YouTube Introduces New Features Amid UI Criticism
This morning, reports emerged highlighting user dissatisfaction with YouTube’s recent desktop video player interface, with many describing it as “pointless and bad.”In response, YouTube released a blog post titled “20 ways we’re celebrating two decades of YouTube, ”revealing an array of upcoming enhancements to the platform, including a revamped user interface for YouTube TV.
Enhancements to YouTube TV
YouTube announced that its TV app will undergo a significant redesign slated for this summer. The goal of this update is to facilitate easier navigation, enhanced playback controls, and adjustable video quality settings. A key feature of the redesign is the streamlined access to comments and channel information, along with the ability to subscribe effortlessly. This update appears particularly timely, given user feedback indicating challenges in finding similar features on the desktop interface.
New Multiview Options for YouTube TV
The blog post also highlighted upcoming features for YouTube TV members, including an enhanced multiview experience that allows users to watch multiple channels simultaneously. According to YouTube:
In the next few weeks, YouTube TV members can experiment with building their own multiview with select non-sports content, starting with a small group of popular channels and expanding in the coming months.
Previously, multiview was primarily constrained to sports events or predefined layouts set by YouTube TV, making this an exciting development for users.
Innovations for Music Fans
For enthusiasts of music, YouTube Music is introducing an innovative AI-powered feature called “Ask Music.”This functionality allows users to generate a personalized radio station by simply describing their musical preferences. Available on iOS and Android devices for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music users, this feature is currently accessible to English-speaking subscribers in selected countries, with plans to broaden language and location support in the future.
Expanded Playback Options for Premium Users
YouTube Premium subscribers will soon benefit from additional playback speed options, with support for speeds of up to 4x now available on mobile devices, enhancing the experience beyond the previous maximum of 2x. This enhancement is specifically focused on Premium members using mobile platforms.
Enhanced Community Engagement for Creators
Lastly, the platform shared plans to broaden access to a feature that allows creators to reply to video comments using voice notes, previously limited to a select group of creators. This feature will be made accessible to a larger pool of creators later this year, enhancing the interactive experience between creators and their audiences.
For more details on these exciting updates, refer to the full article at Neowin.
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