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YouTube Rolls Out TV Upgrades With AI ‘Super Resolution’ and Shopping QR Codes

The push targets booming living-room viewing, offering AI upscaling opt-outs alongside bigger creative tools.

Overview

  • YouTube will automatically upscale videos uploaded at 240p–720p to HD via AI-branded “Super Resolution,” with 4K upscaling planned later.
  • Creators retain original files and can opt out of upscaling, while viewers can select the original resolution as Super Resolution versions are clearly labeled.
  • Tagged shopping videos on TVs will display scannable QR codes that open product pages on phones, with tests underway for timed product highlights within videos.
  • Thumbnail file limits jump from 2MB to 50MB to enable 4K images, and YouTube is testing larger video uploads with select creators for higher-fidelity originals.
  • TV experience updates include immersive homepage previews and contextual search that prioritizes a channel’s own videos, with rollouts beginning as YouTube cites 35 billion shopping hours and a 45% annual rise in six-figure TV channels ahead of Alphabet’s Q3 report.