- Credits
- 51,216
By default, YouTube will begin lowering the quality of its streams around the world to standard definition, reflecting the reality that the more people stream, the greater the toll that video places on internet infrastructure.
Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you’ll be cut off from HD streams. YouTube told Bloomberg that while the SD option will be on by default, you can still manually dial up a stream’s resolution by adjusting settings. Just click on the Settings gear at the lower right-hand corner of the video, choose the Quality button, and select the resolution you want to stream. The default resolution change will begin rolling out on Tuesday and will be in effect for the next 30 days, YouTube said.
The company told Bloomberg that it is changing its default settings because it recognizes that video streams take a toll on networks, many of which are shared with people working from home. With millions more working at home due to the coronavirus, the networks owned by private ISPs are stressed far more than they would be if those workers were using their corporate networks.
Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you’ll be cut off from HD streams. YouTube told Bloomberg that while the SD option will be on by default, you can still manually dial up a stream’s resolution by adjusting settings. Just click on the Settings gear at the lower right-hand corner of the video, choose the Quality button, and select the resolution you want to stream. The default resolution change will begin rolling out on Tuesday and will be in effect for the next 30 days, YouTube said.
The company told Bloomberg that it is changing its default settings because it recognizes that video streams take a toll on networks, many of which are shared with people working from home. With millions more working at home due to the coronavirus, the networks owned by private ISPs are stressed far more than they would be if those workers were using their corporate networks.
