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YouTube is on a roll lately. It has introduced a handful of new features to the app. The additions include high-quality streaming on Android devices and Smart TVs, a virtual badge for regular watchers, as well as an AI summarizer of videos and comments, and more. Notably, it also hiked the fee for its premium subscription.
You can now stream videos with enhanced bitrate on Android and smart TVs
YouTube Premium brings an ad-free experience, we all know. However, the cherry on the cake is higher-quality 1080p video streaming on Android and smart TVs. The same 1080p resolution videos now play with less video compression. It was initially launched for iPhone, but now the feature expands to Android phones and tablets.
YouTube Premium gets a video continuity feature
YouTube Premium subscribers can seamlessly switch between devices to continue watching videos without interruption. For instance, you can start watching a video on your smartphone and then effortlessly pick up from the same point on your smart TV.
Simply open the YouTube app on your TV, and the video you were watching on your phone will appear with the “Continue Watching” label, ready to be resumed. This cross-device continuity feature ensures that your viewing experience remains uninterrupted, regardless of the device you’re using.
YouTube onboards gen AI for content recommendation, comment summarization
YouTube is introducing generative AI to the platform. You can interact with Conversation AI to receive personalized video recommendations based on your current viewing session. You can also engage this AI chatbot with questions about the video like a summary of the video, and more.
With conversation AI, one could also summarize lengthy comments into concise statements in key points. It is currently available to select Android users in the United States. However, it will gradually be available to all.
Additionally, YouTube is rewarding its loyal premium subscribers with virtual badges. This is similar to virtual badges available on other apps like Artifact, where the more you browse; the more you level up.