Last year, YouTube enabled 60fps video playback, significantly enhancing the viewing experience for high-motion content such as gaming and sports. This week, YouTube has announced the imminent arrival of live streaming at the same 60 frames per second, a move that will help the service compete more effectively with the likes of Twitch. This new feature is expected to attract more content creators and viewers who demand high-quality, smooth video playback.
Enhanced Streaming Capabilities
The introduction of 60fps live streaming is a significant upgrade for YouTube. This feature is particularly beneficial for gaming channels, where fast-paced action requires higher frame rates to provide a seamless viewing experience. YouTube has collaborated with game capture technology companies such as Elgato and XSplit to ensure that their capture technology supports this new feature. This collaboration ensures that content creators can easily produce and stream high-quality videos without technical difficulties.
YouTube explains more:
“When you start a live stream on YouTube at 60fps, we’ll transcode your stream into 720p60 and 1080p60, which means silky smooth playback for gaming and other fast-action videos,” YouTube explained in a statement. “We’ll also make your stream available in 30fps on devices where high frame rate viewing is not yet available, while we work to expand support in the coming weeks.”
This means that even if viewers do not have devices that support 60fps, they can still enjoy the content at 30fps, ensuring a broader audience can access the streams. The transcoding process ensures that the video quality is maintained across different devices and internet speeds, providing a consistent viewing experience.
HTML5 Playback and Variable Speed
In addition to 60fps live streaming, YouTube is rolling out another highly requested feature: HTML5 playback. This update is a significant step forward, as HTML5 is more efficient and versatile compared to the older Flash technology. HTML5 playback offers several advantages, including better performance, reduced buffering times, and improved compatibility with various devices and browsers.
“As of this week, YouTube live streams will use an HTML5 player in supported browsers,” YouTube said. “And because our HTML5 player supports variable speed playback, you can skip backward in a stream while it’s live and watch at 1.5x or 2x speed to catch back up.”
The variable speed playback feature is particularly useful for viewers who join a live stream late or want to re-watch a specific part of the stream. This functionality allows users to catch up quickly without missing any important moments. It also enhances the overall user experience by providing more control over how they consume content.
These updates are part of YouTube’s ongoing efforts to improve its platform and provide a better experience for both content creators and viewers. By introducing 60fps live streaming and HTML5 playback, YouTube is positioning itself as a leading platform for high-quality video content. These features are expected to attract more content creators, particularly in the gaming community, and provide viewers with a more enjoyable and flexible viewing experience.
Source: Gamespot
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