YouTube has officially announced the rollout of its upgraded 1080p Premium tier to users on the desktop web client, marking a significant expansion of the feature.
Initially introduced earlier this year and first made available on iOS devices, the “1080p Premium” tier is an exclusive offering for YouTube’s paying Premium subscribers. It enhances the viewing experience of select videos by optimizing the bitrate of the content, resulting in heightened visual clarity, improved detail, and an overall enhanced quality, even though the resolution itself remains at 1080p.
Confirming the latest development, YouTube has informed The Verge that the upgraded 1080p Premium tier is now being progressively introduced to users on the web.
Importantly, the upgraded 1080p quality tier will be visible on the web platform irrespective of whether the user is subscribed to Premium or not. However, attempting to access this improved quality without a paid subscription will prompt a notification encouraging users to upgrade to the Premium plan. Additionally, YouTube has revealed that the enhanced quality option is also becoming accessible on select TV devices. This includes Google’s non-Android-based Chromecasts and various game consoles. Nonetheless, specific details regarding the devices and compatibility are yet to be disclosed.
This expansion marks a significant move for YouTube, as it represents the first instance where the 1080p Premium tier is being extended beyond iOS devices. While reports emerged in June about some Android users being able to stream videos with the higher bitrate, this functionality has not been widely introduced to the Android user base.
The introduction of the enhanced 1080p Premium quality to web and select TV devices underscores YouTube’s continuous commitment to providing its subscribers with an enhanced viewing experience. By optimizing video bitrates, the platform aims to deliver sharper visuals and greater detail to its audience. This move aligns with the growing demand for improved streaming quality, particularly as more users engage with video content across a diverse range of devices.
