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YouTube Rolling Out Higher Bitrate for Paid Premium Subscribers on Android Devices

David Satin
David covers the biggest news stories, live events, premieres, and informational pieces for The Streamable. Before joining TS, he wrote extensively for Screen Rant and has years of experience writing about the entertainment and streaming industries. He's a Broncos fan, streams on his Toshiba Fire TV, and his favorites include "Andor," "Rings of Power," and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."
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David Satin

YouTube has been playing with the idea of keeping top video quality behind a paywall for a long time. In October, the company tested a pricing model that saw YouTube make 2160p (4K) video streaming available only to paid YouTube Premium subscribers.

Now, it appears that the video hosting platform is at it again, back with another test to see how users will respond to a higher video quality being behind a paywall. Reporting from 9to5 Google indicates that YouTube is trying out a higher bitrate version of 1080p streaming called 1080p Premium, which is only available for YouTube Premium customers. Android device owners such as Twitter user @sauravsaurav646 are noting the new high-bitrate option is now available to them.

Users first noticed the new option in February, but it was only available for users of iOS devices. YouTube announced in April that high-bitrate 1080p would also be coming to Android devices in the near future, and that future has now arrived.

YouTube audiences who have no interest in a Premium subscription don’t have to worry about losing the ability to watch videos in High Definition 1080p. The Premium version is a different tier with a step up in quality, offering better visual effects than normal-bitrate 1080p.

A subscription to YouTube Premium costs $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year. In addition to 1080p Premium, users of the service can watch YouTube videos ad-free, as well as download them to watch offline. It’s a good value for heavy YouTube users, which is one reason why YouTube should consider offering it for free to customers of its live TV streaming service YouTube TV.

YouTube does not release public user numbers often, but in November it revealed that it had 80 million subscribers combined on YouTube Premium and YouTube Music. It will be interesting to see if this new test of placing higher-quality video behind the Premium paywall will drive more customers to the service, especially since YouTube has already tried a similar scheme with an even higher-quality video resolution.

It was a matter of days before YouTube ended its October experiment of putting 4K video streaming behind a paywall, so it’s hard to know how long the new test of making 1080p Premium available for YouTube Premium users only will last. The 1080p Premium option is rolling out to Android-powered devices now.

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YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 60 channels for $72.99/month. This plan includes local channels, 32 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs) in select markets. The service includes an unlimited DVR. The Streamable does not recommend YouTube TV. Consider DIRECTV STREAM for a better channel lineup or Hulu Live TV for its free Disney Bundle.

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YouTube TV offers select 4K content, including some live sports and on-demand shows, as part of their 4K Plus add-on. The 4K Plus add-on starts with a free trial and includes offline downloads and unlimited streams on your home network.

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David Satin
David covers the biggest news stories, live events, premieres, and informational pieces for The Streamable. Before joining TS, he wrote extensively for Screen Rant and has years of experience writing about the entertainment and streaming industries. He's a Broncos fan, streams on his Toshiba Fire TV, and his favorites include "Andor," "Rings of Power," and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."
Read full bio ›
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