HD YouTube video: Safari allows 1080p, Chrome maxes out at 480p. Why?

[black_tooth]

I bought an HD video from YouTube and when I go to the YouTube link in Safari, it gives me the 1080p option as it should, however, on this exact same computer, even after clearing all cookies, in Chrome, it's only giving me a maximum of 480p as the highest resolution. Why might this be?

I have attempted turning off 'hardware acceleration' in Chrome and within YouTube settings, I have tried all possible 'AV1 codec' options.

I cannot seem to get Chrome to ever give me 1080p as an option no matter what I do. Any ideas why this might be? 1080p works in Safari so I know for a fact a 1080p version exists and that my laptop can handle it, it's just that for some reason Chrome won't give me all possible resolutions and I don't know why.

I'm not trying to download it or anything, I'm just trying to watch the thing that I paid for in the quality that I paid for using the browser made by the same company that sold me the thing I paid for, lol.

Also, while in Chrome, if I go to other random videos, I'm able to get the 1080p option, so it's not all videos, it's just this one video for some reason.

EDIT: Well, I think I found my answer. At one point Google forced max of 480p for purchased videos when viewing on YouTube in a browser and that must still be in effect and buggy or something, as in Safari, it's not limited.

https://9to5google.com/2020/10/21/google-temporarily-limits-purchased-movie-playback-o...80p-w-youtube/

[october262]

I bought an HD video from YouTube and when I go to the YouTube link in Safari, it gives me the 1080p option as it should, however, on this exact same computer, even after clearing all cookies, in Chrome, it's only giving me a maximum of 480p as the highest resolution. Why might this be?

I have attempted turning off 'hardware acceleration' in Chrome and within YouTube settings, I have tried all possible 'AV1 codec' options.

I cannot seem to get Chrome to ever give me 1080p as an option no matter what I do. Any ideas why this might be? 1080p works in Safari so I know for a fact a 1080p version exists and that my laptop can handle it, it's just that for some reason Chrome won't give me all possible resolutions and I don't know why.

I'm not trying to download it or anything, I'm just trying to watch the thing that I paid for in the quality that I paid for using the browser made by the same company that sold me the thing I paid for, lol.

Also, while in Chrome, if I go to other random videos, I'm able to get the 1080p option, so it's not all videos, it's just this one video for some reason.

is chrome updated to the latest version available ??
does the video not have the option to playback in 1080p ?

[black_tooth]

Yes, Chrome is updated to the latest version.

There is definitely a 1080p version available. Here's what the options look like for this same exact video in Safari vs. Chrome.


[Attachment 61140 - Click to enlarge]

[black_tooth]

Well, I think I just found my answer. At one point Google forced max of 480p for purchased videos when viewing on YouTube in a browser and that must still be in effect and buggy or something, as in Safari, it's not limited.

https://9to5google.com/2020/10/21/google-temporarily-limits-purchased-movie-playback-o...80p-w-youtube/

[[ss]vegeta]

>temporarily
>Oct. 21st 2020

/me chuckles

[LZAA]

Url?

[[ss]vegeta]

Url?

What about "& access"?
He said he bought it.
It's this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uizBHFGBWY

[LZAA]

'HD YouTube video: Safari allows 1080p, Chrome maxes out at 480p. Why?'

[black_tooth]

Apparently this has been going on for the longest time, even before October 2020. Here's someone asking about this 3 years ago and someone else asking about this 6 years ago. It's a license/piracy thing. In that 2nd link, one of the comments has a screenshot showing that on the purchase screen it says 'HD viewing isn't available on browsers' and now that warning doesn't say those exact words, it just says 'HD only works on compatible devices, click here to learn more.' What person in their right might would think their laptop with a 4K display wouldn't be compatible? Imagine being on a work trip, buying an HD movie on your laptop and being forced into watching 480p garbage. I've tried a few user-agent-switcher extensions in Chrome to try tricking Chrome, but hm, still doesn't work. What a joke.

So, like I was saying, on the purchase screen it says something like 'this only works in HD on compatible devices, click here to learn more,' and when you click that link...read the last sentence of this screenshot. lol


[Attachment 61148 - Click to enlarge]

[october262]

Apparently this has been going on for the longest time, even before October 2020. Here's someone asking about this 3 years ago and someone else asking about this 6 years ago. It's a license/piracy thing. In that 2nd link, one of the comments has a screenshot showing that on the purchase screen it says 'HD viewing isn't available on browsers' and now that warning doesn't say those exact words, it just says 'HD only works on compatible devices, click here to learn more.' What person in their right might would think their laptop with a 4K display wouldn't be compatible? Imagine being on a work trip, buying an HD movie on your laptop and being forced into watching 480p garbage. I've tried a few user-agent-switcher extensions in Chrome to try tricking Chrome, but hm, still doesn't work. What a joke.

So, like I was saying, on the purchase screen it says something like 'this only works in HD on compatible devices, click here to learn more,' and when you click that link...read the last sentence of this screenshot. lol


[Attachment 61148 - Click to enlarge]

try playing the video in incognito mode and see if you get 1080p - https://www.reddit.com/r/chrome/comments/rdf9m/youtube_wont_let_me_play_1080p_video_in_chrome/

[black_tooth]

"try playing the video in incognito mode and see if you get 1080p "

That was a good try, but unfortunately didn't work. I think I might have a workaround though, so we'll see. Thanks for the suggestion.

[jagabo]

Try using a user-agent changer and setting the user-agent to Safari...
https://developers.whatismybrowser.com/useragents/explore/software_name/safari/

[snickny]

Did you ever figure out a workaround. This is so ridiculous that YouTube does this on Chrome.

[rrats]

Apparently this has been going on for the longest time, even before October 2020. Here's someone asking about this 3 years ago and someone else asking about this 6 years ago. It's a license/piracy thing. In that 2nd link, one of the comments has a screenshot showing that on the purchase screen it says 'HD viewing isn't available on browsers' and now that warning doesn't say those exact words, it just says 'HD only works on compatible devices, click here to learn more.' What person in their right might would think their laptop with a 4K display wouldn't be compatible? Imagine being on a work trip, buying an HD movie on your laptop and being forced into watching 480p garbage. I've tried a few user-agent-switcher extensions in Chrome to try tricking Chrome, but hm, still doesn't work. What a joke.

So, like I was saying, on the purchase screen it says something like 'this only works in HD on compatible devices, click here to learn more,' and when you click that link...read the last sentence of this screenshot. lol


[Attachment 61148 - Click to enlarge]

this doesn't make much sense

[4kblurayguru]

It's done by design, use safari or support non drm platforms.