YouTube will soon increase the bitrate of 1080p videos for Premium subscribers. For now, the feature is exclusive to iOS users.
YouTube Premium once started as the subscription to watch videos without ads. Customers also gained access to Premium Exclusive content. They can also download videos and play them in the background – even when the screen is off. On Easter Monday, YouTube announced five additional Premium benefits. So one of them is the increased bitrate for 1080p videos.
1. 1080p Premium Resolution
YouTube started testing for the increased bitrate earlier this year. Premium customers may be able to watch higher-quality 1080p videos in the future, Google confirmed. Premium subscribers with an iOS device will actually see the feature rolled out in the coming weeks. YouTube itself speaks of an ‘Enhanced bitrate’ and leaves the actual differences with non-Premium customers in the middle.
When and whether the same quality leap is coming for Android users, is not mentioned. The search giant will soon start with Enhanced bitrate tests for the web version of YouTube.
2. Queue for mobile and tablet
Premium users will soon also be able to create a so-called queue. As the name suggests, this creates a list of videos that play sequentially. YouTube already offers the queue option for its app on smart TVs. As far as we know, that queue will remain available for non-Premium customers.
3. Watch Party for YouTube
During the corona crisis, we suddenly became acquainted with watch parties. These were digital sessions in which friends, families and colleagues watched films and series together via streaming services such as Netflix. Although visiting each other is possible again, YouTube is now adding the option to its Premium arsenal. Initially, the function only works via Google Meet, but Google is also thinking of iOS users. They will soon be able to start watch parties via FaceTime (SharePlay).
4. Switch between devices
Starting today, Premium subscribers can “seamlessly move videos between devices.” This allows you to transfer a video that was previously played on your phone to a laptop (and vice versa). The video starts immediately at the moment where you last paused the video. According to Google, the feature is immediately available for Android, iOS and the web version of YouTube.
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5. Automatic video downloads
YouTube can now automatically download videos using the Smart Downloads feature. The streaming service determines which content the user likes to watch and then downloads matching content. This is especially useful for those who are often without mobile data, for example on a plane, and have forgotten to provide entertainment. Smart Downloads works on both Android and iOS devices and is available immediately.
