What is FPS for video recording cameras and how does it affects the viewing experience for the audience?
In: Technology
A video file is ultimately just a lot of images that are played back in quick succession. The FPS or Frame Rate of a video is how many of those images were taken per second in the original source.
You may record something at 30 Frames Per Second or 60 Frames Per Second or 300 Frames Per Second. When you play it back, most players will just play back at the same frame rate giving you the same experience. More frames per second means a smoother picture, and that’s all most people will ever experience.
However, slow-motion is where it really becomes important. Imagine I was recording the finish line of an Olympic 100m dash, and it was an apparent tie at the line. If I record at 30 FPS and slow it down, I still only have those 30 frames each representing 1/30th of a second. If both runners passed the line in that same 1/30th of a second, I can’t tell who actually won.
If I have something like a 5000 FPS camera, then I have a granularity of 1/5000th of a second instead. It’s much less likely for both runners to pass in the same interval at that scale. I can watch the individual frames and see what happened much better.
Of course, you can also just play back this slow-mo footage at different frame rates. By manipulating the playback rate, you are watching the footage at different relative speeds. That’s useful for the slow-mo replay that fans will see.
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