DEAL Galaxy S24 FE, Galaxy Watch 7. Subscribe today and be the first to learn about One 7 beta!

SamMobile has affiliate and sponsored partnerships. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn a commission.

News For You
News For You
Notifications

YouTube could limit 4K videos to premium subscribers

General
By 

Last updated: October 4th, 2022 at 09:20 UTC+02:00

A few users are reporting that YouTube is asking them to buy the Premium membership to watch videos in 4K resolution.

Google is trying hard to increase its revenue from YouTube. Earlier this month, the company was found to be showing five unskippable advertisements before the start of a video. Those ads will either fetch Google more money or push people to opt for YouTube Premium. However, that move was tested on a limited number of users to see how they respond. Google quickly wrapped up that small experiment, most like due to outrage on the internet about it.

Well, Google has now found a more clever way to monetize YouTube without irritating people with more advertisements. According to a few people on Twitter and Reddit, the video streaming platform is now asking users to subscribe to YouTube Premium if they want to watch a video in 4K (or higher) resolution.

YouTube's 4K limitation could push people to their premium subscription

If you are a non-Premium user, you will be able to play videos only up to 1440p (QHD) resolution. This limitation is most likely another of Google’s small experiments because YouTube seems to be blocking 4K videos behind its paywall only for a few users.

YouTube has only 50 million paid subscribers right now, even though it has a much larger user base compared to other media streaming services like Spotify (188 million paid users) and Netflix (220.7 million paid users). Limiting 4K videos to just Premium users could very well get YouTube more paid subscribers. That’s especially true when you consider that almost every TV above 43” nowadays has a 4K display.

YouTube Premium costs $11.99 in the US. Apart from ad-free videos, it allows you to download videos for offline viewing and also gives you access to YouTube Music.

For free YouTube users who access the streaming service only on their smartphones, Google’s move to block 4K videos rather than showing more advertisements is actually better. That’s because displays on the majority of phones max out at Full-HD or QHD resolution, which means people can watch videos at the highest resolution their smartphone’s screen supports without having to pay for YouTube Premium or watch too many advertisements.

What do you think about YouTube’s approach to this matter? Do let us know in the comments section below.

General GoogleYouTube
Galaxy AI summarized

Scroll for more related content
News For You

You might also like

Kids can make payments using Google Wallet via Family Link

Kids can make payments using Google Wallet via Family Link

Kids in the US can now use Google Wallet on their Galaxy (or other Android) phones to make tap-to-pay payments. This feature will be available to those with a Family Link (Google's feature to manage family members) account. It was earlier available only on the Fitbit Ace LTE, a Google smartwatch made for kids. Google […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 8 mins ago
Android 16 could release as soon as early June

Android 16 could release as soon as early June

Last week, Google revealed that it plans to release the next major Android update earlier than usual. According to the company's release timeline, the Android 16 update will be released sometime in the second quarter of next year (2025). Now, the exact Android 16 release date has potentially leaked. Android 16 could be released in […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 1 hour ago
Gemini finally gets Google Home extension for smart home controls

Gemini finally gets Google Home extension for smart home controls

Gemini is getting more features with each new month. When it was launched earlier this year, it couldn't do a lot of things that its predecessor, Google Assistant, could. For example, it couldn't control smart home devices, at least directly. Now, it can do that, thanks to Google Home extension. Gemini is getting direct integration […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 17 hours ago
Google Messages will let you choose HD quality while sending images

Google Messages will let you choose HD quality while sending images

Google Messages has become the default messaging app on most Samsung phones worldwide. Samsung took this step to simplify the availability of RCS. Now, Google is making it easier to select image quality when sharing photos with others over the RCS standard. Google Messages to bring WhatsApp-like HD image quality option Google is taking inspiration […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 1 day ago
Quick Share could come to iPhones and Macs

Quick Share could come to iPhones and Macs

After Google merged Nearby Share into Quick Share last year, Quick Share became the AirDrop equivalent for Android and ChromeOS ecosystems. However, file sharing between Android and iPhone users still isn’t straightforward, and that could change soon if Quick Share launches on iOS and macOS. An important bug fix hints at possible launch of Quick Share for iPhones […]

  • By Abid Iqbal Shaik
  • 4 days ago
Early Android 16 release could bring One UI 8.0 sooner

Early Android 16 release could bring One UI 8.0 sooner

Usually, Google releases a stable version of a new version of Android in the third or fourth quarter of a year. Take the last three versions of Android for example. The company released Android 13 in August 2022, Android 14 in October 2023, and Android 15 in October 2024. Well, Google will release the next […]

  • By Abid Iqbal Shaik
  • 5 days ago