YouTube TV

YouTube TV rolling out improved picture quality for some, ‘major update’ for Apple TV

Ben Schoon | Apr 21 2023 - 7:05 am PT

Google’s YouTube TV is rolling out several updates, including improvements to picture quality and a “major” update for Apple TV users.

In a post on the YouTube TV subreddit, a YouTube Community Manager details what updates YouTube TV has ongoing at the moment, which includes rounding up some previously detailed bits of information. For one, the post reiterates that Multiview is now available to YouTube TV subscribers following March Madness, with “improvements” set to be coming ahead of the NFL season. On that note, the post also reiterates Google’s launch of NFL Sunday Ticket presale on YouTube TV, including the discounts subscribers are eligible for.

More interesting, though, is the mention of a “major update” now rolling out to YouTube TV subscribers on Apple TV.

This update, v1.13, takes aim at fixing long-standing YouTube TV issues on Apple TV including the black screen at start-up, addressing 4K playback issues, as well as turning on HDR support. The post also mentions that a fix for the crashing issue on first-generation Apple TV 4K units will be fixed with a new app update that is hitting the App Store “imminently.”

Finally, YouTube TV is also confirmed to be rolling out changes to transcoding which includes a bitrate increase for 1080p content. When active, this should result in better picture quality in YouTube TV for most users, though the change is only being tested on devices with support for VP9 and high-speed internet. These improvements to picture quality are only being tested for now, but may become “permanent” over the Summer.

The post also briefly mentions a 5.1 surround sound syncing issue that many subscribers have run into, with YouTube TV teams preparing a fix.