Feel like we're watching a lot of tech companies making a lot of bad decisions all at once. Reddit, Google, Netflix, Meta, Twitter, Hulu, etc. Regardless of the individual circumstances and bad actors in each case, it feels like they're all being fueled by a shared, low-key desperation.
Costs are going up, investment is wising up.
Easy money pipeline has been cut off, makes sense we're all seeing this kind of thing at the same time when you consider it from the POV of the investors bankrolling these companies.
The venture capital free money train is gone and they're realizing their revenue models make zero sense.
If you’re just a bit tech savvy and don’t use your tv as your primary YouTube player then it’s reasonably easy to avoid ads and download stuff on YouTube no matter if you’re on Android, PC, or even iOS (yes without jailbreak).
I pay for it since I use it pretty often on my tv. I’ve gotten rid of other subscriptions to cover the cost. I use YouTube fairly often. My kid watches it on tv and I didn’t want him inundated with ads.
I feel like they forced me to pay though. I’d put on a show for my kid and 3 minutes in, there would be a 2 hour ad that played something completely different and pushed bullshit ads in front of him. I couldn’t subject him to that and there really isn’t an alternative.
Count me in on the group. Have been a family subscriber for awhile. Daughter is 7 and autistic so when an ad pops up she always installs the games then they are horrible and piss her off or she wants me to spend money on it because they force it down your throat. Easier to just give Google some money and not have to deal with it.
For anyone reading who’s curious about iOS options, using Yattee with your Invidious or Piped instance of choice is a good way to go!
Even with a TV there are options. I know Android/Google TV and LG WebOS both have apps available to sideload.
LG webOS? Please do tell what to do? I hate watching YT on my LG tv, its like two ads between each and every video...
I haven't done it personally because I have an Android TV box connected to my LG TV with SmartTubeNext, but here's an archived reddit post with a guide for it.
NewPipe for the win! Probably one of the best apps I have ever downloaded.
NewPipe costs $13.99 less on my phone (where I watch YouTube most), and it has a better UX (for me) than the official app.
I know I am gonna be one of the few, but I use YouTube as my main viewing of things. I don’t use Netflix, or any of the other services much. Premium is something I can’t be without anymore tbh, the ad free and downloading is super convenient for me and I like how a lot of my premium subscription goes to the creators I watch the most.
That’s where I’m at. I use it regularly for learning new things and for entertainment, so I don’t mind paying for it, and getting rid of ads while supporting creators is perfectly fine with me.
I don't have a problem with them charging for the service. But they keep raising it dramatically over and over. You're paying $15 a month to watch content a YouTube creator is getting 25 cents to create. If they wanted to charge $9.99 a month for a family plan I'd be all about it. At the prices they're charging there are services running full blown movie houses
Same, YouTube is the first app I go to when turning on my tv
I pirate EVERYTHING I watch... except for YouTube. I gladly pay that.
What fucking idiot pays for YouTube premium? Like, I'm sorry... But what the fuck?
I kinda wanted to for awhile because I'd much prefer to have a service like that be paid instead of driven by ads, but it's getting harder to do that with how they're operating.
I must be grandfathered in. I have YouTube Music for $9.99 a month that also includes YouTube Premium
I pay Google for Google domains (shutting down, being transferred to somewhere) and YT premium and they didn't tell me either of these things.
All Google domains are transferring to SquareSpace, and you get 1 renewal at the old rate before SquareSpace can charge you whatever they want.
VPN and Argentina. Less than $2.50 US per month. Did this over a year ago and no issues.
https://www.reddit.com/r/nordvpn/comments/nu4st9/youtube_premium_subscription_for_way_cheaper/
Lol 14 dollars for YouTube without ads when you can just run Newpipe. :)
I saw the switchblade comb, even without animation.
With the way YouTube treats creators with their demonetization policies, there's no way I am going to pay for that.
Thus reinforcing the easy decision of never getting YouTube premium.
i guess they've done the least [that i'm noticeably aware of] to destroy the site recently
What do you need an announcement for? They'll have informed the affected subscribers by mail, as they always do, and adjusted the prices on the sign-up page. Who else needs to be informed? I don't really give a shot about the pricing of a service I don't use.
I'm a subscriber and received no such notification. This is the first I'm hearing of it.
Wow, and I just cancelled mine yesterday, crazy timing.
How can billion dollar companies justify this bullshit, when their main source of income is advertisers anyways?
Maybe mentally I've already been hit with inflation, but $2 and "significant increase" do not tie out to me.
And yet they will probably say that subscribers are up, without mentioning that most of them are from countries like India where it costs $22.50 CAD per year.
Is there any alternative on Xbox? I kinda doubt it. I have premium mainly because that’s where I watch it. Getting sick of every tech company shoving their fingers in my purse though
Maybe the web browser and going to an Invidious / Piped instance, but the experience probably wouldn't be optimal...
You could also change your DNS settings to AdGuard or PiHole. This would block ads even outside the YouTube app. Try this: https://www.windowscentral.com/how-block-ads-and-trackers-xbox
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
