YouTube TV introduces “1080p Enhanced” resolution for improved picture quality

Streaming quality on the YouTube TV platform varies depending on what you're watching and even the show you're watching. For many channels, “1080i” has been the broadcast quality standard for some time, which doesn't exactly match the 1080p resolution you may know from other streaming services. Thus, the platform now introduces support for “1080p Enhanced” image quality for many of its channels.

This enhanced image quality, the platform claims on the Reddit forum, is available on 4K-capable devices and represents the “highest video quality” available outside of the 4K Plus subscription package.

„Introducing 1080p Enhanced for YouTube TV and Primetime subscribers. This option will be available on updated devices that support 4K and is our highest video quality. Viewers can access the video quality settings at any time to update their preferred settings. To ensure access to 1080p Enhanced and the best possible viewing experience, we recommend upgrading to a 4K capable device“, states the platform.

This new option first started appearing for some users during 2023, but now it is coming to more users. Last February, YouTube TV quietly made some picture quality improvements, while the YouTube service itself recently launched “1080p Premium” with higher bitrates.

However, while introducing improvements to some of its services, YouTube is simultaneously campaigning to ban ad blockers, forcing users to either stop using it, given the increasing number of consecutive ads per video, or switch to subscription plans. Recently, the platform announced that its subscription accounts reached as many as 100 million users, which indicates that its campaign has borne fruit, but that number also includes those who decided to try these accounts through a free trial period. Accordingly, the figures are not quite grounded.