YouTube brings 4K thumbnails, AI video upscaling, improved search and shopping tools to TV

YouTube is launching five new features aimed at making content viewing and discovery more immersive on TV devices. Among the technical highlights, the platform will soon allow creators to upload video thumbnails up to 50 MB, a substantial increase from the previous 2 MB limit. This supports the rollout of 4K-resolution thumbnails, offering higher visual quality for viewers.

Building on these upgrades, YouTube is introducing an AI tool that can automatically upscale videos uploaded below 1080p resolution. The system will begin by enhancing standard definition videos to high definition, with longer-term plans to reach 4K upscaling. Creators remain in control and can opt out of this AI enhancement, while viewers retain the choice to view either the improved or original video version, clearly labeled in the playback settings.

Enhancements to content discovery on TV include immersive previews, allowing users to flip through favorite channels directly from the homepage. In addition, search results launched from a channel’s page will now prioritize that channel’s own videos, making it easier to find relevant content. For shopping, viewers can scan QR codes on tagged videos to open product pages on their phones, with new experiments enabling product features at specific moments within videos.