I've been using this for a couple of years now, and it's utterly fantastic. I highly recommend it. I honestly have a hard time imagining using YouTube without it, because without it (or something similar that can be installed on a TV), I'd have to find videos I want to watch on my PC, download them manually with yt-dlp, and then copy them to a USB stick or put them someplace where I could watch them with Jellyfin, just so I can watch them on the TV.
As the warning says, you need to install it directly from the github site. There's a helpful how-to that details how to do this on a typical Android TV using the "Downloader" app, listed as the "easiest" method here. It's really not hard, but obviously more work than just installing an app from the Play Store.
I just hit the "cast" button in the YouTube app, and my TV and stereo receiver switch on by themselves, my Google TV box opens the YouTube app by itself, and the video on my phone starts playing on my TV.
I'd love to have greater control over the software stack on my TV, but what you're describing seems awfully overwrought.
Cast on the youtube app assumes you're using the Youtube app and a mobile device.
If you've got an Android TV (natively, or a TV) then this is a great UX for finding and playing youtube content directly on the TV, no mobile device needed.
It also has a bunch of improvements over using the Youtube app on your phone - Adblocking, and Sponsor Blocking being two major benefits.
I was until recently paying for Youtube Premium and it was getting increasingly frustrating trying to watch most content for the number of intrusions into the content. From "This video brought to you by <the same 30 vpn/site builder/audiobook> companies" to "Hey, just to interrupt - do you know that 90% of people don't subscribe to this channel?"
Putting SmartTube on the device took about 15 minutes, most of that was finding a browser that would let me download a file without showing a million ads.
>Putting SmartTube on the device took about 15 minutes, most of that was finding a browser that would let me download a file without showing a million ads.
I just followed the instructions on the webpage, after installing the "Downloader" app from the Play Store. The hardest part was entering the SmartTube URL into Downloader using the on-screen keyboard and TV remote control. Kind of a pain, but totally worth it. After that, the SmartTube app can be updated inside the app easily.
Your solution sounds like you have to watch ads. No thanks.
SmartTube lets you watch YouTube without the ads or sponsor segments, and without messing with other devices. You just start the app, and use the TV remote control to navigate and select and play videos.
> because without it (or something similar that can be installed on a TV), I'd have to find videos I want to watch on my PC, download them manually with yt-dlp, and then copy them to a USB stick or put them someplace
Where in your scenario are AirPlay and ChromeCast? Or just yt-dl and plex? All of which seem waaaaaay easier than your song and dance
AirPlay is Apple-only, so that's a no-go. ChromeCast I don't know much about (edit: it appears to be a dongle device you have to buy, and they're discontinued now), but the whole point of SmartTube is that you don't need to mess around with other devices; you just do everything from the TV and its remote control.
Yeah, if SmartTube didn't exist (and other similar apps, I think NewPipe is similar), then I'd have to resort to some crazy stuff. I think I did mention yt-dlp and Jellyfin before. But still, that's a big pain: I'd have to go to my PC to do that stuff, then go back to the couch to watch it on the TV. With SmartTube, I don't have to do all that.
While a lot of folks are touting SmartTube for avoiding ads, I will install it to finally have a way to change the YouTube playing speed on the TV. Thanks for posting.
Press and hold for 2x playback is one of the more useful features of the YouTube premium experience and the lack of speed adjustment on TV is quite annoying.
SmartTube is even better than that: it lets you select from a huge range of speeds (I frequently like 1.25x and 1.5x personally), and it remembers that selection for that channel, so if a particular Youtuber is a slow talker, you can pick a speed that works well and all his videos will show at that same speed.
Smarttube is amazing especially as YouTube ad duration, skipability, and quantity are completely abusive on TV devices. It is completely frustrating experience versus YouTube in a web browser.
> Do not download SmartTube from any app store, APK websites or blogs; these were uploaded by other people and may contain malware or ads. SmartTube is not officially published on any app store. Sadly, the Google PlayStore does not allow ad-free Youtube apps using unofficial APIs.
