Following in the footsteps of Netflix and others, YouTube will limit the default streaming quality of its hugely popular video platform to standard definition. The decision comes after calls from European Commissioner Thierry Breton to help “secure internet access for all”.
Breton recently spoke with Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki about limiting the streaming quality on YouTube and the pair have listened. In a statement, YouTube said it would “temporarily” ensure streaming it set to standard definition by default.
The video search engine said: “We are making a commitment to temporarily switch all traffic in the EU to standard definition by default.”
Of course, there’s a quick workaround to this. If you’re using YouTube on your smartphone, you can tap the settings button in the top right-hand corner of the video and adjust quality from there. This toggle will let you choose the maximum or minimum resolution that video offers and everything in-between.
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If you’re on a computer, things are a bit more obvious. In the bottom right-hand corner of any video you’ll see a little cog icon that’ll highlight if you’re watching in HD or 4K. Pressing the button will let you adjust the quality of your stream manually.
It’s worth noting the decision from Google will only affect EU territories and the UK, which is still in the process of leaving the bloc.
YouTube isn’t the only streaming platform to dial down its default quality to help ensure internet infrastructure is kept stable. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have also taken steps to reduce individual user bandwidth.
Last week Netflix said Breton was correct in highlighting the matter and iterated its commitment to network efficiency.
The streaming giant said: “Commissioner Breton is right to highlight the importance of ensuring that the internet continues to run smoothly during this critical time.
“We’ve been focused on network efficiency for many years, including providing our open connect service for free to telecommunications companies.”
A spokesperson for Amazon also discussed the measures it’s taking to limit the quality of Prime Video during this period of higher internet usage.
They declared: “Prime Video is working with local authorities and Internet Service Providers where needed to help mitigate any network congestion, including in Europe where we’ve already begun the effort to reduce streaming bitrates whilst maintaining a quality streaming experience for our customers.”
It’s also worth noting that Disney+, that released in the UK on Tuesday, March 24, has also committed to reducing streaming quality in Europe.
Facebook has also joined in, announcing it will reduce the quality of videos across its range of platforms, like Instagram.
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