YouTube slims down bandwidth requirements

YouTube has launched a feature allowing users to download slimmed-down versions of videos in places where bandwidth is tight.

Feather, now out in beta, is described as an "ultra-light watch page" which cuts back on the features available to viewers. Related videos and comments are kept to a minimum.

"A consequence of rolling out higher quality video, HD and, more recently, 1080p, is that playbacks might suffer if bandwidth or computer processing power is low. There are also a few countries where bandwidth is at a premium and videos can take several seconds to start playing" says engineer Chris Zacharias on the company blog.

"Let's face it: in this age of instant gratification, even several seconds of loading time can feel like an eternity."

Read more -here-
The beta is available -here-

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