What you need to know
- YouTube appears to be in the process of delivering a 4K resolution option to Premium members.
- Testing appears to be extremely light, and many still have the option to stream in 4K without the subscription.
- It’s not clear how widespread this new test is or how long it will last.
It looks like YouTube is interested in scaling up its video quality by testing a 4K resolution options with a catch.
An early mention about this test started on a Reddit post where the user screen grabbed the 4K option for a video they were watching. The 2160p resolution is accompanied by a tag beneath which states, “Premium · Tap to upgrade.”
Curiously enough, it’s not clear how widespread YouTube has made this “test.” There are comments on either side, with some users who could still view a video in 4K despite not being a YouTube Premium member and others not seeing it all. During our own in-house tests, we haven’t spotted this requirement for videos either.
It was just a year ago when YouTube TV finally gained 4K resolution content ready for streaming with the addition of offline downloads. This brought about a new package for members, titled 4K Plus, that would cost $10 per month for the initial year and then $20 per month from then on. Do keep in mind that the 4K Plus package is an add-on to the base YouTube TV plan.
Thus, putting 4K streaming behind the Premium paywall wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for Google. This is particularly true given how many large tech companies are starting to feel economic pressures affecting their revenue. During its Q2 earnings, Google cited “economic headwinds” as the reason for its slower-than-expected growth and noted that advertisers were reducing spending on YouTube.
YouTube currently offers two variants of membership: one for YouTube Music priced at $9.99 a month and another with more perks for $11.99. The latter offers users more features (as you’d expect), offering the removal of ads and the ability to play videos and music in the background or offline for YouTube, YouTube Music, Kids, Gaming, and VR.
For the time being, YouTube has not shared anything regarding its recent light testing of offering 4K resolution videos to its Premium members.
