To watch YouTube videos, make sure that you have the most up-to-date browser and operating system and a good Internet connection:
- Newest version of Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari
- Internet connection with 500+ Kbps
Movie and TV show 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'll need:
- Newest version of Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari
- Operating system: Windows 7+, macOS 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 hard-wire your Internet connection, instead of using a wireless network connection.
The table below shows the approximate speeds that are 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 in HD/UHD from a different compatible device.
Supported devices for Primetime Channels (US, Germany, France, Australia and 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 and tablets | Phones and tablets running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or later |
| iPhones and 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) | |
| Selected TVs with Android TV built-in and NVIDIA Shield | |
| Select Fire TV Edition smart TVs | |
| Streaming devices | Apple TV (4th generation and 4K) |
| Chromecast with Google TV | |
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| Selected 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