompt editing. And it also brings easier 4K playback if you want to view the 4K videos on your TV, iPad or other media devices.

So, how to downscale 4K to 1080p from GoPro Hero4 MP4 footage?

Actually, there are numbered tools and utilities can convert and compress the lumpish ultra HD videos. Which one to choose is the key? Well, Brorsoft Video Converter for Mac is considered to be the best 4K Ultra HD video converter.

It is surely in the support of compressing 4K UHD videos to 1080p faultlessly. Plus, this 4K video converter enables you to transcode 4K videos to any format MOV, WMV, FLV, MPG, AVI, MKV... What's more, it also provides hundreds of output format presets for 4K videos, such as Apple ProRes 422, Apple ProRes 4444 for Final Cut Pro, AIC MOV for iMovie, DNxHD for Avid Media Composer, etc to meet your needs. Overall, this program is a completely professional 4K HD video converter, player and editor. For Windows user, Brorsoft Video Converter is the alternative choice that allows you to convert 4K to 1080p on Windows at high speed.

Step 1. Load GoPro 4K Video

Launch the 4K to 1080p Converter; click "Add Video" and load your 4K files from GoPro Hero4 or hard drive.



Step 2. Decide Output Format

Click the "Format" drop down list to select MOV, MPG, AVI, etc format from "Common Video" as you want. Since this video converter also provides optimal profiles for kinds of editing programs and media devices, you can also select a proper format that best meets your needs.



3. Downsize original 4K resolution at 1080p

Click "Settings" button; you can adjust video and audio settings, including codec, aspect ratio, bit rate, frame rate, sample rate, and audio channel. To down-convert ultra HD 4K to 1080p, do remember adjusting video size to 1920*1080. That is the exact 108p.



4. Start 4K to 1080p Conversion

Hit "Convert" button to let the GoPro 4K to 1080p conversion begin. When the conversion finished, check the generated 1080p video, you will certainly be satisfied with its final video quality. It would be much easier for you to playback and edit.

Editor's Note:
Advantage to downscaling 4k to 1080p vs. recording at 1080p to begin with?

The advantage is having more resolution to work with when you need to crop something out, zoom in without compromising quality, adjusting for image stabilization, etc.

Related Guides:
Share GoPro Hero5 4K Videos in YouTube
Work with GoPro MP4 files in Cyberlink PowerDirector