Google has launched a Video Quality Report that tells you if your Internet Service Provider is at fault if YouTube streams are slow.
The reports will show how fast your speeds are and if they will allow streaming of YouTube content in HD.
These reports should also enable you to make a more informed decision if you decide to switch to a provider who offers a faster connection speed.
In a given region, you’ll be able to determine how well providers are offering speeds for YouTube streaming without having to wonder if reliability is due to feed quality or if the network is clogged by users.
A “YouTube HD verified” badge will be awarded to service providers that enable at least 90% of 720p video streams.
Google has gone to great lengths to ensure YouTube videos are accessible by having multiple copies on servers around the world to speed up video streams. The new report will likely get ISPs working on their ends to reduce, and hopefully eliminate, bottlenecks.
Google has made available a page that shows how YouTube videos are streamed and how the technology works. It has also explained the rating system for ISPs and why these ratings are an accurate measure of quality. Currently, only Canadians can access the report, but it should become available to the rest of us soon.
Google hopes to get more people on-board in a bid to improve Internet services and this quality report should give ISPs a nudge to do their part and offer high streaming quality whenever possible.
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