TV-focused YouTube update brings AI upscaling, shopping QR codes

YouTube, now a dominant force in the world of TV streaming, is set to roll out a series of exciting new features aimed at enriching the viewer experience on larger screens. With its growing popularity surpassing platforms like Netflix and Disney+, Google is keen to further elevate its service with innovations that include immersive channel surfing and shopping capabilities via QR codes. In a bid to support content creators, YouTube is also introducing official AI upscaling technology that had previously caused concern among some users. The platform reported a significant rise in channel earnings, with a 45% increase in the number of channels making over $100,000 annually from 2024 to 2025. This surge reflects YouTube's commitment to empowering creators to enhance their content on television. One of the standout updates is the increase in video thumbnail size limits from 2MB to a generous 50MB, allowing for more visually appealing designs. Additionally, YouTube will automatically upscale lower-resolution videos to 1080p, with plans to extend this capability to 4K in the future. Creators will maintain control over their content; they will have access to both the original and upscaled versions and can opt out of the upscaling feature. Furthermore, to address previous concerns regarding transparency, super resolution videos will be clearly marked for viewers, enabling them to choose whether to view the enhanced version or the original upload. This new approach aims to alleviate the issues some creators faced with the earlier upscaling tests, ensuring a more reliable and user-friendly experience on the platform.