It is essential to stop using Chrome.
Under the pretense of saving users from third-party spyware, Google is creating an ecosystem in which Chrome itself is the spyware.
Given Google's overwhelming presence in the browser market, this is unconscionable.
We should all despise the ad-tech business, and have no sympathy for the companies getting whacked by Google's actions. But we should not permit one monopolist to replace them all.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/year-review-googles-corporate-paternalism-browser
You can use a different frontend for YouTube. You’ve got Freetube for pc, Yattee for MacOS and iOS and piped on any platform. These solutions also protect your privacy and block ads.
I’m with you, and would prefer a browser based frontend for yt that doesn’t brick. I see no reason for standalone apps anymore whenever the data is exclusively online. On the other hand, I hate how webapp versions of Excel/Spreadsheets (for instance) are pushed for office software, where the data has no need to live in the cloud. At home I stick with LibreOffice, as the only issue I’ve had with switching over to it was VBA scripts and macros I wrote over a decade ago not working - and those really needed to be updated anyway.
This one works most of the time for me: https://vid.puffyan.us/. It’s maybe down once per month for a few hours and I have to full refresh the page (STRG+F5) every now and then.
Yeah invidious (different instance) worked for me a couple weeks and then went down for days. I tried some other mirrors after that and they did not work.
If they were reliable, I could put up with the worse UX, but so far they haven’t been reliable for me
My problem with these is that the quality is always bad. Usually 720p max and only H.264 instead of VP9. YouTube quality is already bad enough as it is and nerfing it even more feels awful.
You can use a different frontend for YouTube. You’ve got Freetube for pc, Yattee for MacOS and iOS and piped on any platform. These solutions also protect your privacy and block ads.
If only they actually worked. Never understand how they get recommended constantly and yet repeatedly I try to use them and they don’t work.
I’m using Freetube on Windows, it works like a charm. Feel free to dm me if you need help.
Is that one a desktop app? I primarily use pop_OS and would prefer a web solution. I’ve tried piped, invidious, peertube, and libretube iirc
I’m with you, and would prefer a browser based frontend for yt that doesn’t brick. I see no reason for standalone apps anymore whenever the data is exclusively online. On the other hand, I hate how webapp versions of Excel/Spreadsheets (for instance) are pushed for office software, where the data has no need to live in the cloud. At home I stick with LibreOffice, as the only issue I’ve had with switching over to it was VBA scripts and macros I wrote over a decade ago not working - and those really needed to be updated anyway.
This one works most of the time for me: https://vid.puffyan.us/. It’s maybe down once per month for a few hours and I have to full refresh the page (STRG+F5) every now and then.
Yeah invidious (different instance) worked for me a couple weeks and then went down for days. I tried some other mirrors after that and they did not work.
If they were reliable, I could put up with the worse UX, but so far they haven’t been reliable for me
I also had issues with a other instances of Invidious but this one works well.
Thanks. I’ll give it a shot
My problem with these is that the quality is always bad. Usually 720p max and only H.264 instead of VP9. YouTube quality is already bad enough as it is and nerfing it even more feels awful.