Deprecation of 4K Video Downloader

I watch a lot of videos on YouTube, and I often prefer to download them so that I can watch them using my favorite media player, VLC. I’ve previously written about how you can use 4K Video Downloader to download and convert YouTube videos.

Much to my dismay, 4K Video Downloader has reached end of life, as support has been discontinued as of February 1, 2025. The developers encourage 4K Video Downloader users to transition to 4K Video Downloader Plus which is a similar application by the same developer. The downside for me is that my license for 4K Video Downloader will not work on 4K Video Downloader Plus. Fortunately the free version appears to be full-featured, albeit with a daily download limit.

Sometimes developers release new versions of software that require new licenses, and they may do it so often that the licensure model starts to look more like a subscription model (cough cough, Parallels, cough). This is not one of those scenarios, but given that 4K Video Downloader Plus is pretty much the same application as 4K Video Downloader (plus a browser that I don’t plan to use), it doesn’t add any value for me. That being said, I can understand how the developer needs to invest resources to ensure compatibility with YouTube and other video repositories. For now, I’ll migrate to the free version of 4K Video Downloader Plus, and perhaps I will share more in-depth thoughts later on.

Canon Full Frame Mirrorless Cameras: R6 and R5

It’s been a while since I’ve written about photography, partly because I haven’t done much photography lately while sheltering in place, and partly because I haven’t seen any interesting developments. Things changed on July 9 when Canon introduced the EOS R6 and EOS R5. These are full frame mirrorless cameras targeted to professionals (and enthusiasts who don’t balk at the price tags).

Although Canon was relatively late to the mirrorless game and has been playing catchup with Sony, they do have a lineup of mirrorless cameras and introduced their first full frame mirrorless camera with the EOS R in 2018.

Both the R6 and R5 raise the bar in terms of photo and video quality over the R, with the most significant improvement being the addition of in-body image stabilization which the R lacked (it depended on image stabilization built into the lens). This should improve low light photography which is a common scenario that I face when capturing moments indoors (e.g., birthday parties, performances/recitals, family gatherings). It should also reduce camera shake for videos.

Another improvement is in the ISO range for the R6 which has a native ISO range of 100-102,400 (expandable to 204,800) which is an improvement over the R which has a native ISO range of 100-40,000 (expandable to 102,400). The top-of-the-line R5 has a native ISO range of 100-51,200 (expandable to 102,400) whose lower ISO might have been a compromise due to its enormous pixel count.

Another improvement is in video resolution. Whereas the R is capable of 4K video, it tops out at 30 fps. The R6 ups the frame rate for 4K video to 60 fps. Meanwhile, the R5 not only shoots 4K at 120 fps, it also introduces 8K video at 30 fps in both RAW and H.265 formats.

Regarding megapixel (MP) count, The R6 has a modest 20 MP which is lower than the R which has 30.3 MP. The R5 raises the bar to 45 MP. I personally don’t put a whole lot of weight into the MP count since a vast majority of my photos are intended to be viewed online or converted into 1080p videos, so my current Canon EOS Rebel T4i with 18 MP is more than sufficient for those purposes, and I’ve also created 24x36 inch prints which look fine. Then again, I’m an enthusiast/hobbyist, and professional photographers may have different needs.

There are many other new features and specifications in the R6 and R5, but to sum up these 2 new cameras, the R6 is more geared toward pro-level photographers who need better low light performance, and the R5 is better for pro-level photographers who also demand higher quality video. Regardless, this is another indicator that mirrorless cameras have a role in professional photography and that DSLRs will eventually fade away.

Excuses Excuses

As described in my previous post, I recently bought a GoPro HERO7 Black. It records video at 4K (3840 x 2160). It's technically not my first device that is capable of capturing 4K video. My GoPro HERO3+ Black records video at 4K 15fps, but I found the 15fps frame rate to be unacceptable in most situations, so I mostly used 2.7K 30 fps and 1080p 60fps. However, my GoPro HERO7 Black records video at 4K 60fps (woo hoo) which means that I'll be recording a lot more 4K video.

Much to my dismay, Final Cut Pro X told me that my Late 2012 27-inch iMac (2.9 GHz Intel Core i5 processor) isn't quite powerful enough to edit 4K video (or larger). I proceeded to edit a 4K project anyway, and sure enough the skimming and previewing of 4K video is quite choppy and results in a significantly degraded editing experience. However, upon export, the 4K video plays smoothly in VLC Media Player, QuickTime Player, and of course YouTube.

The bottom line is that now I have an excuse to buy a new 27-inch Retina 5K iMac. 🤓