What's new in this version?

Please check the Logs section.

What is the "HD Player" extension and how does it work?

HD Player is a lightweight browser extension that enhances the quality of HTML5 or Flash players to high definition (HD) or the utmost available quality immediately upon loading on a webpage. It also displays the current quality status within the badge area for easy reference. The extension deploys an observer to track quality changes and automatically adjusts the settings to maintain HD quality standards. Should the quality level drop for any reason, the extension intervenes to reinstate it; however, it refrains from interfering when the quality improves. Note that the extension allows changes within the range of HD qualities with default preferences.

To access the customizable options, click the action button. For instance, you can instruct the extension to perform a single quality change or prevent the player from streaming content at 60 frames per second.

Can the extension be configured to allow a lower HD quality instead of the highest one available?

Yes, starting from version 0.1.5, you can set your preferred lower HD quality via the extension's options page. It's important to note that if you manually opt for a reduced HD quality, the extension will refrain from reverting the quality to the highest setting. This only holds when an HD quality, namely 720p, 1080p, 1440p, or 2160p, has been chosen.

Is it possible for the extension to ensure playback at the maximum available quality, disregarding the player's selection of an HD quality?

Achieving this requires a simple adjustment of options. Navigate to the options page and uncheck the "Prevent quality increase if the user or YouTube player selects HD quality (720p, 1080p, 1440p, 2160p, ...)" option. Following this, refresh the YouTube page to enable the extension to enforce the highest quality playback.

What is the process for installing the extension from the source XPI file (in case you want to test the latest developer version)?

Installing the extension from the source XPI file is straightforward. Begin by dragging and dropping the XPI file directly into an open Firefox window. Then grant the necessary permission to proceed with the installation. You can download the XPI from the AMO website or download the ZIP file from GitHub and then rename it to the XPI extension.

[deprecated] If I encounter the message "This developer's server appears to be busy. Please try again later." when attempting to download this extension in Safari, how can I fix it?

You can directly obtain the safariextz file from the GitHub repository. Access the file using the following link: github.com/.../YouTube-HD/.../extension.safariextz. This method bypasses the server issue and allows you to acquire the extension.

I like to watch videos with their highest quality, but my browser struggles with frame drops beyond 30 frames per second. Can I set up the extension to use an HD quality that maintains a 30-frame rate?

The options page includes a configuration to deactivate support for media formats that exceed a frame rate of 30. By default, this option remains inactive. In cases where your browser encounters difficulties with higher frame rates, you can uncheck this option. Doing so will compel the player to exclude those higher frame rate qualities. This adjustment involves the extension overwriting the "MediaSource.isTypeSupported" method, effectively discontinuing support for media formats with elevated frame rates.

What is the meaning of the "Only change the quality of the player once" setting?

This setting empowers the user to subsequently lower the player's quality. By default, the extension is designed to uphold a high-resolution quality even when there's a drop in resolution. This option is useful if a manual change of resolution is preferred. It grants you the ability to make a resolution adjustment while keeping the extension's behavior in line with your intentions.

What is the meaning of "Allow the player to increase the quality to a higher value" setting?

By default, the extension allows the player to select higher qualities. YouTube usually improves the resolution when the network speed is good enough. By having this option, there is no interruption in increasing the resolution. Though if it drops below HD, the extension forces it up.

What is the meaning of "Display video quality logs in the browser console" setting?

Use this option for debugging purposes. If enabled, the extension prints the current video quality and whether the quality change is necessary or not. These logs are displayed in the console tab of the current YouTube page. To access the logs, right-click on the page and select the console tab.