To watch YouTube videos, make sure you have the most up-to-date browser, operating system, and a good internet connection:
- Newest version of Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari
- Internet connection with 500+ Kbps
Movies and TV shows requirements
Some premium videos on YouTube -- like movies, TV shows, and live streams -- require a faster connection and greater processing power for optimal streaming speeds. Here's what you need:
- Newest version of Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari
- Operating system: Windows 7+, Mac OS X 10.7+, or Ubuntu 10+
- Internet connection with 1+ Mbps
It can help to close other tabs, browsers, and programs while streaming your video. It may also help to hardwire your internet connection, instead of using a wireless network connection.
The table below shows the approximate speeds recommended for playing each video format.
|
Video Resolution |
Recommended sustained speed |
|---|---|
| 4K UHD | 20 Mbps |
| HD 1080p | 5 Mbps |
| HD 720p | 2.5 Mbps |
| SD 480p | 1.1 Mbps |
| SD 360p | 0.7 Mbps |
- Playback in HD is unavailable for streaming on a browser, except for Safari for HD streaming only. You can also stream in HD using one of the supported devices listed here.
- 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.
Supported devices for Primetime Channels (US, Germany, France, Australia & UK only)
If you’re in the United States, Germany, France, Australia, or the United Kingdom, you can watch YouTube Primetime Channels on the following devices:
| Game consoles |
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|---|---|
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| Smart displays |
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| Smartphones & tablets | Phones & tablets running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or later |
| iPhones & iPads running iOS 12 or later | |
| Smart TVs | Hisense Smart TVs (select models) |
| LG smart TVs (2016+ models only) | |
| Roku TVs (all models) | |
| Samsung smart TVs (2017+ models only) | |
| Sharp smart TVs (select models) | |
| Sony smart TVs (select models) | |
| Vizio SmartCast TVs (select models) | |
| Select TVs with Android TV built-in and NVIDIA Shield | |
| Select Fire TV Edition smart TVs | |
| Streaming devices | Apple TV (4th generation & 4K) |
| Chromecast with Google TV | |
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| Select cable TV devices (such as Xfinity X1) |
You can watch but not purchase YouTube Primetime Channels on any of the following devices:
- Apple TV
- Xbox
- Select Panasonic TVs