YouTube has announced new features aimed at improving the viewing experience on TVs, including automatic AI upscaling of videos below 1080p resolution. The platform plans to use artificial intelligence to enhance video quality from standard definition to high definition, with plans to support upscaling all the way to 4K.
The feature, known as “Super Resolution,” will be exclusive to TV viewers for now. When active, users will see a “Super resolution” label in the resolution settings. YouTube also confirmed that content creators will have the option to disable the feature if they choose.
Alongside video enhancements, YouTube is expanding its thumbnail size limit from 2MB to 50MB. This change will allow creators to upload higher-resolution images, including those in 4K resolution.
Additional updates include new channel previews that allow users to flip through content more easily, and a redesigned Shows tab that lets creators organize their videos into collections intended for continuous viewing. A contextual search feature is also being introduced. It will prioritize videos from the channel being viewed when users search within a specific channel’s page.
YouTube is also testing QR code support. These codes will appear during product mentions in videos and can be scanned to open product pages directly on a user’s phone.
YouTube said these changes are focused on improving the TV experience, which it described as the platform’s fastest-growing area of viewership.