It seems that Google has reached some internal consensus among its various divisions dedicated to streaming. In a world where we already have 8K video, multiple devices that support it, and enough fiber connections to support it, FullHD resolution seems to be becoming the one that can be offered “for free”. It happened in Stadia, now defunct, whose 4K resolution was reserved for Pro users, and it will soon happen with youtube as well.
This is what emerges from the latest adjustment that YouTube is testing among a small group of users. This is a beta phase adjustment, a field test, a reduced test to collect impressions and check its operation. But if the test ends up being successful, YouTube can leave us without videos in 4K and higher unless we are YouTube Premium subscribers. If you want the best resolution, take out the wallet.
Or pay, or FullHD
It is said soon but videos with 4K resolution arrived on YouTube more than a decade ago. 12 years, more specifically, since its compatibility was activated on the platform in 2010. Until then, even if we uploaded videos with that resolution, the platform only allowed us to show them in FullHD. Everything has progressed and today 4K is almost a standard for content creatorsand soon only paying users will enjoy it.
Since then other improvements have come to the platform. Like the 8K videos that landed in 2015, or the compatibility with high dynamic contrast systems such as HDR or HDR10. If we understand that 4K will be “paid”, it is logical to think that all these improvements will also will be reserved for YouTube Premium users sooner or later.
Youtube is carrying out a field test in which it can be seen that the 2160p resolution in the videos, the one corresponding to what we know in the world as 4K, appears next to a label: “Premium”. This means that if we want to activate said resolution, YouTube will check if we are paying users and, if not, it will invite us to subscribe. In case you don’t want to do it, we can only watch videos at 1440p maximum. 50% more than FullHD. It’s something.
Thus, Google reserves the highest resolutions, 4K and 8K, for paying users of its streaming video platform. For the rest of us mortals, those of us who choose to watch YouTube as we have always seen it, FullHD will remain (and something else), the ads and the rest of the annoyances. So are the things. Or they will be, for it is still a test. But it shouldn’t take long to activate for everyone.
Via | 9to5Google
