Those who were concerned that YouTube will totally restrict access to 4K material to Premium users will be relieved. For the time being. YouTube said on Twitter that it has “completely switched off” the experiment that required a Premium membership to play 4K videos. Users began complaining on social networks such as Reddit and Twitter earlier this month that when they entered the drop-down menu for resolution selections, the term “Premium” appeared directly next to 4K/2160p. However, not everyone needed to have a Premium membership to play 4K films, suggesting that it was an experimental function made available to a small number of people.
It’s unknown why YouTube chose to terminate the trial, but as 9to5Google points out, it received a lot of negative comments. Users were naturally upset when they were asked to pay $12 per month or $120 per year to watch films in the best definition offered on the website. Those who weren’t a part of the trial were worried that it would spread and become a permanent “perk” for Premium users.
YouTube did not indicate whether the notion of locking 4K content behind a Premium membership is being abandoned permanently. YouTube urged viewers to offer input on the experiment in a tweet posted in Japanese, which might help the company determine how to proceed.
