YouTube‘s dominant performance on TV screens is dictating contemporary digital media trends while turning Google’s video hub into a legitimate alternative to traditional channels. To keep its foot on the gas, YouTube is turning to an idea that has influenced much of its activity on TV screens: It’s making its living room app look more like a streaming service.
That’s the gist of a slew of announcements covering YouTube’s TV app and the viewer experience therein. Among other improvements, YouTube is introducing crispier resolutions for its TV screen audience and is making creators’ channel pages more immersive.
By raising the thumbnail file size limit from 2 MB to 50 MB, YouTube will let creators upload dazzling preview images that match a bigger-screen format. In a related move, YouTube will put AI to work with a feature that automatically generates higher resolutions for videos. If you’re one of the creators who sees those tools as invasions of creator autonomy, don’t worry — you can opt out of the quality enhancements if you’d prefer.
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A snappy look on TV screens isn’t just about high-res imagery, which is why YouTube is also switching up channel pages. The platform is continuing its Netflix-style makeover with a homepage feature that arranges each user’s favorite YouTube channels on a scrollable shelf. Once they visit those channels, users will be able to find related videos by employing a contextual search that will steer results toward favored hubs.
These moves build on the announcements YouTube has made at annual events like Made On and Brandcast. Investing in TV screens has become an overall theme of the platform’s development, since more living room viewers leads to more ad formats and more marketing dollars (at least in theory).
YouTube’s goal isn’t just to replicate Netflix’s layout: It also wants to continue offering features that can’t be found on other streaming services. That mission explains the launch of shoppable QR codes that connect tagged videos to relevant product listings.
The ultimate plan is to turn YouTube into a one-stop entertainment and shopping destination, so billions of hours of watch time may just be the beginning. Check out the YouTube blog for full coverage of the TV-focused features that have just been announced.
