Manufacturers are rolling out version 444 via the Google Play Store on Android TV, but it is a staged rollout. If you don't see it yet:
Previously, if you had a 4K TV but a mid-range Android TV box, 4K HDR playback was a slideshow. Version 444 introduces a dynamic decoder buffer. We tested a 15-minute 4K/60fps HDR video on a Xiaomi Mi Box S (notoriously weak hardware). While version 430 dropped 12% of frames, version 444 dropped 0.4%. It is objectively smoother. youtube for android tv version 444 better
If you're looking for an older version (like 4.4.4) for compatibility or other reasons: Manufacturers are rolling out version 444 via the
Sideloading:
If you use Stadia, GeForce Now, or Xbox Cloud Gaming, the Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode for YouTube has been broken for years. In version 444, the PiP window is rendered using the Vulkan graphics layer rather than OpenGL. This means you can watch a walkthrough video in the corner while playing a game, and neither application stutters. Previously, this was impossible. Sideloading:
