How to Fix YouTube Not Playing 4K Videos on Apple TV 4K Device Error

If you want sharper details and excellent video quality, nothing beats 4K. And if your internet connection is unlimited and fast, it’s perfectly understandable if you’d prefer to stream all YouTube videos in the highest 4K resolution on your Apple TV 4K device.

But this feature isn’t perfect, and sometimes, it just doesn’t work. If you’re not satisfied with YouTube videos being less than 4K, there are a few simple steps you can take.

Methods-to-Troubleshoot-YouTube-Not-Playing-4K-Videos-on-Apple-TV-4K-Device-Error
Photo credit by Hamed Taha from Unsplash

Methods to Troubleshoot YouTube Not Playing 4K Videos on Apple TV 4K Device Error

You can find below several solutions that will help you fix the YouTube issue on Apple TV 4K. Try to follow each methods one at a time and check if it resolves the YouTube error or not.

Check the Current Version of Your Apple TV 4K Device

Your device should be 4th generation or later so that you can stream your YouTube videos in 4K. To confirm this, open Settings from the Home screen and select General. Click About and look for the model number of your device on the official website of Apple.

Verify the Settings for Video Quality on YouTube

Verify-the-Settings-for-Video-Quality-on-YouTube
Photo credit by M jafar Sathik from Pixabay

YouTube automatically enhances the resolution of the videos you’re watching and increases them to 2160p Ultra HD 4K. However, if it doesn’t work on your device, you can just verify it and manually shift to 4K resolution when watching your videos.

  1. Launch the YouTube app on your Apple TV 4K device.
  2. Play a video.
  3. Click the Settings icon on the right part of the screen.
  4. Choose quality.
  5. Pick 2160p in place of Auto.

Your video should now play in 4K resolution.

Check Your Network Connection

You can watch 4K content on YouTube in HDR and Dolly Vision. Although the platform is known for its excellent compression algorithm, you can only do so if your internet connection is fast and stable.

Connecting your device with a 5GHz frequency band is recommended as it will also speed up your connection. You might also want to move your router closer to your device or vice versa to prevent further issues.

Reboot Your Apple TV 4K Device

Reboot-Your-Apple-TV-4K-Device
Image credit by Apple

Rebooting your device might be necessary if your YouTube app doesn’t respond or work. A glitch will occur in your system if there are lots of heavy apps running in the background. You can easily solve this issue with a simple reboot. To restart, open Settings, choose System, and select Restart.

Disable Match Content on Apple TV 4K

If your Apple TV’s Match Frame Rate and Match Dynamic Range are turned on, the video formats will be automatically switched to match the specific content being played. You’ll see a blank screen while you stream YouTube and it changes formats.

Turning off this feature may be able to help solve the issue. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Open Settings from the Home screen of your Apple TV 4K device.
  2. Select Video and Audio.
  3. Tap Match Content under Video.
  4. Highlight and turn off Match Dynamic Range.
  5. Click and turn off the Match Frame rate on the Match Content Screen.

4K videos are such a beauty to behold so it’s perfectly understandable that you’d want to watch your YouTube content in 4K on your Apple TV 4K device. The fixes above can help you solve the issue and ensure a wonderful viewing experience all over again!

Eddie Mendoza
Eddie Mendoza
With a Bachelor’s degree in IT, Eddie has a natural knack for troubleshooting gadget issues. With more than 10 years of blogging experience under his belt, writing and publishing articles for streaming and related services is one of his main act. When not on his computer, you can find him tinkering his guitars.

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