YouTube’s Live Stream Feature Now Comes With 4K Resolution

YouTube has been featuring 4K videos for a while now, but its live stream service has been stuck in a pre-4K resolution era. Now, this is about to change since the popular video hosting site is providing its content creators with the ability to stream live at a crisp 4K quality.

In a blog post, YouTube explained exactly what comes with the new, clearer resolution for content creators who want to do live streaming at 4K.

“Supporting this new format will let creators and partners stream incredibly high-resolution video, and let viewers enjoy the clearest picture possible when watching a live stream on 4K-supported devices,” the post reads.

YouTube launched its first-ever support for 4K videos back in 2010. Since then, videos supporting 4K resolution have exploded. Now, YouTube is hosting the biggest library of videos with 4K resolution in the industry, putting it way ahead of the competition.

With live streaming fast becoming the next big trend for consuming video content among users, it was only natural that YouTube would want to upgrade the service to its highest image quality yet. The resolution applies to both the standard video and the 360-degree streaming that has been rising in popularity of late as well.

As for why 4K would even be a big deal, PC Mag explains that a 4K video has over 8 million pixels. This is four times a number of pixels that the next highest quality video resolution, 1080p is able to provide. As a result, the images look considerably more defined, with brighter colors and sharper detail.

By also ensuring that the 4K live stream service maintains 60 frames per second, users can expect a much smoother viewing experience. Assuming that there is nothing wrong with the viewer’s broadband connection, there will basically be few noticeable stutters while watching videos live.