YouTube Lowers Video Quality Worldwide Due To COVID-19

Amid the serious pandemic that has spread to every part of the world and a lot of places are on lockdown, and many are being quarantined, people are using the internet more than ever.

They need the internet to work, to update and search for information, or play games and watch videos on YouTube, etc. However, as the need for searching for information and updating news is much more important, some streaming services have reduced the video quality to save the high speed.

And now, YouTube announced to lower the default video quality of all videos worldwide for a full month. This means the default quality of all videos will drop from high-definition to standard, and the change has come today. While users can still change the quality to high-definition manually, the firm said that this change is meant for reducing stress on the system amid the ongoing pandemic.

A spokesperson from Google said that the company continues to work closely with governments as well as network operators globally to reduce the stress on the system amid this unfortunate situation. Last week, YouTube announced to reduce the default video quality in the EU only, but the move is now applied on a global scale considering the current situation.

Also last week, Netflix agreed to lower bit rates in Europe for a month to reduce the stress on the internet infrastructure. Netflix said at the time that the move could decrease the traffic in Europe by about 25% while ensuring good service for members.

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