YouTube users annoyed by the '1080p Premium Enhanced Bitrate' setting; some unimpressed so far

To improve the viewing experience for its Premium subscribers, YouTube has introduced a new option called ‘1080p Premium Enhanced Bitrate’ that promises to deliver crisper and smoother videos at 1080p resolution.

This feature has been in A/B testing for a while now and it seems more and more users are getting it now.

However YouTube users are annoyed by the ‘1080p Premium Enhanced Bitrate’ pop-up appearing on videos (1,2,3,4,5).

Affected users say that the pop-up appears on every video, even when they have explicitly selected the ‘No thanks’ option.

This intrusive and repetitive prompting has become a significant source of annoyance for several users, disrupting their viewing experience.

It also reinforces the perception that YouTube is intentionally pushing users towards subscribing to their Premium service. Such tactics can inadvertently create a negative impression and undermine users’ trust in the platform.

YouTube has been keen to emphasize that the enhanced bitrate will result in higher quality videos. However, users have reported that they are unable to perceive any noticeable difference thus far.

What does this do? I can’t notice a difference when I have it on.
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There seems to be a bit more detail in the trees and on the road, still not as good as watching the video at 4k on a 1080p display.
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While some argue that the increase in quality is minimal and unlikely to be discernible to most viewers, others have expressed frustration that the change seems to offer little benefit for the cost involved.

Adding to the frustration, some users have claimed that the overall quality of 1080p videos has actually deteriorated since the introduction of the enhanced bitrate feature.

This has led to suspicions that YouTube may be intentionally downgrading the free 1080p quality in order to make the premium subscription appear more appealing.

With little perceived improvement in video quality, users are left feeling disillusioned and skeptical of the benefits promised by YouTube.

This is definitely not the case lol. I literally just refreshed a page with a video, and now it looks like crap because apparently Youtube decided to put me in the A/B test. They are downgrading the bitrate for regular users in order to try to sell them the higher bitrate, because of course they are.
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Ultimately, YouTube needs to strike a balance between monetization and user satisfaction.

While introducing premium features can be a way to generate revenue, it is essential to ensure that these features genuinely provide value to users.

Without a tangible improvement in video quality and a clearer understanding of the benefits offered, the ‘1080p Premium Enhanced Bitrate’ risks being seen as an unnecessary and frustrating addition to YouTube’s offerings.

Note: We have more such stories in our dedicated YouTube section, so be sure to follow them as well.

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