YouTube reportedly testing high bitrate 1080p streaming features

YouTube is reportedly testing a new option for streaming content on the platform. The feature is titled “1080p Premium” and is described as offering “Enhanced Bitrate” for paying users.

A Reddit user shared a screenshot for a new ‘1080p Premium’ option with ‘Enhanced Bitrate’, sitting right above the regular 1080p streaming option. However, this option only appears to be available for YouTube Premium users. Tech Today speculates that the new “high-bitrate” 1080p option could address users’ desire to watch higher-quality videos.

Currently, users can simply switch to 1440p or 2160p (4K) for high-quality video streaming on YouTube. However, the new 1080p high bitrate option could offset YouTube’s operating cost for mobile users who want to watch videos of higher quality. Android Police also noted that the move appears to be similar to what Google did back in October, reserving the 2160p at 60fps for Premium users.

An user purchasing a subscription will get ads removed from videos, give you access to background play, allow you to download videos for offline viewing, and YouTube Music Premium access. As of now, YouTube has not provided any official details of the new 1080p high bitrate streaming.