Telegram update adds video quality selection for large channels

Videos are getting a big upgrade in Telegram. Users will be able to select which quality to watch received videos in, as well as enable PiP and adjust playback speed.

As messaging apps go, services like Telegram and WhatsApp have generally offered better media quality. Sending videos and pictures was always better through these apps than using generic SMS. With RCS on just about every device, Telegram is looking to step up the video experience further – though that experience might be limited.

The company notes that a new update will bring a few big changes to how videos are sent and received. The first big change is a new option to manually select a quality to watch media in. Telegram notes this feature is only available for users in channels with “thousands of subscribers.” Instead of defaulting to a compressed version, users can choose to watch videos in up to 1080p.

For all users, it looks like Telegram is adding a speed functionality, allowing users to adjust the video playback speed. This works in two ways – by tapping the settings cog while playing a video, or by holding down on the right side of the video while it plays.

The update also adds the option to add media to existing messages. This is for those users who try to send a video/picture and a message at the same time, only for the message to appear above the image. The new process will let users stick an image on any bubble of text they’ve sent.

The latter two options seem to be for everyone, while the video quality selector looks to be locked to larger channels. It would be nice to see the option available to all as more updates roll out. Telegram notes this update should be rolling out now.