What you need to know
- YouTube TV is introducing an enhanced 1080p version for more channels, but only certain devices support this upgrade.
- The rollout of "1080p Enhanced" was confirmed on Reddit, available for users with updated 4K-compatible streaming devices.
- YouTube TV and Primetime Channels subscribers can now access the 1080p Enhanced option, delivering the highest video quality on compatible devices.
YouTube TV is beefing up the quality with an enhanced 1080p version on more channels, although not all devices can handle this upgrade.
The company confirmed the rollout on Reddit, saying that "1080p Enhanced" is now available on certain 4K-compatible streaming devices (via 9to5Google).
"We're rolling out a 1080p Enhanced option for YouTube TV and Primetime Channels subscribers," a YouTube community manager said in response to a Reddit post. "The option will be available on updated 4K-compatible streaming devices and delivers our highest video quality."
You can tweak your video quality settings whenever you want. For the best experience with 1080p Enhanced, YouTube suggests getting a 4K-compatible streaming device.
The service did not specify which channels are gaining support for the enhanced bitrate feature. You might need to do a bit of channel surfing to find out.
Of course, the streaming quality on YouTube TV can differ based on what you're watching. For a bunch of channels, they've been sticking with the 1080i broadcast standard for a while, not exactly hitting the 1080p mark you might expect from other streaming services.
If you're subscribed to YouTube Premium, you can already catch videos in that crisp 1080p enhanced quality on the web, mobile, and TVs. It kicked off as an iOS exclusive, but it began spreading its wings to Android, web browsers, and smart TVs last June.
You don't have to lift a finger; the feature kicks in automatically based on your connection and settings. But if you're feeling hands-on, you can toggle it yourself in the quality menu.
This quality setting hooks you up with an improved bitrate, meaning more information per pixel, according to YouTube.
