Several months after testing an enhanced “1080p Enhanced” streaming option before abruptly removing it, YouTube TV appears to be giving high-bitrate streams another chance.
According to users on social media, the quality setting “ 1080p enhanced » begins to reappear on the YouTube TV app for some devices. In early 2024, YouTube TV began rolling out a new “1080p Enhanced” tier that delivered sharper 1080p videos at 60 frames per second by increasing the bitrate. That allowed for significantly better image quality than standard 1080p streams, especially for fast-moving content like sports.
The upgraded 1080p option was short-lived, however, since Google quickly removed it from YouTube TV in February due to a bug preventing users from manually enabling it. At the time, the company said the removal of the setting was only temporary while the issue was resolved. But the months have passed without any update having been made on his return.
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Improved 1080p option returns to YouTube TV
That was until last week, when several YouTube TV subscribers noticed that the “1080p Enhanced” quality option was available again in the application settings, especially on Apple TV devices. Enhanced Streams doesn’t appear to be widely re-enabled yet, as the option remains absent for many, including on Google’s streaming hardware.
Interestingly, even when the button was removed, YouTube TV continued to deliver improved 1080p bitrates on channels that had the upgrade enabled. Viewers could check the premium quality of streams by activating the app’s “Stats for Nerds” view and looking for the “412” codec designation.
So while the extra 1080p quality was still there, users could no longer manually turn it on or off as they pleased. The reappearance of the “1080p Enhanced” parameter therefore finally allows you to regain this level of control. Google has not yet officially confirmed the return of the feature or the rollout schedule, but since some users already have access to this option, it should be visible to everyone soon.