There was a time when we were just satisfied to watch video content in 1080p streaming. With the advancement in display technology, we now have Smart TVs offering up to 8K resolution in 30fps and 60fps streaming capabilities. It has changed our perspective of streaming online video content.
Now, YouTube has finally taken the initiative to launch support for 8K streaming for Android TVs. However, the feature will be in beta mode and will only be available to select Android TVs. Nonetheless, it is still a great initiative by YouTube to finally roll out support for 8K streaming. We can soon expect the feature to be made available to even more Android TVs in the future.
According to Sources, the feature is rolling out with YouTube version 2.12.08 on Android TV v10 and above. The updated changelog of the version update stated ‘Limited 8K support to Android 10 and up’. There is also a mentioning of support for ‘Cast Connect.’ The technology will enable Android TV devices to better integrate ‘cast’ content with local playback controls, including control using the remote.
The new update will also bring improvements to the screen resolution selection menu. Google is offering the update to be directly downloaded from Play Store, or users can download the app from APK Mirror.
According to sources, Google has not mentioned ‘AV1 HDR playback support’ in the updated changelog; hence we can assume that the updated software may not support HDR on streams with the .av1 codec.
In the Television market, not many TVs support native 8K video playback. But YouTube offers a vast library of 8K videos ready for streaming. But due to advancements in camera technology that can shoot in 8K resolution, more and more Smart TVs are rolling out with 8K resolution support. And with YouTube finally allowing its App on Android TVs to support the new resolution streaming, we can certainly see users enjoying Google’s new feature.
