# The youtube app



## WorldBandRadio (Dec 20, 2010)

Well, when TiVo does something for the better, I have to call them out on it, just as I give them grief when they, ummm, screw up.

The TiVo youtube app for the Roamio is much better than it used to be.
In prior messages I noted vigorously that I was subjected to 2 or 3 minute ads before I was allowed to watch a 1 or 2 minute video. I noted to complete and utter stupidity of subjecting customers to such abuse.

Well, I recently looked at the TiVo youtube app again. Call me curious.

To my surprise, those obnoxious ads have not appeared in the videos that I have viewed over the past few days.

Are they gone? I don't know. All I can say is that they have not appeared in the small sample of videos that I've watched.

If this holds true, then I might just make the Roamio my go-to youtube client, ! and thank-you TiVo for coming to your senses !. If it's a quirk, well, I still have alternative youtube viewing options....


----------



## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

No the ads are not gone as that is how they make money and spread to the members. They seem to only show on the members with 10k+ subscribers.


----------



## WorldBandRadio (Dec 20, 2010)

ThAbtO said:


> No the ads are not gone as that is how they make money and spread to the members. They seem to only show on the members with 10k+ subscribers.


Hmmm...

Something seems different. I don't see the ads on videos on which I had previously seen the ads.

Regardless, if the ads start re-appearing, I'll be moving to another youtube client. Because, and let's be honest here, the TiVo youtube client is pretty weak. In my view, the lack of ads is the only thing it has going for it at this point....


----------



## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

All youtube apps will be the same, whether on PC or phone.
If you don't want the ads at all, subscribe to YouTube Red, think its $10 a month.


----------



## ClearToLand (Jul 10, 2001)

WorldBandRadio said:


> Well, *when TiVo does something for the better, I have to call them out on it*, just as I give them grief when they, ummm, screw up.
> 
> *The TiVo youtube app for the Roamio is much better than it used to be...*


Although I started out with a Phillips 14-hour TiVo Series1 (~2000), in ~2005 I defected to ReplayTV when RadioShack was selling ReplayTV 5040s w/Lifetime for $150. While I had already upgraded my *20GB monthly Series1 to DUAL 80GB HDDs and Lifetime for $$$*, I was still working on ethernet connectivity; ReplayTV, with 100Mbps ethernet *AND* IVS solved everything so...

Moving forward to fall 2015, IIRC, TiVo put the 'Refurb Roamio Basic w/ Lifetime' on sale for $299. SInce the advent of ATSC (~2009?), using the NTSC-equipped ReplayTV became more-and-more of a PITA. Then, when DLNA (or letters to that effect) finally went under and the Guide Data stopped, well... TiVo here I come! 

Where am I heading?  Just background - in the fall of 2016, I got the '_urge_' (and Amazon had the SALEs  ) to *FINALLY* purchase a few tablets. I bought:

Lenovo TAB 2 A10-70F for myself (*BEAUTIFUL* display! :handok
Amazon Fire HD 8 (in magenta / pink) for my wife (her *FIRST* encounter with a computer of *ANY* kind - and we're Senior Citizens!  )
Amazon Fire 7 for myself (to 'experiment' with)
Why am I talking about tablets on a TiVo forum?  One word...
*CASTING*​I've read about 'ChromeCast' (or something named similarly) but until I owned a tablet, I never paid it much attention.

Now, I can be '_surfing the interwebs_' (anyone else watch Fast N' Loud w/ Richard Rawlings?) with one of my tablets and, lo-and-behold, I find a LINK to an interesting YouTube video. Instead of straining my Baby Boomer eyes (or holding up a tablet for xx minutes), I turn on my HDTV and *CAST* that YouTube video to my Roamio (park my behind on the couch and relax).

*THIS* is a nice feature...


----------



## WorldBandRadio (Dec 20, 2010)

ThAbtO said:


> All youtube apps will be the same, whether on PC or phone.


I'm sure that's what you think.

However, from what I've seen, the youtube app experience varies quite a bit among devices.

Indeed, back when I saw ads in the TiVo youtube app, I started watching youtube on my LG bluray player. At that time, instead of having to sit through a non-skippable 2 minute ad on the TiVo, I was able to immediately watch the short video on the bluray player.

Another nice feature of the LG youtube app that was not in the TiVo youtube app is the ability to pair a notebook or smartphone with the app. So I could use the keyboard on the notebook to control the youtube app running on the bluray player. I'll have to check to see if the new TiVo youtube app supports that feature now.


----------



## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

Check the Youtube host from which you were watching and see how many subscribers that subscribe. You would only get ads if the host has over 10k subscribers. 

Before the 10k rule, there would be ads on any video you watch. 
I have seen ads that were close to and over 30 min., but its skippable. There are also ads that are not skippable and those are rather short, perhaps 2 mins at the most.


----------



## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

ThAbtO said:


> You would only get ads if the host has over 10k subscribers.


LOL, that says something about the (non-mainstream) video I watch on Youtube and why I haven't seen an ad in months.


----------



## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

Actually if you watch YouTube on a PC with Chrome and install an add blocker you pretty much have almost all the adds removed. Kind of funny


----------



## WorldBandRadio (Dec 20, 2010)

ThAbtO said:


> Check the Youtube host from which you were watching and see how many subscribers that subscribe. You would only get ads if the host has over 10k subscribers....


I'm sorry, but based upon what I've seen, you must live in a different youtube world than I.

I've watched enough youtube videos to come to the conclusion that I see ads when i watch them on Tivo, and I do not see ads when I watch them on my LG bluray player.

It is as simple as that.

The same videos on both devices. Tivo shows me the ads, LG bluray player does not. My Android tablet does not show the ads. My PC web browser does not show the ads.

And, while I didn't quote it, you mentioned being able to skip the ads, I've not seen that button work for me. It is like TiVo is pouring salt into the wound --- press -> to skip the ad. Only that button does not skip the ad for me.

TiVo is trying to monetize me, plain and simple. Given TiVo's apparent current dire financial condition, it is not surprising that TiVo would give up its customers to anyone (e.g. youtube) who offers them $$$.


----------



## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

On Tivo, when there is the button on screen to "Skip ad", press select when highlighted.

For me, the ads show up on a channel with 9k subscribers (for example, JBG Travels), however, there were no ads when a 2k subscriber channel (for example, Hospital Construction). Its odd though and I thought/heard that it would be at least a 10k+ channel for the ads to show. 

If you Google "YouTube Ads", there is a boycott about it. But, I wouldn't know about it.


----------



## WorldBandRadio (Dec 20, 2010)

> On Tivo, when there is the button on screen to "Skip ad", press select when highlighted.

I've seen that.

I press the button.

The ad just continues to annoy me. It does not stop. I do not see the video I want to see.

The Skip Ad button DOES NOT WORK. I am using the remote that came with my TiVo. The skip ad button DOES NOT WORK.

I'm not sure how much more I can say to that point.

The ads suck. They lower my opinion of TiVo.

At this point, TiVo seems to be more concerned about selling my attention to advertisers than they are about making me a happy customer. Do you know what the longer-term result of that is?

I'll give you a hint --- whenever I talk of TiVo, I do not paint a happy picture.

TiVo is abusing me, and I object to that.


----------



## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

WorldBandRadio said:


> The same videos on both devices. Tivo shows me the ads, LG bluray player does not. My Android tablet does not show the ads. My PC web browser does not show the ads.


Do you have an example?

Scott


----------



## WorldBandRadio (Dec 20, 2010)

HerronScott said:


> Do you have an example?
> 
> Scott


No, I'm not watching youtube at the moment.

When I do watch youtube now, I don't do it on the TiVo, as I don't like the forced ads that the TiVo shows. So my days of comparison are behind me.

My other devices don't show the ads.


----------



## WorldBandRadio (Dec 20, 2010)

HerronScott said:


> Do you have an example?


OK, I had a chance to watch youtube on the TiVo, in addition to my bluray player.

Two videos:
- Kaleo - Way Down We Go
- Sandy Nelson - Let There Be Drums

Both the videos had ads before they played on the TiVo, and no ads when played on my bluray player.

For Sandy Nelson, the ad was particularly obnoxious, a loooonnngggg 2 minute ad for Microsoft Surface, that I had to sit through in order to see a two minute or so youtube video.

A few seconds into the ads, I usually see a note on the screen to press the -> button to skip the ad, but that has never worked for me, even when I am using the remote that came with the TiVo.


----------



## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

WorldBandRadio said:


> A few seconds into the ads, I usually see a note on the screen to press the -> button to skip the ad, but that has never worked for me, even when I am using the remote that came with the TiVo.


That never worked because its the wrong button. When there is the onscreen grey-highlighted button in the bottom right corner (similar in picture,) just press SELECT. Not ->|, or FF or anything else. Just SELECT.


----------



## WorldBandRadio (Dec 20, 2010)

ThAbtO said:


> That never worked because its the wrong button.


Oh.

