author: Paul Wozniak
YouTube Changes Default Video Quality in Europe
Like Netflix, YouTube has also decided to take action to reduce data consumption in the current period in Europe. However, the method used by Google will not be so intrusive - only the default video quality will be changed.
We have just learned that Netflix has decided to reduce bitrate across Europe, and we already know that YouTube has decided to take similar steps. In this case, they will be less intrusive - only the default video quality will change, and for some time users will have to choose a higher one.
The first inform about it reuters.com where we can find a YouTube statement on this issue, which was issued after a meeting between Thierry Berton (Commissioner for the Internal Market in the European Commission) and Alphabet's CEO Sundare Pichai and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki.
"We are making a commitment to temporarily switch all traffic in the EU to standard definition by default."
Breton asked for this kind of measures two days ago, according to which they will reduce data consumption so that the Internet infrastructure will not be overloaded in this period. Time will tell if other VoD services will also decide to move in this direction. Let's hope, that if they do, they will decide to take action closer to YouTube, so that the user still has a real choice of video quality.