2 weeks Ago By Waquar Haider
Instagram reduces the quality of videos that receive limited views, as stated by Instagram Head Adam Mosseri on Friday. This information was shared during an ask-me-anything (AMA) session conducted on Instagram Stories. According to Mosseri, this policy affects all video formats on the platform, including Stories, longer videos, and Reels.
Also Read: Enhance your gaming setup! Here are the best prices on top-tier PC hardware Instagram reveals it lowers quality of less popular videos https://t.co/S6TPEkrl88 — BBC News Technology (@BBCTech) October 28, 2024 The rationale behind this decision is to prioritize the encoding of videos that attract a significant number of viewers and generate high traffic. In a post on Threads, a user shared a video in which Mosseri addressed a query regarding why older Stories saved as Highlights degrade in quality compared to newer uploads.
He explained that the platform employs algorithms to automatically assess older Stories and Reels that do not garner substantial views, leading to a reduction in their quality. This measure is intended to conserve computational resources for videos that are popular among a larger audience. Consequently, this may account for the slightly grainy appearance of Highlights and Reels from smaller creators after a certain duration.
Mosseri emphasized that the quality reduction occurs once the interest in a recent upload diminishes, which could take anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Several users expressed apprehensions regarding this decision, particularly concerning the transparency surrounding it. Inquiries were made about the specifics, particularly whether a minimum number of views is necessary to uphold video quality.
Mosseri, replying to the Threads post, said, “It works at an aggregate level, not an individual viewer level. We bias to higher quality (more CPU-intensive encoding and more expensive storage for bigger files) for creators who drive more views. It's not a binary threshold, but rather a sliding scale.
” Instagram is downgrading video quality for clips that receive fewer views. Creators may notice a reduction in video quality for their less popular posts, potentially affecting engagement. pic.
twitter.com/QVtXRc0WYn — ATC Digital Academy (@AfricaTweetChat) October 28, 2024 When one user pointed out that this change could hinder smaller creators in their competition with larger ones, Mosseri clarified that analytics indicate users generally engage with videos based on content quality rather than video quality itself. He further asserted that any decline in video quality is not substantial enough to warrant concern among users.
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