uBlock Origin->gear icon (settings)->My Filters->add this line:

||googlevideo.com/videoplayback$xhr,3p,method=get,domain=www.youtube.com

I didn’t know if I’m crazy or of YouTube is genuinely slow for me (with adblocker)

Turns out I was not crazy

Freetube works pretty well, there's a cat and mouse game with youtube changes though.

https://freetubeapp.io/

Grayjay :)

I've noticed occasional "buffering" before playback starts through the past week or so. Takes like ten seconds before the video starts playing. Hasn't been worse than that so far, knock on wood.

Youtube feels like an impossible service to actually compete with, whether through the enormous and complicated setup required or amassing creators/users. It's basically a monopoly and it sucks. One will just have to resist Google's bullshit using whatever means available for as long as possible.

Wish they could use Gemini to generate ad clicks instead.

I've got 500Mb fiber internet and YouTube refuses to stream above 360p unless i manually change it. Which each update becomes harder and harder to do as they hide the video quality button somewhere else.

Ok so im not crazy. I was wondering why videos kept buffering every minute this past week.

Then I suppose it's a good thing they're limiting non-premium users from using the "high bitrate" quality options?

^ that was sarcasm. HARSH sarcasm. With both middle fingers pointing toward a Google logo and spitting.

ublockorigin etc... 5 second unnecessary delay, very annoying . that's my experience

Oh no! What will I—Video Downloader. I'll just watch offline at my leisure.

Revanced is fine so far

I feel like this has been happening for a while, but maybe it's just that YouTube's website is shite.

https://joinpeertube.org/

I have no issues at all, once a vid is running. Choosing a vid takes much longer these days though, because the goddam stupid fucking algorhythm serves up 95% slop these days. Already viewed vids, ones expressly blocked, "news" stories that are YEARS old, or those in weird foreign languages, make up most of the garbage I get offered....

Is google’s company motto still ‘Don’t be evil’?

Why aren't you using another platform?

fine by me i listen to audio of videos i watch and i dont mind the lower resolution because it means im using less internet