Recently, some YouTube users started reporting that their ability to watch 4K videos was hidden behind a premium subscription, leading to outcry. Thankfully, that experiment has been walked back.
The trouble started a couple of weeks ago when YouTube users began complaining on Reddit that 4K resolutions were being held behind premium subscriptions, which costs $11.99 a month in the US and carries with it features like a lack of adds and offline viewing, though before this experiment, resolution options were always free. Thankfully, however, in a recent tweet, YouTube said:
we've fully turned off this experiment. viewers should now be able to access 4K quality resolutions without Premium membership. we're here if you have other q's
YouTube hasn't made any sort of statement on why they walked back the experiment, though I suspect it became clear that the backlash was not worth the potential increase in revenue. While some users don't particularly care about the difference between 4K and 1080p, I have so say that I am glad to see 4K returning to the free tier, as I spend a lot of time watching YouTube content on my TV and can notice an appreciable difference in quality a lot of the time.
