4K and quality
How a 4K film gets to the couple, what the 4K line under each film means and which download qualities they get.
Upload a 4K export and the couple watches and downloads it in 4K. This article explains what happens between the upload finishing and the 4K copy being ready, what the line under each film in the Films panel is telling you, and what the couple can pick when they download.
How 4K works, from your side
- You upload the film. The transfer is the part that depends on your connection.
- Once the whole file has arrived, Hailo packages the quality copies: the full-resolution copy first, then smaller copies for couples on weak connections. The Films panel shows Preparing 4K NN% while this runs.
- The film joins the page only once the full-quality copy has been checked. A couple can never open a gallery and hit a film that will not play.
- From then on the player picks the best quality the viewer's connection can carry, up to 4K.
Packaging runs at low priority so it does not slow down whatever else you are doing. It does not need the editor open, and if you quit Hailo in the middle it picks up again the next time Hailo is running rather than starting over.
For films uploaded before the 4K path existed, the gallery plays in up to 1080p, Hailo builds the 4K copy on your Mac, and the gallery upgrades on its own once it is ready.
The 4K line under each film
Every film card in the Films panel carries a one-line state. This is the answer to "why can't I see 4K" without needing anyone to look anything up.
| Line | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 4K ready | The full-quality copy is live. The couple gets 4K playback and a 4K download. |
| high-quality version ready | The film's best copy is ready, but the source was below 2160p, so it is not called 4K. |
| Preparing 4K NN% | Packaging is running. The percentage is packaging progress. |
| Building the 4K on your Mac… | Your Mac is preparing the 4K copy for a film that was uploaded the older way. Keep Hailo running. |
| Uploading the 4K… | The 4K copy your Mac built is being sent up. |
| 4K failed followed by a reason | Packaging failed. Try the upload again; if it fails again, contact support with the reason shown. |
| 1080p film. 4K isn't made for this one | The film you uploaded is 1080p (or 1440p). This is the designed outcome, not an error: Hailo never upscales. |
| No 4K on this film. If the master is 4K, drag it in from your Mac to add one | Hailo does not know this film's resolution, usually because it was uploaded before the 4K path existed. Drag the 4K export from your Mac onto the card to add a 4K copy. |
Why a 1080p export never gets 4K
Hailo packages the pixels you give it. A 1080p export stays 1080p; a 4K export gets a 4K copy plus smaller ones. If you edited in 4K and the line says 1080p film, you exported at 1080p. Export again at 3840 by 2160 (or your camera's 4K frame, for example 4096 wide from a RED or Blackmagic timeline) and upload that.
Which sizes count as 4K
A film counts as 4K when the frame is at least 2160 pixels tall. That covers UHD (3840 by 2160), DCI 4K (4096 by 2160) and taller frames. Anything shorter than 2160 is called the "high-quality version" in the Films panel rather than 4K.
What the couple can download
When they click Download, a sheet lists every film with a checkbox. Films with a 4K copy carry a 4K tag. If any film on the page has one, a Quality menu appears:
| Option | What they get |
|---|---|
| 4K, full quality, large files | Your original export, as uploaded. |
| HD 1080p, smaller, faster | A smaller 1080p file. |
Films without a 4K copy download at up to 1080p whatever is picked. Files are named after the couple and the film: their names, a hyphen, then the film name, ending in .mp4. See What the couple sees for the whole download flow.
If it didn't work
- The line says "Preparing 4K" and has not moved in a long time. Long films take a while, and the percentage updates in steps. If it sits at the same number for more than an hour, quit and reopen Hailo; packaging resumes on its own.
- The line says "4K failed". The reason follows the words. Upload the film again. If it fails the same way twice, contact support and quote the reason.
- The couple says the film looks soft. The player starts at the quality their connection can carry and steps up. Ask them to let it play for a minute, or to pick the higher quality in the player's quality control. For a file, point them at Download and the 4K option.
- You uploaded 4K and the line says 1080p. Check the export settings in your editor; the file itself is 1080p.