YouTube’s TV App Gets a Massive Overhaul: What You Need to Know
YouTube is leveling up its TV viewing experience! Google just announced a significant update to its YouTube app for TVs and gaming consoles, packed with new features designed to enhance content discovery and make viewing more enjoyable. Get ready for a smarter, more personalized YouTube experience on your big screen.
Hadlee Simons at Android Authority first reported on the flurry of improvements Google is bringing to the YouTube app. These updates are specifically targeted at the TV and console versions, which often lag behind their mobile and web counterparts in terms of features.
So, what's new? Let's dive into the key changes:
Enhanced Content Discovery with New Shelves:
The biggest update revolves around "shelves," or the rows of videos you see on your home feed. YouTube is adding five new shelf types:
- "Continue your search": Quickly resume your top three searches.
- "Listen again": Rediscover songs you've recently searched for or listened to.
- "Live performances, remixes, and covers": Explore alternative versions of your favorite music.
- "Primetime Channels": Easily access content from your subscribed Primetime channels.
- "From your top channels": Highlights the latest videos from the channels you watch the most.
Podcast Paradise and Shorts Integration:
Podcasts are getting their own dedicated tab on the TV app, making it easier to find and enjoy audio content. And for those hooked on YouTube Shorts, a dedicated row is now available in your "Watch Next" feed, along with a Shorts shelf on the subscriptions tab. "We've split out Shorts from long-form videos for a cleaner layout," Jessie from Team YouTube explained.
Smaller but Significant Tweaks:
Beyond the major additions, YouTube has also implemented several smaller improvements. The ability to loop videos has been expanded beyond playlists to include "all VOD content." You can find the "Loop" setting in the Playback settings menu. They have also improved video previews by expanding "inline previews" to channel pages, subscription pages, and topic pages. Immersive channel previews, with a fullscreen background, are also live.
Creator Insights:
For content creators, YouTube is adding a new "Device type" card in Studio Analytics. This allows creators to understand how much watch time comes from mobile, computer, tablets, or TVs.
As Scott Younker from Tom's Guide points out, unlike typical Google updates that roll out gradually, these YouTube TV app updates should be available pretty much immediately.
This update marks a significant step for YouTube in solidifying its position as a dominant force on every screen. With smarter content discovery, dedicated spaces for podcasts and Shorts, and improved playback features, the YouTube TV app is finally catching up to its mobile and web counterparts. What do you think of these changes? Are you excited to see YouTube paying attention to the big screen experience? Let us know in the comments below!
