YouTube TV users may soon see improved picture quality again. After previously disappearing, the “1080p Enhanced” quality option is gradually reappearing on select devices. This setting debuted earlier this year, giving viewers a crisper picture by boosting the bitrate of 1080p resolution streams at 60 frames per second. This means smoother motion and less of the compression artifacts that can sometimes appear in fast-paced content like sports.Despite a brief rollout, the manual setting to enable “1080p Enhanced” was removed shortly after. Google attributed this to a bug, but users awaited further updates. Now, users of some streaming devices, but specially the Apple TV, are reporting the option’s return in the past few days. It remains to be seen if the feature will become widely available across different devices and platforms, as Google has yet to officially confirm whether the rollout of the setting has resumed.According to 9to5Google, even when the manual setting was unavailable, the functionality of “1080p Enhanced” remained for supported channels. Eagle-eyed viewers could verify this by enabling “Stats for Nerds” and spotting the “412” codec. This indicated that YouTube TV was still delivering a higher-quality stream, even if users couldn’t toggle it on or off.
The return of the “1080p Enhanced” option could be welcome news for YouTube TV subscribers seeking a noticeable boost in their viewing experience without the added cost of a 4K plan. Naturally, a fast and stable internet connection allows for improved picture quality, but having this option sure doesn’t hurt.
Whether Google chooses to make a larger announcement or allow the option to quietly reappear across devices remains to be seen, but we remain hopeful. That said, with YouTube TV’s consistently creeping up and the loss of RSNs such as Sinclair-owned Bally Sports Regional Networks, it is nice to see a little bonus feature for the subscribers that have decided to stay loyal to the platform.