Resolution reference
2160 × 3840 resolution (Vertical 4K)
Short answer
2160 × 3840 (vertical 4K, 9:16 4K) is a 9:16 portrait resolution with 8,294,400 pixels (8.29 megapixels). Vertical 4K - mostly a mastering resolution, since feeds deliver far less.
Key takeaways
- 2160 × 3840 is 9:16, portrait, 8,294,400 pixels (8.29 MP).
- Vertical 4K - mostly a mastering resolution, since feeds deliver far less.
- For video, YouTube's 2160p (4K) tier applies: 35-45 Mbps at 24-30 fps, about 263-338 MB a minute.
- Printed at 300 DPI it is 7.2 × 12.8 inches.
2160 × 3840 specifications
| Width × height | 2,160 × 3,840 pixels |
|---|---|
| Also called | 2160x3840, vertical 4K, 9:16 4K |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16, decimal 0.5625 |
| Orientation | portrait |
| Total pixels | 8,294,400 (8.29 megapixels) |
| Compared with 1080p | 4.00× the pixels of 1920 × 1080 |
| Diagonal | 4,406 pixels |
| Rotated | 3840 × 2160 (see that page) |
| Encoder safe | Yes: both sides are even, as H.264 and HEVC with 4:2:0 color require |
2160 × 3840 compared with common resolutions
| Resolution | Pixels | 2160 × 3840 has |
|---|---|---|
| 720p (1280 × 720) | 921,600 | 9.00× as many |
| 1080p (1920 × 1080) | 2,073,600 | 4.00× as many |
| 1440p (2560 × 1440) | 3,686,400 | 2.25× as many |
| 4K UHD (3840 × 2160) | 8,294,400 | 1.00× as many |
2160 × 3840 vs 2560 × 1440 and 2160 × 3840 vs 7680 × 4320
2160 × 3840 has 125% more pixels than 1440p (2560 × 1440). On a 6.7-inch phone that is 658 vs 438 pixels per inch, so text and fine detail look sharper at 2160 × 3840. A game or encoder has to process 2.25× as many pixels per frame, which costs frame rate on the same graphics card and, at equal quality, file size.
8K (7680 × 4320) has 300% more pixels than 2160 × 3840. On a 6.7-inch phone that is 658 vs 1,315 pixels per inch, so text and fine detail look softer at 2160 × 3840. A game or encoder processes only 25% as many pixels per frame, which helps frame rates and keeps files smaller.
| 2160 × 3840 | 1440p (2560 × 1440) | 8K (7680 × 4320) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pixels | 8,294,400 | 3,686,400 | 33,177,600 |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| YouTube bitrate, 24-30 fps | 35-45 Mbps | 16 Mbps | 80-160 Mbps |
| Desktop space (vs 1080p) | 400% | 178% | 1600% |
Where 2160 × 3840 is used
Phones began recording 4K in the mid-2010s; iPhones have offered 4K video since the iPhone 6s in 2015. Held upright, that recording is 2160 × 3840: the same 8.3 million pixels as landscape 4K UHD.
- Vertical 4K recordings from phones held upright.
- Masters for vertical edits that will be cropped or reframed, since 4K leaves room to zoom.
- Upload it if you have it, but short-form apps deliver vertical video far below 4K, so the extra pixels mostly add upload time.
Pixel density (PPI) by screen size
Pixel density is the diagonal in pixels (4,406) divided by the screen diagonal in inches. The last column is the distance at which a person with normal vision stops seeing individual pixels (one arcminute of visual acuity).
| Screen diagonal | PPI | Pixels blend at about |
|---|---|---|
| 6.1 inches | 722 | 5 in (12 cm) |
| 6.3 inches | 699 | 5 in (12 cm) |
| 6.7 inches | 658 | 5 in (13 cm) |
| 6.9 inches | 639 | 5 in (14 cm) |
Print sizes for a 2160 × 3840 image
| Print resolution | Inches | Centimeters | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 DPI | 7.2 × 12.8 | 18.3 × 32.5 | Photo prints, magazines |
| 240 DPI | 9.0 × 16.0 | 22.9 × 40.6 | Inkjet photo prints |
| 150 DPI | 14.4 × 25.6 | 36.6 × 65.0 | Posters seen from a meter or more |
| 72 DPI | 30.0 × 53.3 | 76.2 × 135.5 | Screen only; too coarse for print |
Free tool:DPI and print size calculator
Video at 2160 × 3840: bitrate and file size
| Frame rate | Bitrate | Per minute | Per 10 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-30 fps | 35-45 Mbps | about 263-338 MB | about 2630-3380 MB |
| 48-60 fps | 53-68 Mbps | about 398-510 MB | about 3980-5100 MB |
Uncompressed, one 2160 × 3840 frame is 24.9 MB as 8-bit RGB, or 12.4 MB in the 8-bit 4:2:0 format video codecs work in. At 30 fps that is 2,986 Mbps of raw video, which is why every delivery format compresses it.
