Use freetube, a desktop frontend to invidious that you can import your sub list
Never look back
If you’re on desktop, download FreeTube. No more ads, ever. No more jittery youtube videos even though you have 300mbs down, you can download any video in app at max speeds, and its not algorithm fed. I imported my subscriptions, and now if I want to see something new I can use the not broken search function. Its like early early youtube and its wonderful!
Freetube is great but it’s also a source of endless frustration. Like if you walk away from your computer the stream times out and it won’t resume. Then it says “reload” and they never implemented a reload button so you have to navigate to something else. Except their navigation doesn’t work quite right so sometimes if you click too fast it stays on the new page after you try to go back to the one you wanted to reload. Rawr. (GitHub issues 1005, 1425, 1500, 1958, 4062, 4409, 5019, 5152, 6136, 6201)
I use youtube-local which is great, but it’s more susceptible to breakage which is why I’m currently back on freetube and very very very frustrated.
In Freetube, reload is ctrl-R on Linux and Windows, and cmd-R on Mac. I have experienced the fact that if you leave a video paused for a long time (hours) then you need to refresh. If you have history active, after refreshing the video will resume from where you left, which by the way is better then actual YouTube where it will often resume from an earlier timestamp. I have not experienced the other issues you mentioned.
Yeah I learned that when I looked up the issue number, very disappointed that it’s Ctrl+R instead of the canonical reload button for the last 30 years (F5). :(
Since you knew Ctrl+r you wouldn’t experience those issues. That’s a side effect of “reload” without a reload button.
Control r is standard reload for web browsers and other stuff too
But since F5 is and has been for 30 years the universal refresh button I never needed to learn that some software uses a different, undiscoverable key combination.
There’s no reload button directly in the UI, but if you press alt and then go to View > Reload or View > Force Reload. It’s not ideal, but it does work.
Edit: Didn’t finish reading your comment, I’ve never experienced any of those issues, especially with navigation.
With the recent major update, Freetube implemented a new player which I like much better than the old one. With the new player, all keyboard shortcuts work well, that’s great for me because my Home Theatre PC is controlled by a wireless keyboard+touchpad.
I still use yt-dlp to download because I don’t understand Freetube’s options. It’s either only audio or video
Also if you’re on Linux and you get a white screen during playback (has been an issue since 0.22) this fix works for me:
freetube --enable-features=''edit: posting a vertical pic messes up the webpage a bit. If it’s annoying tell me
That’s a side effect of YouTube messing with the streams to try to break downloaders. Obvs a dedicated downloader like ytdlp handles YouTube jerking the chain around better than a tool intended for viewing.
My understanding is you’re pretty much only gonna get those broken up streams especially for piratey content like music videos and tv shows. Ytdlp will join with ffmpeg.
Seconded. Tis a beautiful experience. And if you are currently using FreeTube, please throw a donation their way. They are putting a lot of work in to this app.
Thank you so much. Youtube hasn’t been playing videos past the 1:00 mark and idk why.
It’s a bit of a faff, but I use FreeTube to grab the URLs which I then drop into a yt-dlp command that I use to download my subscriptions to watch on Plex on my Apple TV. Works a treat, though I wish I could get Plex to display them properly.
Why not just use tubesync? There’s another one like youtube archivist or something as well. If you already have a Plex server you probably have the skills to set it up.
https://github.com/meeb/tubesync
Here’s the other that I’m aware of https://github.com/tubearchivist/tubearchivist
I found tubesync kinda needs to be run on vpn if you don’t want YouTube to ban you during the initial sync, I assume the same is true for archivist. Works fine after that first sync tho (I’m actually using as an archive since people tend to take their stuff down once they change hobbies for some reason, so I literally was archiving whole channels).
Yeah, I’m aware of both of them but have spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to figure out how to get them to work. I’m fairly new to Linux, and the instructions for both seem to assume a certain amount of expertise.
Oh, and as I type this I’ve remembered that I did manage to get one of them to work, but something to do with the way it downloads the videos means that you need to install a Plex plugin of some description because Plex won’t recognise the metadata or some shit.
So for the time being I’m happy enough to fanny about with my manual method. Between my wife and I it takes up about ten minutes every couple of days, and that’s ok.
Yeah if small quantity it’s not too bad to do your way. I use jellyfin so everything shows up ok for me, although it’s weird to see the “wrong” thumbnails.
For me I’ve got everything as a docker setup using https://docs.linuxserver.io/ They don’t have a tubesync one but I found they have good instructions for setting it up and that’s how I learned enough to do so on my own with tubesync. But there is def a curve there.
My perfect ideal would be freetube as a web server just for browsing where I could hit the dl button and fire off a download command to my server, then it shows up in jellyfin or Plex. I… Haven’t found a way to do this seamlessly yet, but I’m always on the lookout
I saw it and refreshed the ublock filters and everything works again
ad blocker detector blocker in filter list go brrr
aggressively refreshes ublock patch list
If a million porn sites can make streaming video work, then YouTube is replaceable.
rumble, banned.video - it’s just people don’t upload stuff there
Rumble are also host to truth social and the worst of humanity.
