The issue I found is that there is good content that isn't traditional kids content. Engineering videos, how it works etc.
So I vibe coded my own solution over a couple weekends that runs on my LG TV.
Show HN: KidScreen, a finite YouTube shelf chosen by parents
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Re: Show HN: KidScreen, a finite YouTube shelf chosen by parents
#32I’d be in the market for this, but didn’t get enough info to sign up. My first questions were: - do I need a YouTube account? - do I need a premium YouTube account? - can I use it on my tv? - and more generally, how does it work? (Which should answer all above) Current solution is: download YouTube videos my son is interested in to Plex, watch them on the tv (or iPad) I also have YouTube premium, but barely use it.
KidScreen is a free web app: a parent creates a family, adds a child, and pastes the exact YouTube links they want on that child’s shelf. The child signs in once with separate child credentials. KidScreen does not require a YouTube or Premium account for ordinary public videos that allow embedding. A compatible TV browser may work, but KidScreen is not a native TV app and I have not tested every TV platform.
Re: Show HN: KidScreen, a finite YouTube shelf chosen by parents
#33I’d be in the market for this, but didn’t get enough info to sign up. My first questions were: - do I need a YouTube account? - do I need a premium YouTube account? - can I use it on my tv? - and more generally, how does it work? (Which should answer all above) Current solution is: download YouTube videos my son is interested in to Plex, watch them on the tv (or iPad) I also have YouTube premium, but barely use it.
Same for me. I also download videos and put them on a USB stick plugged into the TV.
KidScreen is not an offline or download solution like USB or Plex; it streams public videos through the embedded YouTube player. Its narrower purpose is to make the parent’s approved list the child’s default shelf.
Re: Show HN: KidScreen, a finite YouTube shelf chosen by parents
#34YouTube Kids in theory solves all my problems, the issue is that it's garbage software where the most important features are broken. For example I recently went on a long trip and grabbed the kids tablet. Only to discover after leaving the house, that all the previously downloaded videos were gone, and all the new ones that the app had chosen from among my whitelisted channels had "failed to download", despite having…
That is fair. KidScreen does not solve offline playback or broken YouTube downloads. It solves a narrower problem: the parent chooses exact videos and the child gets a small, finite shelf instead of search or an endless feed. The landing page should explain that scope and its limitations before asking anyone to sign up.
Re: Show HN: KidScreen, a finite YouTube shelf chosen by parents
#35YouTube Kids in theory solves all my problems, the issue is that it's garbage software where the most important features are broken. For example I recently went on a long trip and grabbed the kids tablet. Only to discover after leaving the house, that all the previously downloaded videos were gone, and all the new ones that the app had chosen from among my whitelisted channels had "failed to download", despite having…
The solution I came up with was yt-dlp. I tried Netflix as well, worked great on the flight, but as soon as we got to the destination and connected to WiFi "This content is not available in your location". That was with downloaded content. Restarting the app with WiFi off did not allow it to play ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
yt-dlp gives you much stronger offline control. KidScreen is streaming-only today and remains subject to YouTube availability, embedding, and regional restrictions. If reliable offline playback is essential, KidScreen is not a replacement for your setup.
Re: Show HN: KidScreen, a finite YouTube shelf chosen by parents
#36Hey i'd love to use it but may be add a little more description in the landing page to build confidencee before a parent can signup for the service! That has kept me away from signing up TBH. The premise of the product seems promising. I was thinking of building a whole device for parents to block content on the https traffic level
You are right. Being free does not remove the need for trust. I built KidScreen for my own family and released it for other parents, but the public page should clearly show how it works, who built it, what it stores, and where its limits are. Thank you for the direct feedback.
Re: Show HN: KidScreen, a finite YouTube shelf chosen by parents
#37Hey i'd love to use it but may be add a little more description in the landing page to build confidencee before a parent can signup for the service! That has kept me away from signing up TBH. The premise of the product seems promising. I was thinking of building a whole device for parents to block content on the https traffic level
On the webpage - "Learn more in your parent account: About." So I click About and it asks me to login or create an account. Instant nope from me.
That is a good catch. I assumed a free sign-up would feel like low friction, but putting the explanation behind an account hides the information people need before they can trust the product. I should make that explanation public. Thanks for pointing it out.
Re: Show HN: KidScreen, a finite YouTube shelf chosen by parents
#38The issue I found is that there is good content that isn't traditional kids content. Engineering videos, how it works etc. So I vibe coded my own solution over a couple weekends that runs on my LG TV.
Exactly. A parent can add any public, embeddable YouTube video they consider appropriate — it does not have to be labelled as children’s content. Engineering videos, documentaries, and “how it works” videos fit the model well. KidScreen does not classify the content; the parent makes that decision.
Re: Show HN: KidScreen, a finite YouTube shelf chosen by parents
#39Agree with other commenters this needs a better landing page with some screens or a video demo. Especially for a product where building trust with your family would be a necessity.
Agreed. Trust should not depend on registering first. Screenshots, a short demo, a clear explanation of the flow, and the YouTube limitations belong on the public page. “Free” and “simple” are not enough on their own.
Re: Show HN: KidScreen, a finite YouTube shelf chosen by parents
#40Looks interesting but I would want some public information about how it works and who is doing it, etc... The complete lack of any available details must be stopping many potential users.
You are right. A family product should explain who built it, how child access works, what data it stores, and what the embedded YouTube player can still show. I am an independent parent building this for my own family first, and the current public page is too sparse.