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YouTube Connected TV Features and AI Video Tools

Nick WarnerWritten byNick Warner
Last UpdatedOctober 29, 2025
Connected TV showing YouTube interface in living room
Create AI videos with 230+ avatars in 140+ languages.
Summary

Explore YouTube's connected TV features and learn how AI video tools like HeyGen can amplify your content. Discover trends and actionable insights.

YouTube Connected TV Features for Creators

In today's digital age, video content is a crucial medium for both communication and entertainment. YouTube is leading this space, consistently innovating to help creators optimize their content delivery, particularly on connected TV (CTV) screens. With a surge in CTV consumption, creators can now engage more viewers from the comfort of living rooms worldwide. If you're eager to capitalize on YouTube’s latest connected TV features, then keep reading.

Why YouTube's Connected TV Matters

Viewing habits are evolving, with more people watching YouTube on their TVs. This makes CTV an essential platform for content creators. Check out Nielsen Reports on Connected TV Viewership to understand the growing trend. Recent studies reveal that users spend over a billion hours daily watching YouTube content on TVs. Additionally, "Shorts," quick and punchy videos, saw a staggering 100% growth in the past year on TV screens. As we explore AI tools for YouTube video creation, it's crucial to note that this growing viewership is an opportunity.

What does this mean? As YouTube establishes itself as a formidable contender against traditional TV networks, creators have ample opportunities to tap into this burgeoning market.

Thumbnail Enhancements for Big Screens

YouTube understands the power of first impressions, hence the introduction of bigger and better thumbnails. They are increasing the thumbnail file size limit from 2MB to 50MB. Why does this matter? With larger, high-resolution thumbnails up to 4K, creators can present crisp visuals that won't appear pixelated.

More pixels mean your thumbnails will stand out, catching viewers' eyes right from the beginning. If you ever thought your visuals seemed a bit "blocky," this update is for you.

4K YouTube video thumbnail on TV screen

Immersive Previews Boost Engagement

Static channel homepages are old news. YouTube’s new "immersive previews" feature auto-plays videos in the background of your channel’s homepage. Imagine a potential subscriber arriving on your page, instantly engaged by your content playing right behind your icons. This feature, tailored for larger TV capacities, is designed to elevate engagement.

Improved Content Discovery on YouTube

Finding the right content often feels like searching for a needle in a haystack. But not anymore. YouTube's new search capability prioritizes videos from a creator's channel at the top of search results. Learn about strategies to increase views on YouTube and how this feature maximizes engagement and retaining your audience.

Shopping Experiences Redefined for CTV

Merging content with commerce is gaining traction. YouTube is redefining shopping experiences on CTV. With scannable QR codes in shopping-tagged videos, users can seamlessly explore product pages on their phones. This feature also allows for timed product features, enabling viewers to shop exactly when their interest peaks.

In 2020, viewers watched 35 billion hours of shopping-related videos. Clearly, shopping on YouTube, especially through CTV, is the future.

Viewer shopping on YouTube Connected TV using smartphone

AI-Powered Upscaling: A Blessing or a Challenge?

Enter YouTube’s AI-powered upscaling, rendering clips in higher resolutions and enhancing their appearance on large screens. Discuss noteworthy insights from the Official Site of International Journal of Advanced Research in Science, Communication and Technology on the implications of this technology. The aim is to upscale videos produced below 1080p to HD or even 4K. While this AI innovation promises much, not every creator is convinced. Some believe the AI tool may make videos look too artificial. Explore the capabilities of an AI video editor for YouTube videos and how it can complement these changes.

What can you do? YouTube provides an opt-out option for creators who prefer their original resolutions. After all, it's your content.

AI upscaling video quality on large TV

How HeyGen's AI Video Tools Can Amplify YouTube Content

As the YouTube sphere becomes more competitive, standing out is vital. Enter HeyGen, famous for its exponential rise on G2's list, which helps creators craft captivating videos with ease. Featuring AI avatars and smooth multilingual translations, HeyGen supports you in reaching a global viewership with consistent and engaging content.

Whether you are a new YouTuber or a seasoned creator, tools like HeyGen's AI Video Generator and AI Video Creator enable high-quality, personalized video production without the traditional filming hassles.

Reflecting on the Future of Digital Storytelling

The digital video content domain is rapidly evolving. With YouTube’s CTV innovations and tools like HeyGen's AI video services, creators have opportunities to redefine storytelling.

What is your next big move in the video world? How will you leverage these advancements to engage audiences in novel and exciting ways? Dive into AI's Impact on Digital Storytelling for further insights.

Incorporating AI video generators, AI video makers, and video AI generators will become increasingly critical as the landscape continues to shift.

To experience the power of these tools, start your journey with HeyGen today for free.

About

Nick Warner is Head of Creator Growth at HeyGen, where he helps creators and brands scale their content with AI video tools. He writes about AI, video technology, and how creators can use these tools to tell better stories and reach wider audiences.


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