YouTube is not replaceable because it’s the only reliable way for VOD creators to monetize their content effectively without a paywall. No other VOD platform comes close.
If creators can’t monetize their content effectively, they’re not going to upload to that platform.
Good joke, YouTube.
Ah yes, but what about the violation to our time where we’ve had to sit through 30 second ~ 2 minute ads of over-dramatized ways for shitty companies to get us to buy shit we don’t want and subscribe to services we don’t need? What about those violations and those violations happen more frequently than us blocking your ads? The hell with you.
I’m just so tired of ads nowadays, ads for cars i can’t afford, ads for crap i’m never going to buy, ads for the supermarket i’m going to no matter if they have some discount…it’s all useless and a waste of my time and invasion on my peace.
I bought the devices, i pay for the internet connection and i pay the rent on this house, i decide what makes it inside my house.
I don’t need this funny clip my supermarket made to market overpriced holiday food 46 times a day that lasts 60 seconds and is only funny the first time i see it. I’m not going to buy a tiny christmas cake that barely feeds a child for €15, realistically it’s value to me is €1,50 compared to my wage and amount of food i get in return. I’m buying store brand m&m’s and a loaf of bread like i do all year.
If you can’t keep existing without shoveling truckloads of ads into my face, then go bankrupt…i don’t give a damn. You’re not worth €16 a month to me either or whatever the price is nowadays. Just fuck off i’ll get my entertainment elsewhere, heck i might dust off that ps4 and buy used dvd’s for 25 cents a piece.
Yeah and a couple of things:
Malware has directly passed through as networks multiple times and neither the server of ads nor the ad network were able to be held responsible for it.
Right now it is common for ads to show apps that look like something popular but deploy malware. Nobody is taking responsibility for any of it. Ad networks aren’t well policed.
It is irresponsible for a user not to block ads IMO but I also get to decide what packets of data traverse my network just like any other person or company. As a consumer I do not have to be responsible or care if a business model succeeds or not.
The ads on ESPN are the worst. 30 second ad to see a 20 second clip. Disrespectful.
Are you ready for some Ad revenue!!!
Nobody forces you to watch YouTube.
No they’re just forcing him to watch ads
Yeah, of course. They clearly force him to type “YouTube.com” in his browser and to press enter afterwards.
He’s not forced to go to YouTube.com, he wants to watch YouTube videos. He’s forced to watch ads on those videos.
Well, sometimes you have to make choices: videos+ ads or nothing. Vote with your wallet, if you are to do so.
Yeah no, neither of those. I think they’ll continue watching YouTube videos without the ads
That’s fine, if they’re able to do so. That’s why I wrote “sometimes”. I frankly fail to understand people’s addiction to YT. What’s more, Id really like all those crap YT, Twitch and the likes to disappear for good and go back to “written” internet. In this shitty era, a lot of useful info is actually buried in a crap load of self promotion and blabbering on those platforms (which I refuse to use).
Psssst don’t anger the anti-corpo-crew.
Who cares. These of people are YouTube addicts. Just stop using it, if you find it so unbearable.
No, I’m just going to adblock harder.
Good for you if it works.
Oh I totally agree with you, I was just making fun of the downvotes coming from hypocrites who don’t want to abandon their favorite megacorp but instead cry a river about ads.
Now I hate ads like the next guy, but either I find a way to block them, or I move on.
Same here. These people are literally unable to vote with their wallet, not even metaphorically.
Well, then don’t go on YouTube, or use peer tube. You are trading 30 seconds of your time for:
- creators making the thing you so desperately want to watch
- disk space to store it
- bandwidth to send it around the world
- compute to transcode it and process it
- real estate and security for the premises
- power for the datacenter
- ac to cool the servers
- wages of workers to maintain that whole infrastructure
- wages of devs for the app
- yes, profits for the company
Of course, you can decide to not pay and steal it instead, just don’t act like you are morally entitled to do it.
I would agree back in like 2010 but YouTube ads got so cancerous over the years that I won’t give them money (Premium) out of principle until literally nothing works anymore.
use PeerTube
lmao
You’re welcome then (since my fees subsidize your watching).
I am grateful mylord
Rejoice!
blocking ads is not stealing
Is using up resources without paying for it. It’s stealing by any definition.
who do you pay for all the oxygen you use up?
Oxygen is not produced by workers. Electricity, bandwidth, storage, security, software, video content are all produced by workers.
For a commie you are quite unaware of the means of production…
seems like you aren’t aware of communist opposition to private property.
Wages have nothing to do with property.
watching ads doesn’t transfer money to YouTube. not stealing.
Watching ads absolutely does transfer money to YouTube, how do you think Google exists??
