HD vs. 4K Driven Remote Tower Optical Systems What is the better Optical Sensor?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the rationale performance in between of 4K versus Full HD cameras in the context of a Remote Tower Optical System. Live videos from operational traffic at a German regional airport were recorded with both sensor types under different visibility condition. 23 air traffic controllers and aerodrome flight information officers compared and rated the different videos with respect to perceived video quality, detection and recognition range performance. Results show that, at least in this setting, in some situations, the 4K camera performs significantly better than the Full HD camera, but the effects are small and a clear decision without considering any other configuration parameters cannot be made unrestricted. The number of pixels of the sensor for instance is just one of many other parameters, which have to be considered in order to provide a well-tuned video stream, which supports an appropriate detection and recognition rate as well as a high-quality appearance.