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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

#471

Post by jamilton »

robertoandred wrote: post #396
Nextgrid wrote: post #82

Invidious is a third-party frontend (you can self-host) that solves this problem: https://github.com/iv-org/invidious As a bonus, it is super fast because it doesn't have to justify the salaries of dozens (hundreds?) of frontend developers and can get away with server-side-rendered HTML and minimal amounts of Javascript.

Seems pretty slow actually. Also the search is poor, the player is buggy, and some videos wouldn’t play at all because of format issues.

Seemed fast enough to me, from the one instance I tried (inv.riverside.rocks).

Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#472

Post by jacooper »

climb_stealth wrote: post #221

It's incredible how many people go "I was almost ready to give them money" whilst using Youtube all the time with an ad blocker. I know it, I was one of them for years. Just buy the subscription. You get the free trial for a month. Nothing changes, the money is not missed, but you actually pay for something you use a lot. The biggest benefit is not being subjected to ads anymore just by being next to family members w…

I will, if they will stop tracking my every move.

But they won't, and I won't stop blocking their trackers either.

I shouldn't be stalked 24/7 to sell ads.

Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#474

Post by hn_version_0023 »

ehsankia wrote: post #302
miah_ wrote: post #279

My big problem with paying for Youtube is I have a workspace account for my personal domain. None of their services inter-operate with workspace services. For example, our Google Home. My wife cannot register her voice with the system because she has a 'google account' not an account on my workspace. Because of this, our Home will regularly deny her the ability to listen to "age restricted" podcasts about cooking (th…

Gsuite for personal use is and has always been very very half baked. To answer your question. I pay for it too but I also ask myself the same question as to why I don't just move my domain to a simpler service that'll host an email. But yes, the solution is definitely having a separate private gmail for those services.

Happy to plug Fastmail as a happy customer!

Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#475

Post by zippergz »

kerkeslager wrote: post #435
crop_rotation wrote: post #126

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've said it before and I've said it again: ad-based content and pay content are incompatible business models. YouTube Premium fails because the content isn't worth paying for. The content is not worth paying for because it's been designed from the ground up to sell ads . When a website designed to sell ads fails to sell content, that's not evidence that selling content doesn't work, it's evidence that selling conten…

YouTube is the most valuable and worth paying for video content I watch. And I subscribe to several streaming services in addition to YouTube premium. YT is the last one I’d give up. Not kidding.

Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#476

Post by jamilton »

Gigachad wrote: post #307
Thorentis wrote: post #276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? Does Google need to be making a higher profit than it already does? Does YouTube deserve the extra money? For what reason should we pay?

Why does it need to be justified? It’s their product and they are entitled to block ad blockers. Either watch ads, buy the subscription, or stop using YouTube.

They're allowed to block ad blockers and people are allowed to circumvent those blocks.

Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#477

Post by reaperman »

miah_ wrote: post #269
reaperman wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does YouTube get any money from this for their infrastructure costs?

Their CEO just got hundreds of millions of dollars as a bonus. I don't think their infrastructure costs are that big of a worry for them.

Probably not but looks like this Invidious "doesn't scale".

Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#478

Post by denkmoon »

kerkeslager wrote: post #435
crop_rotation wrote: post #126

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've said it before and I've said it again: ad-based content and pay content are incompatible business models. YouTube Premium fails because the content isn't worth paying for. The content is not worth paying for because it's been designed from the ground up to sell ads . When a website designed to sell ads fails to sell content, that's not evidence that selling content doesn't work, it's evidence that selling conten…

YT premium is my only paid streaming and I'd simply stop watching youtube over going back to ads. I watch 2-3hrs of youtube a day and I'm glad that creators feel that YT premium revenue is a good source of revenue for them. Not their biggest, but a reasonable chunk.

Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#479

Post by WheatMillington »

kerkeslager wrote: post #435
crop_rotation wrote: post #126

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've said it before and I've said it again: ad-based content and pay content are incompatible business models. YouTube Premium fails because the content isn't worth paying for. The content is not worth paying for because it's been designed from the ground up to sell ads . When a website designed to sell ads fails to sell content, that's not evidence that selling content doesn't work, it's evidence that selling conten…

>YouTube Premium fails because the content isn't worth paying for.

I beg to differ. As a hobbyist type, and also someone interested in semi trashy niche content (true crime), having access to a virtually unlimited catalogue of fresh content, a lot of it exceptionally good quality, makes it absolutely worth the money.

If I could have any one subscription, it would be YouTube 10 times out of 10. And as someone who abhors advertising, I'm happy to pay.

Re: YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers

#480

Post by guitarbill »

Fogest wrote: post #457
crop_rotation wrote: post #126

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…

Part of the problem for me is that sponsor spots in videos are so common now that I feel forced to run SponsorBlock. If I'm already having to run one extension just to enjoy the experience, then I may as well also use Adblock and not even bother with Premium. But since premium doesn't give that full ad-free experience (referring to sponsors), I just don't see as much benefit. The amount of my life I save by using adb…

I hate ads, but I'm largely ok with sponsor reads. They are by far the least evil and least annoying.

They are not targeted (everybody watching the video sees the same ad... for now). They don't invade my privacy. They are usually fairly short. They're usually somewhat relevant to the creator, and therefore my interests. Of course, it depends on the creator. Some have more integrity, others less.

If between Youtube Premium, Patreon, and sponsored segments or episodes creators can make a living, that sounds great to me. Better than TV, radio, or the increasingly expensive and ad-ified streaming services. I'll take it.

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