It’s astonishing how naive (or obtuse) people can be.
advertisers pay google. I don’t pay google by watching ads.
Advertisers pay Google when your watch ads. Goole pays the creators (and utilities, and rent, and employees, and…). By not watching ads, all those people are not getting paid, hence you are stealing.
Removed by mod
Am I on Reddit again?
Nah, I’d rather watch YouTube. Ad free, too.
So sad YouTube died, it was such a useful service.
Use Firefox
I am already doing that, but YouTube doesn’t like uBlock Origin. The browser is not the problem.
To be clear, uBlock Origin isn’t the problem, either.
YouTube is.
On ublock origin, go to settings > filters and disable the one that says “Quick fixes”. It will work again.
I just checked github and this is already resolved, just refresh filters
Fine work as always from ublock
No issues for me using Firefox and unlock
It’s been fine for me.
What it doesn’t like is my VPN, even when it’s not using it for the browser connection (split tunneling). For some reason many sites crap out when I have that on and become unreliable.
I had the same issue until I realized I had Ghostery and privacybadger also enabled. Disabling them on YT but keeping ublock origin worked
If you digged all the crap out sure
From the uBO subreddit: https://old.reddit.com/r/uBlockOrigin/comments/1etvawp/youtube_ads_detection_breakages_2024_08_16_ubo/m31kbkw/
There was just an update to Quick fixes. Please test if it works for you.
- Click Here to update the list.
- If you disabled the list previously, enable it back.
- Close all previously opened YT tabs and try in a new one.
Just a reminder: Please always treat disabling lists as a last resort/temporary solution type of thing. Without that list, you won’t be receiving important filter updates and will likely encounter ads after a while. So don’t keep it disabled forever - verify that it’s still necessary (daily?).
Grayjay by futo just released a desktop app.
I use Firefox on Linux Mint, none of this happens and if it does you fix it by copy pasting a code on the settings of ublock
What code? I am on Fedora+Forefox and it does happen all tge time :-/
Search for it, is a code you paste on the my filters tab of Ublock add on in Firefox
I blocked the popup…
Did that work? I thought that would replace the video and didn’t bother trying.
It hasn’t caused me any issues
Fun fact, it seems this ban is IP based. (they’re still testing in waves with a subset of overall users)
I switched to a new IP with my VPN, and while still signed in to the same YouTube account on the same video without ever clearing my cache or cookies, the block disappeared.
Genius work from the developers over at YouTube.
I think that’s probably because ublock fixed the filters while u were doing this.
It was early yesterday, before filters had been updated, 30 seconds after a full purge and re-selecting of all relevant filter lists, done within the span of 2 minutes, so I doubt it was those.
If the garbage takes itself out, I won’t complain. YT doesn’t see how the cable companies dying is the exact same future it is racing to emulate.
Eat shit, Youtube!
I’ve landed on that page a couple of times. I’m just waiting to be blocked.
I almost never watch videos on youtube because I download them and watch them locally. The two things that I use to download them are Downie (Mac) and yt-download (cross platform). This helps me avoid ads unless they are baked into the video. I also like to grab a bunch of content all at once and then watch at my leisure.
If you use yt-dlp you can save your subscriptions in a text file and download all their latest vids on a schedule.
Easy enough ChatGPT can write you this script and you may also find examples online.
If not directly useful for you, i am also putting this down for others. Do not let a monopoly dictate what is “the normal way” to do things.
What a great idea! I love Bash scripting, so I’ll look into doing this myself for fun tomorrow.
I also like to grab a bunch of content all at once and then watch at my leisure.
If you’re tech-inclined you might like pinchflat or Tube Archivist, which can archive channels/playlists in the background with video metadata automatically, which you can then use with JellyFin.
Need to be comfortable with /c/selfhosted@lemmy.world type setups, however.
I’d vote for Pinchflat. Tube Archivist is good software but very heavy.
I run a Plex server for my movie and television library. I just watch YT videos once and delete them, mostly in the background while I do other things. But I’ll look into both tools regardless because automation is always interesting to me. Thanks for the tips!
TubeArchivist is kind of an all-in-one software for you to watch YouTube videos in so its own web interface and is pretty heavy. But PinchFlat is very lightweight and is actually designed to be used with your Plex server being the medium you watch your videos on. So I’d recommend starting with the latter, as it’s kinda built for your exact use case.
This is an interesting way to watch YouTube, and I have some questions about your system around watching the videos.
- How do you plan out downloading and watching the videos? Do you download at the time of watching, or do you just download as many videos you like when you get the chance?
- What do you do with the videos after watching?
I download when I have free time to fill / kill. I watch one genre of videos and periodically check on a number of channels that have that content. I watch each video working down the list deleting them as I consume them. In the rare case that I want to save something, I toss it in an unmanaged directory of internet content.
My Plex library is where managed content lives. Stuff from the internet doesn’t deserve that level of care (in my system of data management).
Thank you for sharing your workflow.