Posting 2160 × 3840 to social platforms
How the frame lands in each common shape, either fitted whole with bars or scaled up to fill and cropped:
| Target frame | Fit with bars | Fill and crop |
|---|---|---|
| 9:16 (TikTok, Reels, Shorts), 1080 × 1920 | Fills exactly | No crop needed |
| 16:9 (YouTube), 1920 × 1080 | 608 × 1080 picture, 68% of the frame is bars | Keeps 32% of the picture (crops the height) |
| 4:5 (feed portrait), 1080 × 1350 | 760 × 1350 picture, 30% of the frame is bars | Keeps 70% of the picture (crops the height) |
| 1:1 (square), 1080 × 1080 | 608 × 1080 picture, 44% of the frame is bars | Keeps 56% of the picture (crops the height) |
Free tools:Crop video to 9:16Crop video to 16:9Crop an image to 4:5
How to resize to 2160 × 3840
- In an editor, set the sequence or export frame size to 2160 × 3840; if the source has a different shape, choose scale to fill (crop) or scale to fit (bars) rather than stretch.
- With FFmpeg, exact size:
ffmpeg -i in.mp4 -vf scale=2160:3840 -c:a copy out.mp4 - With FFmpeg, keep the whole picture and add bars:
ffmpeg -i in.mp4 -vf "scale=2160:3840:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=2160:3840:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2" -c:a copy out.mp4 - Upscaling a smaller source to 2160 × 3840 makes the file bigger without adding detail; scale down from a larger master when you can.
| Scale | Size | Pixels |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | 540 × 960 | 518,400 |
| 50% | 1080 × 1920 | 2,073,600 |
| 75% | 1620 × 2880 | 4,665,600 |
| 150% | 3240 × 5760 | 18,662,400 |
| 200% | 4320 × 7680 | 33,177,600 |
Same 9:16 shape:1080 × 1920720 × 12801440 × 2560
Check a file against 2160 × 3840
Extension and MIME type are labels, not proof of the container. Dimensions and duration come from this browser's media reader. The frame rate is measured by playing the first frames muted; a file faster than your screen's refresh rate reads low. This does not detect codecs, bitrate, corruption or platform upload compatibility. Files and measurements are not sent anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Is 2160×3840 4K?
Yes. 2160×3840 is 4K UHD turned on its side: the same 8,294,400 pixels as 3840×2160, arranged as a 9:16 vertical frame. Cinema (DCI) 4K is 4096×2160.
What aspect ratio is 2160×3840?
9:16, a width-to-height ratio of 0.5625.
What bitrate should a 2160×3840 video use for YouTube?
YouTube recommends 35-45 Mbps at 24-30 fps and 53-68 Mbps at 48-60 fps for its 2160p (4K) tier (SDR). That is about 263-338 MB per minute at standard frame rates, before audio.
How does 2160×3840 compare with 1080p?
It has 4.00× the pixels of 1920×1080 (8,294,400 vs 2,073,600). Encoding time and file size at equal quality scale roughly with pixel count.
What is 2160×3840 resolution called?
2160 × 3840 is also called vertical 4K, 9:16 4K. Vertical 4K - mostly a mastering resolution, since feeds deliver far less.
How many megapixels is 2160×3840?
8,294,400 pixels, which is 8.29 megapixels. A 12-megapixel phone photo (4032 × 3024) has 1.5× as many.
How big can I print a 2160×3840 image?
At 300 DPI, the usual photo-print target, 7.2 × 12.8 inches (18.3 × 32.5 cm). At 150 DPI, fine for posters viewed from a distance, twice that: 14.4 × 25.6 inches.
Sources and how we checked
- YouTube Help: Recommended upload encoding settings (checked 2026-10-05)
- ITU-R Recommendation BT.2020: Parameter values for ultra-high definition television (checked 2026-10-06)
Pixel counts, ratios, PPI, print sizes, data rates and platform fits are computed from the width and height. Device figures are the makers' own; bitrates are YouTube's recommendations. Reviewed October 6, 2026 by the Koldflux team.