YouTube TV Experiments with New 720p Enhanced Picture Quality
The new enhanced bitrate option comes a few months after the rollout of the 1080p Enhanced feature.
If you’re a YouTube TV customer, you may want to check your user interface for a new feature. A new report from 9to5 Google indicates that YouTube TV is now offering some viewers the chance to watch select live TV channels in a new, “720p Enhanced” bitrate that improves the picture quality of the stream without increasing its resolution.
Key Details:
- The 720p Enhanced option is available alongside the 1080p Enhanced feature for some YouTube TV customers.
- 1080p Enhanced first rolled out in February, but the option to use it soon disappeared.
- Enhanced bitrates are seemingly still in the testing phase for YouTube TV, as neither 720p or 1080p Enhanced are widely available to YouTube TV subscribers.
YouTube TV customers have noted that the new 720p Enhanced option is currently available on some Apple TV and Roku devices. The feature can be found in the Picture Quality settings of the YouTube TV interface, but not all customers have seen the option arrive yet, even if they’re using devices that other subscribers say show the Enhanced bitrate option.
The 720p and 1080p Enhanced streams on select YouTube TV channels improve the picture quality by using a codec that improves its bitrate. This creates a higher picture quality overall, even though the resolution hasn’t been changed.
YouTube TV first began experimenting with Enhanced bitrates back in February, when the 1080p Enhanced option first appeared. Many customers noticed that the option to use 1080p Enhanced was wiped off their interface soon after its introduction, and YouTube TV just started restoring the option for some customers at the end of April. Interestingly, viewers didn’t actually lose the ability to watch channels in 1080p Enhanced, just the choice to turn it on or off.
Most YouTube TV users have seen the Enhanced streams become their default option on many channels. To check if YouTube TV is streaming in Enhanced bitrates or not, head to “412” in the “Stats for Nerds” section of your interface.
The rollout of 720p Enhanced is just the latest in a long line of updates for YouTube TV. Last week, the streamer announced that it was bringing its popular multiview feature to more devices, and now customers on Android-powered smartphones and tablets can stream select content on YouTube TV using the quad-box.
If you don’t see the 720p Enhanced option now, keep checking your YouTube TV interface! You may see it any day, or you could find a new feature the service is testing on your account for a potential wide launch in the future. YouTube TV has made a habit of these types of experiments, all in the name of creating the best live TV streaming product possible.
YouTube TV
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.