When it comes to streaming live TV in the US (or streaming any type of video anywhere, for that matter), resolution and bitrate remain as important as ever. Now you can enjoy YouTube TV in 4K. At least some of it. And if it seems to you that it took an eternity, you are not wrong.
The basic fact is that it takes a lot of bandwidth to transmit video — and that’s even more difficult when we’re talking about linear television (and even more so if it’s a live event like sports). So it’s not much of a surprise to learn that most live channels broadcast in 720p — or maybe 1080p if you’re lucky. (We’ll leave frames per second out of the equation for a moment, but that’s a thing too, especially for sports.)
For the most part, 4K resolution — we’re talking about 2160p — is pretty hard to find. FuboTV has had them in the past, and YouTube TV has joined the 4K fun via the optional 4K Plus add-on. And that’s a big deal. When you look at YouTube TV against Hulu With Live TV — which is its biggest competitor — you’ll quickly notice that 4K is something the latter definitely lacks on the live front.
That YouTube TV 4K Plus add-on actually gives you three main features, and they definitely help justify the price (especially considering you’re not getting everything in higher definition). They are:
- 4K resolution on some contents.
- The ability to watch as many streams on your home network as you want.
- The possibility of watching recorded shows and movies offline on mobile devices.
Those are the main points, but let’s break it down a bit. Here’s everything you need to know about 4K streaming on YouTube TV.
Phil Nickinson/Digital Trends
YouTube TV 4K price and how to add it
First things first: you’ll need an existing YouTube TV subscription if you want to watch anything in 4K. That’s $73 a month (as of September 2023), plus tax. The 4K Plus add-on costs another $10 a month, but you’ll actually get half as much for the first full year. After that you will pay the full price.
So without any other add-ons, including 4K on your YouTube TV subscription will cost a total of $78 per month for the first year, then $83 per month after that.
To add the 4K Plus add-on to your subscription, you’ll need to open your YouTube TV account from a web browser. (Click your avatar in the upper right corner, then select settingsand then Membership. Or this link should take you right there.) Search 4K Plus plugin, and then add it.
You can also cancel the 4K Plus add-on there if you decide you no longer want it.
NFL Sunday Ticket and YouTube TV in 4K
We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but buying the 4K Plus add-on doesn’t automatically get you 4K resolution on everything. And that includes NFL Sunday Ticket, now available on YouTube TV. (And on YouTube itself.)
That’s bad news. There is worse news. Some NFL games may actually be limited to 720p. That’s not great, although streams are still broadcast at 60 frames per second, which is absolutely necessary for live sports.
While 4K resolution would be great when it comes to live sports — and it certainly is great — it’s also not a deal-breaker. Apple has shown with the MLS Season Pass that a great 1080p stream can be perfectly capable, and in many ways can actually be better.
But for now? No NFL Sunday Ticket in 4K on YouTube TV.
What can you watch in 4K on YouTube TV?
Adding the 4K Plus plugin doesn’t magically upscale everything on YouTube TV to a higher resolution. It just doesn’t work that way. You’ll still need the content itself to be available in 4K resolution to actually take advantage of that part of the add-on. (Again, we’ll reiterate that this is really only one-third of what you get, though it’s definitely the most important third.)
You can divide what’s available in 4K resolution into two categories: On Demand and Live. You’ll find tons of shows available on demand from Discovery, FX, Tastemade, and Nat Geo. These include high-profile titles such as What we do in the shadows, Snowfall, Do this tonight, Battle rationsand How is it made? — and that’s just for starters. And they look great in 4K, as you’d expect from something pre-recorded and optimized for streaming.
Where 4K content really shines is when it comes to live events. We actually mean sports. On that front, you’ll find live games and events from ESPN, Fox Sports and NBC Sports. What is available is seasonal, of course. In the fall, for example, you’ll find college soccer and the English Premier League.
Sports in 4K are still rare, but we’ll take anything we can get. The best way to find out what’s coming is to press Home on YouTube TV and then on 4K filter.
This is the part where someone will stand up and shout, “But that’s not real 4K!” And they are almost certainly right. When it comes to sports, what you’re almost certainly watching is some kind of enhanced content. That is, it is recorded in 720p or 1080p (probably the latter), then upscaled to 4K resolution at the source, and then streamed via YouTube TV. Yes, native 4K would be much better. This is what you get when you watch a movie or show on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. But transmitting that much data in real time to as many people as possible watching a live sporting event is really difficult. So, for now, we still have to contend with scaling up.
But here’s the thing: sports look better in 4K. Much better.
Phil Nickinson/Digital Trends
Which devices support YouTube TV in 4K?
This is where things get a little tricky. Not every piece of hardware out there supports 4K resolution, of course (your TV will also need to have a 4K panel). Here is the official list of devices that support YouTube TV in 4K:
- 4K smart TVs with Android TV
- Samsung, LG and Hisense smart TVs from 2016 or later
- Chromecast with Google TV
- 4K Roku streaming players
- Apple TV 4K (2021)
- PlayStation 4 Pro
- Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
- Nvidia Shield
Conspicuously missing from that list are web browsers, despite the fact that you can find a 4K monitor quite affordably these days. YouTube TV tops out at 1080p.
It’s also worth noting that the 2017 Apple TV 4K model is missing from that list, but we’re starting to see some content available on that older model at its full 3480 x 2160 resolution.
What else do you get with YouTube TV 4K?
As mentioned above, 4K content is only one-third of the features included in the 4K Plus package.
In addition to making everything look better, you’ll also be able to download recorded shows to your mobile device for offline viewing. This means you won’t need a data connection to watch, say, Snowfall, while you are in the subway. Just press the download button (looks like an arrow pointing down) for the show. If the button is grayed out, the content is not available for download.
You are limited to one device at a time to download content. You won’t be able to watch that show on another device until you delete the downloaded version.
Another feature included in the 4K Plus add-on is the ability to watch on as many devices as possible at once, as long as you’re doing it on your home network. This feature also works for family members under the same account.
If you’re outside the home network, you’ll still be limited to three streams at a time.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn