Every YouTube movie and TV show is available in standard definition. We offer some titles in high definition (HD) or 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD). Our Studio licensing agreements say whether HD or UHD playback is available on a device. We're working hard to expand our offering of HD and UHD titles across your favorite devices.
- Sometimes, you can buy or rent the HD/UHD version of a video on a device or browser that doesn't support HD/UHD playback. You can still watch the title in lower quality on that device, or watch HD/UHD from a different compatible device.
What is HD?
HD (or High Definition) refers to higher quality video than SD (or Standard Definition). On HD, the picture will be sharper than on SD. On YouTube, HD means a video has 720–1080 lines of vertical resolution. It's shown as 720p or 1080p in the quality settings of the YouTube player. In comparison, 360 or 480, are typical for SD.
What is UHD?
4K UHD (or Ultra High Definition) refers to a higher quality of video than HD. On UHD, the picture will be sharper than on HD. On YouTube, UHD means a video has 2160–3840 lines of vertical resolution (compared to 720 or 1080, which are typical for HD). You can find video quality details within the YouTube video player.
Watch HD videos on YouTube
If a video is available in HD, you can select Settings 
Whenever available, you can watch HD quality videos using the latest version of YouTube on:
- iPhone and iPad
- Most HD capable Android devices
- Select 2013 and newer smart TV models
- Android TV/Google TV
- Chromecast
- Apple TV
- Xbox One and higher
- PlayStation 3 and newer
- Roku
Watch 4K UHD videos on YouTube
You can watch purchased 4K UHD quality videos using the YouTube app on eligible Smart TVs and Android TVs, or with a Chromecast Ultra.
UHD playback requires a faster internet connection than HD or SD videos as YouTube needs to stream much more data. To stream UHD titles, you’ll need a consistent download speed of at least 15 megabits per second. Without strong bandwidth, your movie may play in HD or SD quality.