YouTube users can expect a great new free feature

Google has added a new feature to YouTube that will make older video content look whole lot better on smartphones, TVs, and other connected devices.

The world’s premier video platform is celebrating its 20th birthday this year, which is a startling age in the fast-moving world of technology.

This also means that there’s a whole lot of ancient (relatively speaking) video content out there that isn’t fit for modern, 4K-attuned eyes.

Google has just solved that problem with a fresh YouTube update. Over on the official YouTube blog, the company recently discussed that it was now rolling out a new AI-powered feature that upscales lower resolution videos.

YouTube will start with videos uploaded below 1080p, which could extend right down to lowly 240p. Google’s algorithm will then upscale them from SD to HD.

YouTube presentation improvements

Google’s explicitly stated goal for the near future is to hit a point where it upscales sub-1080p content to 4K resolutions.

Wary content creators have been reassured that both the original files and the original video resolution will be kept intact, and that there’s an option to opt-out of the upscaling process.

Viewers, for their part, will retain the option to watch the original videos as intended, with the new ‘super resolution’ option clearly labelled.

In keeping with this improved presentation, YouTube is also set to expand the thumbnail file limit from 2MB to 50MB. This will mean that content creators will be able to make a sharp first impression with 4K thumbnails.

YouTube says that it’s also in the process of testing larger video uploads, which should make for superior video quality.