Highlights:
- YouTube adds QR code shopping to videos for direct product links.
- AI-powered upscaling to enhance video quality on TVs.
- Contextual search and immersive previews to improve discoverability.
- TV viewing now accounts for 12.4% of YouTube’s total audience time.
YouTube sharpens its focus on the living room
YouTube has announced a new set of updates aimed at enhancing the TV viewing experience, including shoppable QR codes, AI-powered upscaling, and a redesigned search interface.
The rollout comes as YouTube continues to dominate streaming in the living room, accounting for 12.4% of total television viewing time, surpassing Netflix, Disney, and Paramount, according to Nielsen data from April.
Shoppable QR codes bring retail to the screen
One of the biggest additions is the introduction of QR codes in videos, allowing viewers to scan products featured in tagged videos directly from their TV screens. The feature gives creators the ability to link merchandise or other items within their content, letting audiences shop instantly through their phones.
YouTube says the move is designed to expand revenue opportunities for creators, particularly within shopping-related videos, a category that saw 35 billion hours of watch time in the past year.
The number of channels earning six figures or more from TV viewership has grown by over 45% year-over-year, highlighting the platform’s growth potential in the connected TV market.
While shoppable QR codes have appeared on platforms like Roku and Peacock, YouTube’s implementation focuses on letting creators link directly to their own stores. The company is also testing timed product showcases that appear at specific moments in videos.
AI-powered video upscaling for better picture quality
YouTube is also testing AI-based upscaling, which automatically upgrades lower-resolution videos to full HD. The feature will later expand to support 4K upscaling, helping older or lower-quality uploads look sharper on large screens.
The company clarified that creators will retain full control of their original files, and viewers will still have the option to watch videos in their original resolution.
This move positions YouTube alongside streaming rivals experimenting with AI enhancement, though results in the industry have been mixed. Netflix, for instance, faced backlash for distorted visuals when using similar technology to remaster older shows.
Better discovery and visuals for TV viewers
To further refine the TV experience, YouTube is expanding its thumbnail file size limit from 2MB to 50MB, enabling 4K-quality thumbnails. The company is also working with select creators to test larger video uploads for improved overall quality.
Additionally, YouTube is rolling out immersive video previews that help users browse more intuitively, and a contextual search feature that prioritizes results from the creator’s own channel when a search is initiated there.
Together, the updates reflect YouTube’s growing investment in connected TV, a segment that continues to redefine how audiences watch, shop, and engage with content on the biggest screen in the house.
