YouTube adds AI upscaling (“Super Resolution”) and new TV app features

YouTube is rolling out several upgrades aimed at improving how videos look and feel on TV apps. The headline feature is an automatic AI upscaling tool called Super Resolution that will boost uploads under 1080p up to HD, with 4K upscaling planned for the future. Creators can opt out if they don’t want Super Resolution applied to their content.

Alongside Super Resolution, YouTube is increasing the thumbnail upload limit from 2MB to 50MB — a change that lets creators use larger, higher-quality cover art. The platform is also testing immersive preview tiles on TV homepages so viewers can flip through channel previews more visually, a move designed to improve content discovery on big screens.

What’s changing for creators and viewers

• Super Resolution: automatic AI upscaling for videos uploaded below 1080p; creators may opt out and original file/resolution options remain available.
• Thumbnail limit: max file size raised to 50MB to support higher-quality images.
• Immersive previews: homepage previews on TV apps to help viewers browse channels visually.
• Contextual search on TV: searches from a creator’s channel page will surface that channel’s videos first, streamlining discovery on TVs.

These updates reflect YouTube’s focus on the TV viewing experience as streaming on large displays continues to grow. Auto-upscaling can help older or low-res uploads look better on modern TVs, but the results will depend on the effectiveness of the AI model; creators retain control via an opt-out. Larger thumbnails and improved navigation should make browsing more appealing from the couch.

For more context and hands-on notes, see coverage on major tech outlets and YouTube’s product announcements as they publish implementation details.

Discussion: Do you trust AI upscaling to improve low-res uploads — or would you prefer creators be required to re-upload higher-quality files? What TV app feature would you like to see next?