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Google has teased a redesign of the YouTube experience for TVs
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The update is coming “this summer” and includes improved navigation
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Google also announced a Multiview upgrade for YouTube TV subscribers
Twenty years ago today, the first video was uploaded to YouTube (the thrilling
‘Me at the zoo’
). To celebrate that milestone, Google has announced that YouTube’s TV app experience is going to get a big upgrade soon. And as someone who watches a lot of big-screen YouTube, that’s something I’m very much looking forward to.
Google hasn’t revealed a lot about the “TV viewing upgrade” it has planned. It’s apparently coming “this summer” (which means sometime between June and September, if you’re in the southern hemisphere). But it has revealed a screenshot (below) of what it’ll look like, plus a few hints of what’s coming.
Apparently, we’re going to get “easier navigation” alongside some “quality tweaks” and an improved playback experience. There will also be “streamlined access to comments, channel info, and subscribing”. In other words, YouTube on your TV (not to be confused with YouTube TV) is going to become a lot more like the fully-featured browser experience.
Alongside the improved TV experience, YouTube TV subscribers will also gain the ability to build their own multiview experience. This four-way grid has traditionally been reserved for sports fans, but this is being opened up to non-sports content with a “small group of popular channels” in the “coming months”. So if you aren’t feeling quite distracted enough yet, this multiview update could be for you.
A minor yet significant revision
For years, I have been using YouTube on my TV, but it has consistently seemed somewhat inferior compared to the complete viewing experience. For instance, the Apple TV app introduced a comment feature fairly late—though this may seem like both good and bad news, I have always considered comments essential for engaging with the content from the channels I watch regularly.
The upcoming YouTube update for TV sets seems to prioritize aesthetics over features, yet it presents a much sleeker look aligned with its mobile app counterparts. A fresh addition includes a button to add videos directly to your playlist, along with what looks like an improved process for subscribing right from the videos themselves. Undoubtedly, this preview only scratches the surface of additional adjustments likely included in the release.
Naturally, YouTube is keeping many features exclusive to Premium subscribers as well. In their announcement marking their 20th anniversary, Google disclosed that an ‘accelerated playback at 4 times the normal speed’ feature will be available on smartphones for those with a Premium subscription (which comes at a cost of $13.99 / £11.99 / AU$14.99 monthly).
I am strongly considering upgrading to YouTube Premium (especially after reading my colleague David Nield’s article).
strong arguments in favor of doing so
), but I’m pleased to see YouTube is continuing to enhance the TV experience for those of us who aren’t Premium subscribers. Here’s hoping this occurs sooner rather than later within the summer season.
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