4K downsize to HD

I'd like to slightly revise my previous post, I'm guessing the QT SS makes from the 4K may be an uncompressed QT (not, as I suggested, a p-jpeg, which obviously isn't a quicktime file). Hence, no compression.

I have started to upload 4k only now. If P5 don't want to sell downsized versions, fine. I hope the higher price for the 4k clips will make up for the loss(?) in number of sales. A lot of the 4k clips I am uploading now are also fairly unique, so I still have good hope the clips will sell to the right buyer.

A downsizing option would be great.I just started with 4k,not sure what to upload. I think I´ll do some clips 4k,some hd and see what happens until I have more experience.

Pond5 is what it is... Other than hiring a designer to change the look now and again, it's not going to change and not going to get better. They've been stringing us along with false promises for years. One of the principles flat out lied to my face and told me they were going to be more communicative and open on the forums with artists... It happened for a month and then right back to ignoring us.

I've given up on Pond5 ever getting better than it is now, ever keeping any of the promises they made to us, or ever doing anything to get back to the cozy relationship we had with them in the beginning. It's a business now and no longer a passion for anyone who works there. They just want to maximize profits and they aren't going to do that by making the site better or talking to us. Just be grateful they still give us a 50% cut, unlike most other sites.

And yes, I'm jaded because Shutterstock went in the complete opposite direction. When I first joined SS it was all business, now they communicate on a regular basis, continue to improve the site for buyers and sellers and, quite honestly, just go a better job of selling than Pond5. It's almost as if the "positive mojo" drifted across town from Pond5 to SS because as one started to get better, the other started to get worse...

I agree, shuttersrock is definitely accelerating.

I wish p5 would do improvement that bring in more sales for us and more for them, like down converting files.

I choose not to manually downsize anymore either. Just too much more work. I used to, but not so much now.

Does it hurt my sales here? I don't think so, but there's no way to tell for sure.

This one just sold in 4K, despite also being available in HD:

https://www.pond5.com/stock-footage/42533931

And this simple one also recently sold in 4K (the only resolution I made available here):

https://www.pond5.com/stock-footage/41220345

So, maybe buyers are slowly starting to realize the benefits of 4K even if they're editing in HD. But I am in favor of P5 adding an auto-downsize option for buyers (4K to HD only).

On SS, on the other hand, many of my 4K shots sell at HD, but that just makes me think that $299 is a bit too steep for most people. But then again, it may also just be that SS makes buying downsized versions so easy.

You really can't pinpoint a definite reason.

I have sold many 4K's here even with HD versions available. On SS mostly downsized HD from 4K. The logical conclusion is that the spread in pricing from 4K to HD is too large at SS. If it were up to me, I would make HD no less than half of 4K pricing there. But then again, I have no choice in the matter. 3.8 times (3.8x) the price of HD to get 4K is just way too big of a spread IMHO. Here I try to keep it at a fast or of not greater than 2 times (2x).

With you on SS pricing Andy. Then again they do seem to be selling a lot of HD up to $500. Overall on "normal" clips $79 up to $299 is too great of a jump. Would love to keep the pricing high and so far SS seems to have sit the sweet spot on pricing for HD and 4K but way undercuts SD and web pricing. Got another sub $5 web sale commission today ... yuck.

I wonder what kind of surprise we will see on pricing if and when P5 jumps on the bandwagon that other agencies did more than a year ago? Sure hope it isn't like the photo pricing of take a huge discount or price all the same. That just would not be good for me on the footage side. RS seems to have a great pricing structure for artists to price their own .. hint ... hint. I guess someday we'll just see it happen and will have no warning, communication or input as sellers.

Well .... selling the HD versions of 4K clips well at SS and they don't have many of my 4K yet. Sad that we artists and P5 are passing on a LOT of HD sales from 4K downsized here at P5. Sure seems to be a waste of time and storage costs to have to upload both HD and 4K. 4k will some day be a big part of sales but as of now, HD is still king and we are treating them like peasants. P5 do I need to send well over a thousand duplicate HD clips to start making HD sales? I've been very very active on uploading but sales number don't show it due to most of them being 4K. Hate to be losing HD sales like I know is happening with no update or communication.