YouTube TV to Bring Offline Viewing and 4K Streaming on TV

• YouTube has laid out several features and additions planned for 2021 via a blog post.
• YouTube TV is going to get a new add-on that will allow 4K streaming, offline viewing of 4K content, and no limit to simultaneous streams.
• Creators will also get a new revenue generation system called the “Applause.”

YouTube, the world’s most successful online video platform, has just confirmed several new features and additions that are bound to please its fans, as well as draw more people to join. First, the navigation on the platform will get optimized and essentially easier, bringing more updates that will help connect viewers with creators and their content. Secondly, emerging formats like VR will be given more love, and YouTube plans to redesign its VR app to improve navigation, accessibility, and the search functionality.

What seems to be making people cheer, though, is YouTube’s third promise. YouTube TV will get a new add-on package that concerns 4K content that will be downloadable, so users may view it offline at any time through their DVR. This option will add unlimited concurrent streams, so multiple users like a family, for example, will be able to enjoy saved or live streaming content at the same time without catches or restrictions. YouTube says TV is the area that grows the fastest, currently counting over three million subscribers.

Another important thing to be brought this year include new and more powerful parental controls that will make YouTube Kids even safer. Children staying at home right now are causing an explosion on the platform, and the video company reports 35 million unique viewers from 80 countries.

Creators will also get an expanded realm of opportunities to be heard, discovered, and eventually succeed. First, YouTube Shorts will rollout in the United States as soon as March 2021. Already, the limited rollout of Shorts is doing great, so the expansion to the U.S. is expected to help it take off.

On monetization and the ‘Partner Program,’ YouTube promises to introduce new ways for creators to generate earnings, diversifying their revenue source. In this context, they’re testing a feature called “Applause,” which will work similarly to the Flattr micropayment system that was launched over a decade ago. So, users will buy “applause,” and then when they watch a video they like, they will be able to click on the Applaud button and pay a small amount to the creator. There will be cost tiers for different clapping animations to reflect distinct levels of acclamation.

Finally, YouTube will add more stuff relevant to shopping and selling opportunities for users and content creators. The platform is already testing an integrated shopping experience, and if everything goes as planned, the new feature will roll out later in the year.