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I totally forgot how terrible a non-ad-free YouTube experience is (beehaw.org)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by bermuda@beehaw.org to c/technology@beehaw.org

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So I've been using youtube ad blockers since pretty much when ad blocker extensions were first available. Lately though I've been getting hit more and more with these messages that YT was sending out every 5 or so videos telling me that adblockers aren't allowed. No problem, just gotta wait 5 seconds to x it out and then close my video. The straw that broke the camel's back though was when instead of a close-able pop-up, they just posted it in front of a video and wouldn't let me watch anything until I disabled my adblocker.

So I disabled it and... wow. It's just so, so, trash. 2 ads before a video plus midrolls and every video ever. I tried listening to a playlist of songs and was getting a midroll ad every single time. Imagine trying to just listen to music for 3 minutes and getting interrupted by a commercial for a chevy silverado! Half the ads were for youtube premium and they specifically mentioned that it would get rid of all the ads. It just felt so damn predatory. I couldn't enjoy anything that wasn't already demonetized.

And you know I'm fine with ads I guess. I could live with an ad before every video, but the fact that I was getting upwards of 5 ads in a 10 minute video was just plain absurd. I also hate that youtube got rid of the yellow markers to show you when an ad was coming up, so now it's just out of nowhere and always interrupts a key part of the video.

E: I've been on Firefox for over a year.

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[–] clorofolle@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago

I caught that deal some time ago where a subscription to CuriosityStream would also grant you a sub to Nebula. I love Nebula, in theory - I spend a lot of time listening to video essays, and I love the quantity and quality of creators there. But the android app has a lot of buffering for me, and up until the last time I'd used it, it wouldn't remember my watch history / where I left off, making it really burdensome to watch long essays there, so I always just opted for YT Revanced. Just now, I went to check, and the app seems to remember my progress in a video so...!! I guess I'll be giving it a second serious chance! :D

I tried watching some stuff on CuriosityStream, but I've gotten so used to YT-style essays and documentaries, that now anything that has costant background music and fast paced montages kinda bugs me out, lol. But if you like classic-style documentaries, there's a big catalogue, I'd recommend it! Overall, I think it depends on how much you pay a year - I think I pay around 15/20$/y and I think it's a steal, even though I enjoy but a fraction of what's being offered to me. If I used it more consistently, I'd be happy to pay double.