YouTube appears to be testing a new option for users streaming the video platform through the mobile app. A Reddit user spotted a new stream quality option called “1080p Premium,” which was described as “Enhanced Bitrate.” However, as the name suggests, the new stream option will only be available to YouTube Premium customers. In contrast to the normal 1080p stream, it offers better image quality thanks to significantly less compression.
Currently, the only way to get higher image quality than 1080p is to switch to 1440p or 2160p (4K). However, most displays do not offer such high resolutions, so the data consumption increases significantly more than the actual image quality. With the new option, you get better video quality without using a disproportionate amount of bandwidth. Accordingly, the operating costs for YouTube are also decreasing.
The new feature comes shortly after the departure of Susan Wojcicki as former YouTube boss. It is not yet known whether the resignation has something to do with the new CEO Neil Mohan. Neither is the answer to the question of whether 1080p Premium will also offer 60 fps or even 120 fps videos.
In this respect, it remains exciting for the time being about Google’s video platform. In December, YouTube updated its anti-spam and bot tools, and in November it introduced live Q&A sessions for live streams.