I've been using this for a couple of years now, and it's utterly fantastic. I highly recommend it. I honestly have a hard time imagining using YouTube without it, because without it (or something similar that can be installed on a TV), I'd have to find videos I want to watch on my PC, download them manually with yt-dlp, and then copy them to a USB stick or put them someplace where I could watch them with Jellyfin, just so I can watch them on the TV.
As the warning says, you need to install it directly from the github site. There's a helpful how-to that details how to do this on a typical Android TV using the "Downloader" app, listed as the "easiest" method here. It's really not hard, but obviously more work than just installing an app from the Play Store.
I just hit the "cast" button in the YouTube app, and my TV and stereo receiver switch on by themselves, my Google TV box opens the YouTube app by itself, and the video on my phone starts playing on my TV.
I'd love to have greater control over the software stack on my TV, but what you're describing seems awfully overwrought.
Cast on the youtube app assumes you're using the Youtube app and a mobile device.
If you've got an Android TV (natively, or a TV) then this is a great UX for finding and playing youtube content directly on the TV, no mobile device needed.
It also has a bunch of improvements over using the Youtube app on your phone - Adblocking, and Sponsor Blocking being two major benefits.
I was until recently paying for Youtube Premium and it was getting increasingly frustrating trying to watch most content for the number of intrusions into the content. From "This video brought to you by <the same 30 vpn/site builder/audiobook> companies" to "Hey, just to interrupt - do you know that 90% of people don't subscribe to this channel?"
Putting SmartTube on the device took about 15 minutes, most of that was finding a browser that would let me download a file without showing a million ads.
>Putting SmartTube on the device took about 15 minutes, most of that was finding a browser that would let me download a file without showing a million ads.
I just followed the instructions on the webpage, after installing the "Downloader" app from the Play Store. The hardest part was entering the SmartTube URL into Downloader using the on-screen keyboard and TV remote control. Kind of a pain, but totally worth it. After that, the SmartTube app can be updated inside the app easily.
Your solution sounds like you have to watch ads. No thanks.
SmartTube lets you watch YouTube without the ads or sponsor segments, and without messing with other devices. You just start the app, and use the TV remote control to navigate and select and play videos.
No ads with YuuTube Premium.
I will not be extorted by a rectangle lol
to watch video my friends uploaded and marked no monetization even. google is ruthless now.
> because without it (or something similar that can be installed on a TV), I'd have to find videos I want to watch on my PC, download them manually with yt-dlp, and then copy them to a USB stick or put them someplace
Where in your scenario are AirPlay and ChromeCast? Or just yt-dl and plex? All of which seem waaaaaay easier than your song and dance
AirPlay is Apple-only, so that's a no-go. ChromeCast I don't know much about (edit: it appears to be a dongle device you have to buy, and they're discontinued now), but the whole point of SmartTube is that you don't need to mess around with other devices; you just do everything from the TV and its remote control.
Yeah, if SmartTube didn't exist (and other similar apps, I think NewPipe is similar), then I'd have to resort to some crazy stuff. I think I did mention yt-dlp and Jellyfin before. But still, that's a big pain: I'd have to go to my PC to do that stuff, then go back to the couch to watch it on the TV. With SmartTube, I don't have to do all that.
This app is the only reason I bought a FireTV Stick 4k. For everything else (Netflix, Infuse), I use an Apple TV. App works great, can recommend.
While a lot of folks are touting SmartTube for avoiding ads, I will install it to finally have a way to change the YouTube playing speed on the TV. Thanks for posting.
Press and hold for 2x playback is one of the more useful features of the YouTube premium experience and the lack of speed adjustment on TV is quite annoying.
SmartTube is even better than that: it lets you select from a huge range of speeds (I frequently like 1.25x and 1.5x personally), and it remembers that selection for that channel, so if a particular Youtuber is a slow talker, you can pick a speed that works well and all his videos will show at that same speed.
Smarttube is amazing especially as YouTube ad duration, skipability, and quantity are completely abusive on TV devices. It is completely frustrating experience versus YouTube in a web browser.
> Do not download SmartTube from any app store, APK websites or blogs; these were uploaded by other people and may contain malware or ads. SmartTube is not officially published on any app store. Sadly, the Google PlayStore does not allow ad-free Youtube apps using unofficial APIs.