While You Were Busy Celebrating Christmas, YouTube Quietly Changed Its Video Quality
Owning an HDTV is now a thing of the past, it seems. The new trend among big screen televisions and PC monitors is going up to 4K resolution.
By Sadho Ram — 30 Dec 2013, 04:23 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
This week, YouTube quietly put in some new video options that allow users to watch some clips in 2160p
Sometime over the last week, the Google-owned website has added a direct option to identify and select 4K clips on the immensely popular video sharing platform, making it easier for owners of ultra high-definition (UHD) TVs to enjoy 4K content on their super-high-res displays.
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However, viewing videos in 4K is nothing new for YouTube; the website has supported uploads of such clips since 2010
But the fact that a particular footage is available in 4K resolution isn’t usually labelled in a clear manner, unless the video uploader choose to include the terms “4K”, “UHD” or “Ultra HD” in the title or metadata tag.
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However, the video streaming giant recently introduced a subtle yet significant change, which may just boost consumers’ awareness and subsequent adoption of 4K display technology.
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Previously, to watch a 4K video on YouTube, a user had to select the “Original” setting under the video quality dropdown menu, which would then play the video in its native higher-than-1080p resolution
As of today, the setting has been replaced by a more recognisable “2160p 4K” option, catering for both 4096×2160 and 3840×2160 material. Interestingly, there’s also a new “1440p HD” setting available.
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All the previously available YouTube quality settings before the “2160p 4K” update
Image via hdtvtest.co.ukThere's also a 1440p setting that's been added as a menu option, perhaps to give users a way to go beyond the typical 1080p display.
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This step is a clear indication that YouTube and its parent Company Google are preparing the site for what is expected to be an explosion of 4K video content in 2014
More and more televisions are coming out that support the higher resolution. The new PlayStation 4 and Xbox One console both support 4K videos, although 4K games are still a ways away.
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Microsoft built a 120 inch 4K TV as part of its Envisioning Center technology demo showcase in Seattle. Then there's Panasonic's long awaited 4K 20 inch Windows 8.1 tablet, which should be released in February.
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Add it all up and it looks like 4K will be everywhere in the next 12 months. Last month, YouTube revealed that it’s switching all its videos to Google’s recently developed VP9 video compression standard which, the company claimed, offers the best path for delivering UHD content compared to the open-source competing format, HEVC (high-efficiency video codec).
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