YouTube Temporarily Changes HD to SD

YouTube will reduce video quality worldwide. All videos by default will be shown in standard definition (SD) instead of high (HD), according to Bloomberg. The restrictions came into force on March 24, 2020, and will be valid for a month.

The decision to reduce the quality of the video is connected with the spread of coronavirus infection. Due to self-isolation and quarantine, the load on network infrastructure has noticeably increased in many countries because people stay at home all the time. However, the users can independently switch the video quality to HD in the settings if they want. 

A Google representative said that in recent weeks, YouTube had seen more traffic during the day, whereas earlier traffic was more concentrated around peak loads in the evening. The latest YouTube's announcement will expand the provision to users all over the world.

Earlier, the quality of video broadcasts was reduced by the most popular streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. 

Facebook's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, stated that calls made via WhatsApp and Messenger have seen a twofold increase, necessitating an expansion of server capacity by the company.