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YouTube currently testing 5 to 10 unskippable ads before video starts

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Re: YouTube currently testing 5 to 10 unskippable ads before video starts

#41

I wonder if they time limit unskippable ads. I've seen some stupidly long ones, where it seems like someone has just made their hour+ long podcast recording into an ad or something.

supposedly the entire LEGO Movie was used as a YouTube ad for its sequel...

Re: YouTube currently testing 5 to 10 unskippable ads before video starts

#42
post #17

Firefox + uBlock Origin = no ads. Also on mobile :)

Also on Android*, unfortunately. If you want adblocking youtube on iOS I recommend using Safari with the vinegar (paid) extension. (And wipr for general adblocking) ETA: If I remember correctly, Brave Browser also has ad blocking built in. For youtube as well.

A free alternative is Firefox Focus browser which adblocks by default. Problem is it nukes each session after you close it, so not very persistent

Re: YouTube currently testing 5 to 10 unskippable ads before video starts

#43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or just pay for YouTube Premium. I'd say it's worth it given how much value I get out of it. Take away Youtube, sure I'm sure there would be good alternatives eventually (with the same ads anyway), but it would leave quite a large hole in my life.

I already pay with my data. Why would I also pay them money?

If you are running an adblocker they are almost certainly losing money on you. I also AdBlock but I don't pretend it's profitable for them.

Re: YouTube currently testing 5 to 10 unskippable ads before video starts

#44

> "Imagine wanting to watch a video on how to help one of your loved ones who is choking and you get 10 unskippable ads before you can watch the video." Someone pop this in a time capsule and label it "peak twitter, early 21st century"

Huh? Who thinks of youtube in an emergency? How about 911?

Serious question, should I call 911 if someone is chocking and I don’t know what to do? Would the operator instruct me what to do over the phone?

Re: YouTube currently testing 5 to 10 unskippable ads before video starts

#45

Folks, just pay for YouTube Premium. In my family, between my kids and myself we watch more YouTube than Netflix/Disney+/Hulu combined so the YouTube family plan is the best value going.

> just pay for YouTube Premium This would imply signing-in. I don't sign in and reset the cookies regularly because I don't want my history tracked and suggestions personalized. But Okay, I would sign-in and pay, if every video page had a download button and the whole thing would give me an API exposing all the features reliably (so I could use it easily in 3-rd party players with search and suggestions).

> I don't want my history tracked and suggestions personalized.

I am genuinely curious, how do you find videos worth your time without recommendations? 99.9% of what’s on YouTube I have zero interest in, the recommendation engine is how I cull the noise and actually find things to watch.

Re: YouTube currently testing 5 to 10 unskippable ads before video starts

#46
post #38

> "Imagine wanting to watch a video on how to help one of your loved ones who is choking and you get 10 unskippable ads before you can watch the video." Someone pop this in a time capsule and label it "peak twitter, early 21st century"

Those videos are typically not monetized, the poster is just being sensationalist.

There are no "not monetized" videos anymore, YouTube is now putting ads even on videos for which the uploader gets no money.

Re: YouTube currently testing 5 to 10 unskippable ads before video starts

#47

Firefox + uBlock Origin = no ads. Also on mobile :)

Invidious [1] running on your own - or someone else's - server, no ads. Everywhere. You can also 'subscribe' to channels without telling Alphabet about your preferences and without giving them the possibility to 'accidentally' unsubscribe you which seems to be prevalent among some channels [2]. The interface is far lighter than the Youtube uses which makes it possible to watch videos on hardware which chokes out on the rich bouquet of Javascript found in the latter.

While you're at it you may as well add Nitter [3] to make (a read-only version but who wants to write on) Twitter more palatable and, again, light enough to not choke out less endowed hardware. For Reddit there is libreddit [4], again read-only.

These three are written in newish trendy languages and as such can also be used to evaluate their pro's and con's. Invidious is written in Crystal ("compiled Ruby", sort-of), Nitter in Nim (Python-like syntax, compiles/transpiles to C/C++/Javascript), libreddit in Rust (no introduction needed...).

[1] https://github.com/iv-org/invidious

[2] Since I do not have a Youtube/Google/Alphabet account and as such never tried to subscribe to anything I can't prove the veracity of this practice but I keep on hearing people complaining about their subscriptions disappearing

[3] https://github.com/zedeus/nitter

[4] https://github.com/spikecodes/libreddit

Re: YouTube currently testing 5 to 10 unskippable ads before video starts

#48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or just pay for YouTube Premium. I'd say it's worth it given how much value I get out of it. Take away Youtube, sure I'm sure there would be good alternatives eventually (with the same ads anyway), but it would leave quite a large hole in my life.

I already pay with my data. Why would I also pay them money?

I pay for my car. Why would I pay the supermarket for the groceries it will transport?

Re: YouTube currently testing 5 to 10 unskippable ads before video starts

#49
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Huh? Who thinks of youtube in an emergency? How about 911?

Serious question, should I call 911 if someone is chocking and I don’t know what to do? Would the operator instruct me what to do over the phone?

If 911 works with ambulances, yes.

Re: YouTube currently testing 5 to 10 unskippable ads before video starts

#50
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> just pay for YouTube Premium This would imply signing-in. I don't sign in and reset the cookies regularly because I don't want my history tracked and suggestions personalized. But Okay, I would sign-in and pay, if every video page had a download button and the whole thing would give me an API exposing all the features reliably (so I could use it easily in 3-rd party players with search and suggestions).

> I don't want my history tracked and suggestions personalized. I am genuinely curious, how do you find videos worth your time without recommendations? 99.9% of what’s on YouTube I have zero interest in, the recommendation engine is how I cull the noise and actually find things to watch.

(I've got a youtube account, but have all history and tracking disabled, and although youtube obviously still tracks me, I never use autoplay or any recommendations)

The same way as one did in the past: 1) search for something interesting, 2) look at the videos, 3) if you like a creator, subscribe to the RSS feed for their channel

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