# Stop YouTube from reloading video

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-youtube-from-reloading-video/613385>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 20, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-youtube-from-reloading-video/613385 "2012-02-20T01:49:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-youtube-from-reloading-video/613385/1 "2012-02-20T01:49:18Z")

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Why does You Tube reload the video when I switch to full screen? For example, if I start a video, and pause it and let it download and watch part of it, if I switch to full screen, it discards what it has already downloaded, and starts loading from scratch. Or if I instead use \<ctl\> scroll-wheel to make the screen bigger, it will often reload the video.

I don’t have that fast of a connection, and I often need to let it buffer, so I absolutely _don’t want_ this behavior. How can I stop YouTube from doing this?

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**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-youtube-from-reloading-video/613385/2 "2012-02-20T01:50:55Z")

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It tends to switch to a higher resolution when you go to full screen, this requires the reload.

They will let you force a lower resolution if you wish.

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**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-youtube-from-reloading-video/613385/3 "2012-02-20T01:59:58Z")

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If the video is available in multiple qualities, when you blow up the video it switches to a higher quality.

For example, take [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03bkjcel14s). It is available in 240p, 360p, 480p, 720p, and 1080p.  
The default is “auto.” In “auto” mode it selects 360p for small screens and jumps up to 480p when you blow up the screen.

If you want to avoid this, manually select the quality you want. You select it by clicking on the little button that looks like a gear on the control bar. If you select a quality rather than letting it default to auto, it will not change when you blow up the screen.

ETA: Which is what rat avatar just said.

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**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-youtube-from-reloading-video/613385/4 "2012-02-20T02:33:50Z")

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> [@Alley\_Dweller](#):
>
> If you want to avoid this, manually select the quality you want. You select it by clicking on the little button that looks like a gear on the control bar. If you select a quality rather than letting it default to auto, it will not change when you blow up the screen.

Excellent info. Thanks, both.