I think the main reason is because it is the next "thing" and a way for one camera model to stand out over other camera models. It already takes a lot of processing power to edit HD video. I'm not sure about how many consumers really would sit down at their computer to edit 4K video.
On the other hand, if you have a sensor that is capable of implementing it, it is relatively minimal cost for Pentax (or whoever) to enable it on their camera. It really bothers me to hear folks who are bothered that they are paying for a feature that they don't use. The reality is that all CMOS sensors can do video and if you disable it, you probably sell fewer cameras and the price actually goes up. There is no particular benefit to leaving video off, as far as I can tell. I seldom use it, but it doesn't bother me that it is there.
Originally posted by jimr-pdx Because it sells TVs and monitors, for one. Good for the economy!
Its one real advantage is that each frame is an 8Mpx image that can be extracted and processed as a still. That's enough for a decent enlargement, so it's a 30fps 'burst mode' at that lower resolution. I don't use burst mode hardly at all, so that doesn't sell me on it, but I can imagine doing an occasional extract from video. Not often though.
I have always wondered about this. Does the camera really store 25 or 30 8 megapixel frames or, does it actually store some sort of analysis of the changes from frame to frame that then can be played back as video?
I ask, because my experience with most video is that the while the resolution may be 8 megapixels, the individual frames have no where near the quality I would have had with, say the K10 and the dynamic range is a ton less than with any modern APS-C camera. Beyond that, I can't imagine wading through a minute or two of 30fps footage to find to snaps I wanted.