YouTube might limit 4K videos to YouTube Premium

[Redaktion]

After testing up to 10 unskippable ads before videos, YouTube is now apparently investigating another way to increase revenue. In the future, 4K videos could only be available for YouTube Premium users. Google declined to comment so far, so we can only hope this is just another experiment that will stay that way.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/YouTube-might-limit-4K-videos-to-YouTube-Premium.659109.0.html

[Dan Ridenhour]

With upscaling...  1080p is really a sweet spot for video streaming anyway.  Those who 'demand' 4k video from youtube would the exception rather than the rule.  Not a feature to require subscription for as I just can't see widespread adoption.  Premium had better luck when Youtube was making their own content.  But still, they shouldn't charge more for their premium than literally every other streaming service out there. 

[NikoB]

Those who 'demand' 4k video from youtube would the exception rather than the rule.

Firstly, a lot of laptops still do not support 4K playback in hardware, but in software they either cannot or are very noisy. Secondly, even those that support are more often noisy than not noisy.

On smartphones, 4k video is essentially useless, because. ppi there is obviously higher than 300 (i.e. almost redundant). In addition, 4k increases battery consumption there, the visual difference in quality is minimally noticeable compared to the fhd laptop screen, for example, the most running diagonal is 15.6.

Thirdly (and this is the most important thing) - the majority of the population is technically illiterate (and simply stupid - they can look point-blank and not see a real significant difference, as experts like me see) to understand how much 4k looks better even on an fhd screen due to a higher bitrate ( which actually produces an almost reference picture in fhd).

Thus, if Google disables free 4k video, people who understand the technology and benefits will lose quality if they refuse to pay Google. On the other hand, this will inevitably provoke the departure of the most advanced part of the public to other new platforms without price dictates.

All in all, it's very sad to see how Google has regressed in an attempt to make more profit over the past 18 years. From a leading company that contributes to the improvement of the quality of life on the planet and the progress of civilization, they have turned into a gloomy, greedy place...

[NikoB]

See youtu.be/FjU_x1106pg?t=707

Here is a good, high-quality example of why 4k resolution with a high bitrate is many times better than fhd video resolution on the same fhd screen. Pay attention to the crowns of trees and the building behind them. You can clearly see how the picture breaks into blocks when choosing fhd resolution on the fhd screen and becomes almost at the level of the photo in terms of pixel sharpness when choosing 4k resolution. Experts, like me, understand this all well, but the illiterate crowd does not, to our (specialists') regret.

[Internet]

Youtube 1080p is good enough only for smartphones because of low bitrate. It looks awful on 24 inch monitor. 4K looks much better even if it downscaled to 1080p which is related to about 3-4 times higher bitrate.

[mixedfish]

The quality improvements to watching 4K is to fix Youtubes low bitrate videos. Has little to do with 4K resolution.

Also I watch Youtube with all the ad blockers, so even if they remove 4K i'll simply continue to watch Youtube for free.

[hoping]

I would really like to think that they want to be less dependent on ads from other companies (I mean - they are dictating the most what is friendly content and they demand it from google) but serving more ads simply shows that's not really a case here

[Codrut Nistor]

Interesting how nobody mentioned yet the fact that 4K videos also get better sound encoding in most cases - as long as the source is lossless, of course. For example, I am thinking about videos with less video action, maybe even still image videos or just lyrics videos that are being uploaded in 4K just to get some extra sound quality.

[_MT_]

Interesting how nobody mentioned yet the fact that 4K videos also get better sound encoding in most cases - as long as the source is lossless, of course. For example, I am thinking about videos with less video action, maybe even still image videos or just lyrics videos that are being uploaded in 4K just to get some extra sound quality.

That's a question of bit rate as well.

[Jimmy]

YouTube TV already does this and that is arguably a service where 4k matters more because people watch it on large TV's.  Regular YouTube is typically watched on much smaller screens where it doesn't matter as much.

[Codrut Nistor]

Interesting how nobody mentioned yet the fact that 4K videos also get better sound encoding in most cases - as long as the source is lossless, of course. For example, I am thinking about videos with less video action, maybe even still image videos or just lyrics videos that are being uploaded in 4K just to get some extra sound quality.

That's a question of bit rate as well.

Correct.

[cfb]

Some interesting misconceptions.

No, 1080 isn't "fine for most people". I have a 65" and 85" tv. 1080 with youtube compression looks like hot garbage, especially if there's fast motion like sports or action content.

You don't get a "better quality audio stream" with 4K vs 1080. Look at stats for nerds. Same exact codec, same exact audio bitrate, no matter what the video resolution is. Yeah, I intuitively thought a lower res video would have bad sound quality too, but on further thought, that makes very little sense.

In point of fact, I listen to music on youtube all day long with an extension that prevents youtube from stopping all the time and asking if you're still watching. And with an adblocker, because the ads on youtube have gotten to insanity levels. At 144p. Sounds exactly the same as if you set it to 4k/60/hdr. What? Are they going to make it so that dynamically reduced video quality due to network/server congestion is also going to start sounding bad too?¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I am never, ever, ever, ever, ever going to pay for youtube premium, or to have 4k video as an extra fee on top of another subscription fee. I got good and sick of paying for "HD" 1080 from the cable companies for three billion years. I'm done with that. If youtube doesn't wanna do it, I'm sure that someone else will.

[LL]

"See youtu.be/FjU_x1106pg?t=707"

5800H 2-7% but mostly 2-4.  I have other stuff opened that total memory is around 11Gb.
3060  25%

Minimal fans, took the sound out from video to listen.
4K on FHD screen.

I agree that no 4K will be a loss. Also as other user said will also make sound worse quality.
There are other video services that will start to be more attractive.

[LL]

Example of 4K sound youtube.com/watch?v=3ioQiA0VXdk

[Codrut Nistor]

Some interesting misconceptions.

No, 1080 isn't "fine for most people". I have a 65" and 85" tv. 1080 with youtube compression looks like hot garbage, especially if there's fast motion like sports or action content.

You don't get a "better quality audio stream" with 4K vs 1080. Look at stats for nerds. Same exact codec, same exact audio bitrate, no matter what the video resolution is. Yeah, I intuitively thought a lower res video would have bad sound quality too, but on further thought, that makes very little sense.

In point of fact, I listen to music on youtube all day long with an extension that prevents youtube from stopping all the time and asking if you're still watching. And with an adblocker, because the ads on youtube have gotten to insanity levels. At 144p. Sounds exactly the same as if you set it to 4k/60/hdr. What? Are they going to make it so that dynamically reduced video quality due to network/server congestion is also going to start sounding bad too?¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I am never, ever, ever, ever, ever going to pay for youtube premium, or to have 4k video as an extra fee on top of another subscription fee. I got good and sick of paying for "HD" 1080 from the cable companies for three billion years. I'm done with that. If youtube doesn't wanna do it, I'm sure that someone else will.

I will only address the sound problem. IF THE SOURCE IS LOSLESS, then what I said applies. Higher video quality also involves higher audio quality.
Later edit: Don't struggle with adblockers. Just use Brave Browser. It's ridiculously good at blocking ads straight out of the box.