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YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

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Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#281
post #192

Kinda off topic - I'm not a dev at all, I'm wondering how inefficient it would be for creators to self host their videos? How necessary are the youtube servers? Other than that I see that the algorithm has some value in showing you things you wouldn't otherwise...but I'm not sure that's actually wanted or needed. How impossible would it be to have an internet without centralized video hosting?

It is just not possible unless you have too few views (and that is ignoring all the tech know how required which is so so far beyond the average person). Look at this Vimeo example (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28547578)

Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#282

YouTube premium perfectly showcases why ads dominate the internet, because even when there is a paid option for a service much cheaper than any alternative, people do not want to pay (And I am not talking about too broke to pay cases). Serving an infinite video catalog is very expensive in terms of all resources (And yes Netflix is not comparable, unlike YouTube, Netflix can highly leverage cache boxes at ISPs). Vime…

> YouTube premium perfectly showcases why ads dominate the internet, because even when there is a paid option for a service much cheaper than any alternative, people do not want to pay There's also a factor of quality and trust. I don't trust YouTube Premium enough to even try it. This is mostly colored by their constant, invasive disruption of my YouTube experience (particularly apparent on mobile) with YT Premium a…

I watch so much YouTube on my TV that Premium just makes sense. I can't block ads on my TV. It's really worth it in that case. The experience of watching brain rotting ads is such an undesirable prospect I will gladly pay them to avoid it.

Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#283
post #148

YouTube premium perfectly showcases why ads dominate the internet, because even when there is a paid option for a service much cheaper than any alternative, people do not want to pay (And I am not talking about too broke to pay cases). Serving an infinite video catalog is very expensive in terms of all resources (And yes Netflix is not comparable, unlike YouTube, Netflix can highly leverage cache boxes at ISPs). Vime…

I have YT premium and it is easily the best money I spend most months. I'll just play devil's advocate. Maybe people are imagining a pay per view type of experience?

I also pay for YT Premium, but I have a gigantic complaint that it doesn't actually make YouTube completely ad-free. There are still the ads that the content produces insert themselves.

I'm not blaming the creators. I get it. They aren't making enough money from YouTube to avoid having to do their own promotions. But that means that YouTube is not giving me what I'm paying for. I'm paying for an ad-free experience and--because YouTube doesn't use my money to compensate creators well--I'm not getting and ad-free experience.

Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#285
post #4

On a related note as someone who uses YouTube constantly YouTube Premium is absolutely worth it.

HN/Reddit : For years, "I'm happy to pay for services that has no/few ads". Companies: Here's a ad-free version. Subscribe HN/Reddit: Why are you asking me to subscribe? I hate this

The rule of thumb according to youtubers is that 1000 video views is worth about $1 of ad share. Youtube's ad share is about 50%, so 1000 video views should be worth about $2 of ad money for Youtube. Youtube Premium costs $12 a month which is equivalent to 6000 video views per month or ~200 video views per day. If I'm on a very youtuby mood I'll maybe watch 10 videos in a day. So, best case scenario, paying for premium comes with a 20x markup.

So your conversation actually goes:

HN/Reddit: "I would love to just give you the money directly instead of watching ads in exchange for advertizers giving you money."

Companies: "Sure, here's the ad-free version. You have to pay 20 times as much as the advertizers do though."

HN/Reddit: "Wait, what? That's bullshit. Why?"

Companies: "Fuck you, that's why."

Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have no problem payin a company less terrible than youtube/google/alphabet et al, but I won't fund what they do.

But you have no problem at all using their services for free?

Why would I? I support all my favorite creators directly as youtube does not pay them enough to continue to produce great content. Most either do it for free or by patreon.

Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#287
post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have YT premium and it is easily the best money I spend most months. I'll just play devil's advocate. Maybe people are imagining a pay per view type of experience?

Yep, of all my subscriptions, YTP will be the last to go. The experience truly is a premium one, only marred by the inability to disable YouTube shorts. (I recently made near exactly the same comment in a recent, related story thread - but it's worth repeating).

Same here, live YouTube premium but hate shorts. I’ve even reached out to Google to have an option to disable (which I know won’t go anywhere but )

Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#289

YouTube premium perfectly showcases why ads dominate the internet, because even when there is a paid option for a service much cheaper than any alternative, people do not want to pay (And I am not talking about too broke to pay cases). Serving an infinite video catalog is very expensive in terms of all resources (And yes Netflix is not comparable, unlike YouTube, Netflix can highly leverage cache boxes at ISPs). Vime…

I would pay, but I refuse to pay for YouTube music. I used the much superior Google Play Music until they killed it, and I refused to eat the new dogfood.

Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#290

I'm pretty torn here. I don't believe I deserve access to free content, and there's _nothing_ wrong with any site blocking access if you don't want to see ads. I've done a lot of digital curtailing in my life, but Youtube has been hard to avoid. It's both good and bad, as they have some of the most amazing content in the whole world, but also some of the most addictive trash that I can't stop watching. Because the se…

consuming content for free where creators expect to get paid is polite way of stealing if you really think about it

I support my creators directly. Few if any make enough from youtube to produce videos. All are either sponsored or patreon supported.
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