Earlier this year YouTube TV started rolling out a new “1080p Enhanced” tier with better picture quality, but the option to turn that on disappeared for users quickly after it was introduced. Now, the option appears to be coming back for some users.
1080p Enhanced on YouTube TV is just 1080p at 60fps, but with a better bitrate. That improved bit rate, though, goes a long way in making the picture quality look considerably better.
Google started rolling out the option in early 2024, but removed the 1080p Enhanced setting on YouTube TV in February. At the time, the removal was explained as a bug that prevented users from manually turning on the setting, but it hasn’t been followed-up on in the time since.
Whatever happened behind the scenes, the “1080p Enhanced” quality setting appears to be coming back to YouTube TV users. A handful of users, specifically on Apple TV devices, have found over the past few days that the option to turn on this quality setting has suddenly returned. This does not appear to be a wide rollout, though, and we’re not seeing the option on any channels via the app on Google TV.
Google has also yet to confirm whether or not the rollout has resumed.
The functionality of 1080p Enhanced itself, though, never went away. As many users have documented over the past few months, the increased bitrate is still active on supported channels, there’s just no setting to force it on or toggle it off. You can check for yourself by turning on “Stats for Nerds” and looking for “412” under codec information.
Are you seeing the 1080p Enhanced option on YouTube TV? Let us know (including the device you’re on) in the comments below.
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