YouTube’s ‘1080p Premium’ with better bitrate starts showing up on Android and Google TV
One of the latest new features for YouTube Premium subscribers is a new 1080p tier with a better bitrate, and Google is now testing that feature with some users on Android and Google TV.
Back in February, YouTube was spotted testing a new “1080p Premium” tier that was exclusive to YouTube Premium subscribers. At the time, it was exclusive to iPhone and Apple TV. In April, Google officially announced the feature, explaining that it delivered 1080p content at a higher bitrate and that, yes, it was exclusive to Apple devices, but it would be coming to Android later on.
Now, it seems Google is further testing support.
Through the Android TV OS app for YouTube, the 1080p Premium tier was found to be live for one user on Reddit. The app, which would work on both Google TV and Android TV devices, shows “1080p Premium” alongside the standard 1080p option with the brief explanation that it brings an “enhanced bitrate.” Switching to that tier prompts users to upgrade to YouTube Premium if they haven’t already.
Beyond that, at least one user on Twitter saw 1080p Premium appear on their Motorola smartphone through the official Android app.
Many still falsely believe that this new 1080p tier as YouTube locking the quality behind a paywall, but that’s simply not true. Rather than making existing quality paid, this is an entirely new quality tier for YouTube that is exclusive to Premium members. The existing 1080p tier is unchanged, and still free for everyone.
Notably, it seems that YouTube has widely rolled out 1080p Premium over the past several days for iOS users and those on the web.
