YouTube Is Using AI To Upscale Low-Quality Videos To HD

YouTube has unveiled a new initiative to boost overall video quality across the site. The streaming giant announced a brand new feature that will use AI to upscale low-quality videos to 1080p HD. In the future, it will eventually upscale content to 4K. YouTube notes that "creators will retain complete control over their library." This means that users will still have control over their original files and that the source video won't be swapped out with a higher resolution video. In other words, creators who want to play around with Google's new AI tools don't have to worry about losing access to their original videos.

According to YouTube's press release, the AI upscaling feature will be enabled by default. Users who aren't interested in upscaling content can opt out. YouTube adds that it will let viewers know when they're watching an AI upscaled video. These videos will be labeled "super resolution." Users intent on steering clear of AI enhancements will retain the ability to watch videos in their native resolution.

YouTube has been around for two decades, and you can often tell when a video was uploaded just from its quality. While most content today is uploaded in crisp HD, the entirety of YouTube's content library is packed with videos shot on old camera phones, early-era smartphones, camcorders, and a variety of outdated video recording equipment. It remains unclear if YouTube will enable AI upscaling for these older videos. While there's something to be said about enjoying a video in its original resolution, the option to, say, watch early 1980s NBA footage in HD would be a welcome perk.

Another big change coming to YouTube is a completely revamped UI for the video player. When it goes live to all users, the video player will boast a cleaner design with more granular controls. At the same time, YouTube says the enhanced UI won't obscure the video itself. YouTube's overarching goal is to make the site easier to navigate. The update started rolling out two weeks ago and will eventually become available to all users.

As part of the redesign, YouTube notes that it's also enhancing how comments work. "We're making it easier to follow conversations by introducing a structured system for comment replies," the company said earlier this month. "This threading system is designed to provide a more focused reading experience within the replies panel."

Another change coming to YouTube is support for higher-resolution thumbnails. This isn't exactly a game-changer, but creators can now enjoy a thumbnail file limit of 50MB as opposed to the previous limit of 2MB.

YouTube is also looking to make the browsing experience a bit more like channel surfing on TV. In a forthcoming update, users will be able to "flip through" their subscribed channels with "immersive previews on the homepage, enhancing content discovery and engagement." Put simply, YouTube wants to increase the amount of time users spend on the site. And though most everyone these days likely needs a reduction in screen time, any additional organization that helps users make better sense of what can sometimes be a chaotic and overwhelming interface is welcome.