YouTube tests new ‘1080p Premium’ resolution in higher quality

YouTube is testing a new image resolution option for Premium subscribers. Recently, a Reddit user shared a photo. platform video settings support “1080p Premium”.

According to the brief description, format works with enhanced bitrate. So you can assume that the videos will be of higher quality than the “standard” 1080p resolution currently available.

For anyone who is confused, bitrate is directly related to video quality. This parameter is used both for recording images in videos with mobile phones or professional equipment, and for transferring, for example, by streaming.

Slower speeds mean less data is transferred at once, resulting in slightly grainier images even with HD content. Higher bit rates provide deeper, clearer and more defined images.

According to experts, YouTube only runs at high bitrate when playing 4K videos. However, the platform runs at a rather low rate when streaming content in 1080p.

In this way, the so-called “1080p Premium” should bring an “intermediate” ratio between the two resolutions. As noted, this may mean that content will be displayed with a higher level of detail than the default format.

Special feature for premium subscribers

Because of the name “1080p Premium”, new resolution option may be exclusive to YouTube Premium subscribers. This makes sense, as the increased bitrate also involves higher costs to maintain transmissions.

It’s worth remembering that 4K quality almost became an exclusive YouTube Premium feature in October 2022. However, the platform did not implement the decision as it received negative reactions from users.