All articles tagged with #bitrate
4K Blu-ray discs generally offer superior picture and sound quality compared to streaming due to higher bitrates, less compression, and lossless audio, but streaming provides greater convenience and cost-effectiveness, with ongoing technological improvements potentially narrowing the quality gap.
Spotify has introduced lossless streaming at 24-bit, 44.1kHz, offering higher quality audio that is noticeable on good headphones and speakers, but it is limited compared to other services like Tidal and Qobuz which support higher sample rates. The new quality enhances detail, bass, and soundstage but requires more storage and data, and cannot be streamed via Bluetooth. For audiophiles with the right equipment, services like Qobuz and Tidal provide superior high-res options, while casual listeners may not notice much difference.
YouTube is testing its new 1080p Premium tier with better bitrate for its Premium subscribers on Android and Google TV. The feature was first spotted in February and was exclusive to iPhone and Apple TV. Google officially announced the feature in April and said it would be coming to Android later on. The new tier is not a paywall for existing quality, but an entirely new quality tier for YouTube that is exclusive to Premium members. The existing 1080p tier is unchanged and still free for everyone.
YouTube TV is testing transcoding changes, including a bitrate increase for live 1080p content over the next several weeks, targeting devices that support the VP9 codec with high-speed internet connections. The majority of YouTube TV’s cable channels are delivered in 720p, but certain channels provide a 1080i feed that YouTube TV deinterlaces to 1080p. Increasing the bitrate can lead to a substantially better picture. Hulu with Live TV and DirecTV Stream have a leg up over YouTube TV in picture quality, but YouTube TV's other advantages, like a best-in-class DVR and cleaner UX, make it a strong competitor.
YouTube Premium subscribers now have access to a higher-quality version of 1080p video called 1080p Premium, which has a higher bitrate than standard 1080p video. The higher bitrate means 1080p video will look even better, especially in scenes with a lot of movement. However, it won’t be available on videos uploaded at a higher or lower resolution. The feature is currently only available on iOS, but there are plans for it to come to the web app.