TV-focused YouTube update brings AI upscaling, shopping QR codes

YouTube has been streaming for 20 years, but it was only in the last couple that it came to dominate TV streaming. Google’s video platform attracts more TV viewers than Netflix, Disney+, and all the other apps, and Google is looking to further beef up its big-screen appeal with a new raft of features, including shopping, immersive channel surfing, and an official version of the AI upscaling that had creators miffed a few months back.

According to Google, YouTube’s growth has translated into higher payouts. The number of channels earning more than $100,000 annually is up 45 percent in 2025 versus 2024. YouTube is now giving creators some tools to boost their appeal (and hopefully their income) on TV screens. Those elaborate video thumbnails featuring surprised, angry, smiley hosts are about to get even prettier with the new 50MB file size limit. That’s up from a measly 2MB.

Video upscaling is also coming to YouTube, and creators will be opted in automatically. To start, YouTube will be upscaling lower-quality videos to 1080p. In the near future, Google plans to support “super resolution” up to 4K.

The site stresses that it’s not modifying original files—creators will have access to both the original and upscaled files, and they can opt out of upscaling. In addition, super resolution videos will be clearly labeled on the user side, allowing viewers to select the original upload if they prefer. The lack of transparency was a sticking point for creators, some of whom complained about the sudden artificial look of their videos during YouTube’s testing earlier this year.