Thanks, I'll try it the next time I use the app.

btw, earlier in this thread I mentioned the ability of the youtube app in my bluray player to "pair" the keyboard on my notebook with the youtube app on the bluray player, so I could type searches, etc on my notebook's keyboard and play the video on the bluray's youtube app.

{whew}

I found the same functionality on the TiVo youtube app, it is semi-hidden, but here goes...

go into youtube settings
select "link tv and phone"
select "link with tv code"
on your notebook browse to YouTube (that's youtube.com/pair)

on your notebook, enter the TV code displayed on your TV (12 digits, usually) into the box that says "Enter TV code" 
on your notebook, click on "Add this TV"
on your notebook, you should see, "Your TV is paired with your computer"
on your notebook, click Done
on your notebook, enter into the search box something, say, "electricity has such amazing power"
on your notebook, click on the video to play it via the TiVo on your TV.
Hope this helps...


----------



## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

WorldBandRadio said:


> The Skip Ad button DOES NOT WORK. I am using the remote that came with my TiVo. The skip ad button DOES NOT WORK.
> 
> I'm not sure how much more I can say to that point.


LOL, amazing how the Skip Ad button always works when you use the correct remote click (Select).

My biggest problem with the app is on Minis not the Roamio - it randomly crashes back to the main menu or locks up the Mini when playing a vid. I will NEVER understand how Tivo lets a freaking third-party app lock up their hardware, requiring a power reset.


----------



## WorldBandRadio (Dec 20, 2010)

slowbiscuit said:


> LOL, amazing how the Skip Ad button always works when you use the correct remote click (Select).


Is the "correct" remote click the button that is indicated on the screen, or some random button that needs to be found via trial and error?

At best, there's a bug in the software. At worst, TiVo is intentionally making it difficult to skip the ads.

I'm finding other bugs in the TiVo youtube app, but I doubt TiVo is interested. So this incorrect button bug is not the only one.


----------



## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

WorldBandRadio said:


> Is the "correct" remote click the button that is indicated on the screen, or some random button that needs to be found via trial and error?


The correct button is SELECT and there is no Tivo button labeled ">|", that is just called the skip icon. (ID 10 T)


----------



## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

WorldBandRadio said:


> Is the "correct" remote click the button that is indicated on the screen, or some random button that needs to be found via trial and error?


You use Select to activate everything in the app. I can understand why you'd think it was '->' but not that you wouldn't try using the same button that's used for everything else there. It's not some 'random button'.

The problems with the app are almost entirely on the Mini, but as you said Tivo doesn't appear to care that the app is buggy or that it can crash their boxes.


----------



## WorldBandRadio (Dec 20, 2010)

ThAbtO said:


> The correct button is SELECT and there is no Tivo button labeled ">|"

















The first image is the one on the screen when there's an ad to skip. Notice that it does not say "Select", but that is has a Right-Tab icon.

The second image is from the TiVo remote. Notice how it also has a Right-Tab icon.

The typical functionality of the Right-Tab key is quite appropriate for skipping the remainder of the ad.

Neither of those images looks at all like "Select," which makes me wonder why TiVo decided to use "Select" to trigger the Right-Tab function indicated on the screen.


----------



## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

WorldBandRadio said:


> Neither of those images looks at all like "Select," which makes me wonder why TiVo decided to use "Select" to trigger the Right-Tab function indicated on the screen.


Isn't the YouTube app written by YouTube like the rest so it's up to them as to what key they used?

Scott


----------



## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

WorldBandRadio said:


> View attachment 29156
> View attachment 29157
> 
> 
> ...


With that ideology, its the wrong button, yet you continue to argue about it.

If you think of the onscreen as a grey highlighed button, then pressing Select is the right choice.

The button you are using is a "Skip", which is correct, but many refer it as "Skip-to-tick" on Tivo recordings.


----------



## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

WorldBandRadio said:


> Two videos:
> - Kaleo - Way Down We Go
> - Sandy Nelson - Let There Be Drums
> 
> Both the videos had ads before they played on the TiVo, and no ads when played on my bluray player


I checked these out with the YouTube app on my Android tablet and both had ads with the same skip option. When I checked them out on our Roamio Pro only the Sandy Nelson one had an ad. On my Windows Phone with a third party app, I didn't see ads on either. On our FireTV with the YouTube app, neither displayed ads.

So the experience is different depending on what platform you are on and apparently isn't consistent (I'm not getting an ad on Kaleo with our TiVo). But as I mentioned above, I thought the YouTube application is written by YouTube so you would need to blame them for displaying the ads and not TiVo.

Scott


----------

