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YouTube is introducing a major visual upgrade for its platform, using artificial intelligence to enhance low-quality videos. The company announced a new “Super Resolution” feature that automatically upscales videos uploaded below 1080p to HD quality, with plans to support resolutions up to 4K in the near future. Creators will retain control over their content. “Creators will retain complete control over their library, as both original files and original video resolution will be kept intact, with a clear option to opt-out of these enhancements,” YouTube said in a statement. Viewers, too, will have a choice to watch the original version, as “super resolution will be clearly labeled under settings.” YouTube says the new AI-powered system will focus on improving older or lower-quality uploads, specifically those between 240p and 720p. The goal is to make older videos more watchable on modern devices without altering their core visual identity. Veronica Navarrete, a YouTube spokesperson, told The Verge that the automatic upscaling will only apply to videos in that resolution range. That means videos already remastered by creators to 1080p or higher will not be affected. This rollout comes after growing creator concerns that automated visual enhancements on YouTube sometimes changed how their videos looked without permission. The company emphasized that its opt-out option directly addresses that feedback. Almost every major TV brand today offers AI-based upscaling for larger displays, and Nvidia’s Shield TV devices include similar technology. YouTube’s approach, however, stands out for its transparency, allowing creators to decide whether to use the enhancement or not. Alongside “Super Resolution,” YouTube announced several updates aimed at improving the viewing experience on TV screens. These include “immersive” homepage previews that make it easier to browse channels, contextual search that surfaces videos only from the channel being searched, and a redesigned “Shows” layout for episodic content. “The TV screen is our fastest-growing surface, and we remain committed to delivering features that make creator content shine,” YouTube said. Videos with tagged shopping products will soon feature QR codes that viewers can scan with their phones to directly access product pages. YouTube is also testing tools that allow creators to feature products at specific moments in their videos, potentially creating a more interactive shopping experience. Bigger thumbnails and file sizes YouTube is increasing its video thumbnail limit from 2MB to 50MB to support 4K images. The platform is also testing larger video upload sizes with selected creators, likely in preparation for higher-resolution formats supported by the new AI feature. The introduction of “Super Resolution” marks a notable step in YouTube’s ongoing shift toward AI-driven media optimization. While similar technologies already exist in hardware devices and TVs, bringing them directly into YouTube’s infrastructure could make high-quality streaming more accessible, especially for older videos that predate HD standards. By blending creator control with AI upscaling, YouTube appears to be walking a careful line between innovation and user trust.
