There are speed tests to compare bandwidths from ISP services, and then there’s the newly launched "Video Quality Report" from Google which subscribers and ISP providers can use to benchmark video streaming performance. It is only available in Canada for now, but expect it to be rolled out to the world gradually. The Google-powered yardstick uses YouTube HD playback to measure not only the speed of video delivery but also its quality.

Google has servers around the world, and it usually picks the shortest route to deliver the YouTube video to a screen. The ISPs own network capacity is one of the main factors that determines playback quality. Google will use this data to rate and rank ISPs against each other for a given location. Any provider able to load 90% of a 720p video will qualify for a "YouTube HD Verified" badge. Anyone who performs the test also gets to see detailed information and graph showing the YouTube performance based on the time of the day. Read more about the methodology behind the report.

Google Video Quality Report

The report will serve as a useful index for both ISP companies and consumers alike – ISPs can use the Google badge for distinguishing their offer from their peers while consumers can quickly check which ISP to pay their subscription fees to. The huge sample size which Google can tap should help the completeness of the ratings.

Apparently, Google found Canadian ISPs to be the best performers and on a wider scale it could be declared the first "HD Verified Country". But what does such an initiative mean for the rest of the world, if and when the Google service goes around the world? Are you satisfied with your ISP’s YouTube HD streaming?

Source: 9To5 Google