Needless to say, there is a ton of video content uploaded to YouTube since it was created back in 2005, and a sizeable chunk of that predates the age of 1080p high-definition videos. So, the Google-owned video sharing platform has an idea: how about we upscale videos using AI? (We’re in 2025 after all – what innovation doesn’t come with AI plastered all over these days?)
YouTube Introduces Super Resolution
The idea behind this new AI-powered feature is to automatically upscale videos uploaded below 1080p resolution, and YouTube plans to extend support to resolutions up to 4K as the system develops. According to YouTube, this feature – currently available to TV platforms only – operates without altering the original file, though creators will be given the choice to disable auto upscaling for their videos. Similarly, viewers will also be able to switch between the original and AI-upscaled versions (which will be labeled as “Super Resolution”).
While this may be a sound idea on paper, AI isn’t the be-all-and-end-all when it comes to content remastering. If the original footage is blurry enough – don’t forget some videos out there were uploaded in a time where the abysmal 144p resolution (256 x 144) was one of the options – there’s very little chance that even the most powerful upscaling model from Google will be able to do much to fill in the missing blanks (case in point, see how the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL handles this in our review).
AI upscaling aside, YouTube is also introducing other features along the way, including upgraded thumbnail file size limits, while testing for larger, higher-quality video uploads is also underway with selected creators. The TV-based interface also saw improved channel navigation and improved content discovery – viewers will soon browse channels using immersive previews, while contextual search will prioritize videos from the same channel within search results.
Pokdepinion: I have doubts it’ll handle 240p/144p content, but let’s see.
