YouTube updates site with HTML5, makes YT app obsolete
09. Jul, 2010 | by Adriana Lee
13 Comments
So you know that Apple hates Flash. And you know that YouTube was powered by it. Apple, unable to ignore the HUGE audience of video consumers obsessed with YouTube, put a dedicated app in the iPhone to sidestep the issue.
Well, YouTube revamped its site this week to offer a touch-enabled HTML5 version — a fact that makes the dedicated iPhone app obsolete. Not only that, but it is more efficient, faster, has a better interface, allows for like/unlike flags and playlists, streams better quality video over 3G, and includes suggested searches. Plus, since it basically amounts to a web app, the site can be tweaked and enhanced faster than issuing updates for an onboard app.
That had to be a massive revamp, no? But if anyone could do it, it would be YouTube’s parent company, Google. That’s right: The creator of the Android platform was the one that made the video giant iPhone-friendly. That begs the question: Why?
SocialMediaSEO has a theory. This might be another strike by Google to undercut iPhone apps.
Case in point: Google Voice, a really useful free call-forwarding service, was blocked by the App Store. Not only was the app barred from entering, but third-party apps that tied into the service were kicked out. So what did Google do? It created a very handy web version that offers most of the functionality you’d expect from an onboard app. (It’s like saying to Apple, “Nyah, nyah! See we don’t need ya anyway!”)
Can’t say I’m very surprised. Apple didn’t really think they’d be able to control the Google experience for iPhone users, did they? With this latest item, it seems Google’s going on an offensive.
Whatever the case, as an end user, I’m pretty happy with this YouTube web app. Now if only I could click on an embedded YT vid on a site, and have it open the web app instead. Haven’t figured that one out yet. As soon as I do, I’ll let you know.
Via: Electronista, SocialMediaSEO
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EDITED: Some people get three options for a mobile, touch or desktop versions of the YouTube site. The post was re-worded to clarify that this post refers to the touch-enabled version. Thanks, TS75!
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Thanks Adriana for the great info. Does that mean the youtube mobile site should work nicely in my iPad too?
Now about opening an embedded video from a website to open under mobile site than youtube app would be really interesting. I doubt there is any way to do that because safari engine understand to parse that youtube video into H.264 format to use youtube app rather than HTML 5. Or I may be wrong here. Hmm..
Btw, you shift gears by moving to use YT instead of YouTube! I thought that was funny because I thought for a minisec what the heck is YT… LOL.
Yeah, I thought “YouTube” everywhere was getting a little redundant. But good eye! Thanks for noticing :-)
Good point about the iPad. I just fired mine up, and mobile YouTube looks GLORIOUS.
I just checked on my iPad and found no difference. The video streaming on 3G was really bad. Am I missing something here? Please advise. I tried both Touch Version and Mobile version. There is link at the bottom to change. The desktop version shows I need flash on iPad.
Tried on my Evo the m.YouTube.com and it used flash. Well the HQ YouTube app on Evo streams HQ video on sprint’s 3G. I am not sure how people are getting this new HTML 5 site.
Interesting. I’m doing this on my Wifi iPad, and as reported elsewhere, the performance has been really good.
On my iPhone, 3G takes a bit longer to load than over Wifi (of course), but still runs really well once the vid comes up and has been buffered.
I just typed in m.youtube.com, and up came the mobile site. (I also typed in http://www.youtube.com, and it still went straight to the mobile version.) Not sure why your Evo isn’t pulling it up.
Anyone else out there experiencing similar problems?
Hmm. Thanks for your reply again. This js getting really interesting. If possible can you elaborate what do you mean by “performance has been really good”?
Well when I type m.YouTube.com, on my iPad it takes me to their customize YouTube site which default to Touch version. At the bottom, I see three links mobile version, touch version, desktop version.
Did you login to YouTube website because I did not?
About my Evo, when I give YouTube.com, it takes me to desktop version of site but when I type m.YouTube.com, it takes me to mobile site but I don’t see the new site. Of course My Evo browser has setting which I said ignore mobile site by default unless I specify.
I am thinking maybe I would need to login.
So here is my big question. On your iPad, or iPhone, if you watch videos on YouTube app and through YouTube mobile browser on 3g only then are you saying YouTube mobile browser videos are better in quality? Because we know At&T had stripped down video qualities on 3G for YouTube app.
First, thanks for giving me a chance to clarify something: Yes, this is the “Touch” version, which my iPad also defaults to. Sorry — I realize now that I kept saying the “mobile” version, which isn’t quite accurate. (Though I don’t see the three links at the bottom, as you do. I wonder if that only appears for Android users.) In any case, I’m going to update the post.
I have a Wifi iPad, and loaded “Moon – the official trailer [HQ].” It ran beautifully on both the built-in app and via the Touch-enabled website in Safari (thought the latter may have loaded a hair faster). BTW, I didn’t log into my account.
I don’t have a 3G iPad to test this on, but I tried the same vid on the iPhone 4 and the 3GS, via both the app and the browser over Wifi and 3G.
On Wifi: The viewing experience is very good, comparable across all devices tested (including the Wifi iPad), regardless of using the app or the touch-enabled website. (The website might load a hair faster, though.) The biggest difference are the extra features in the Safari/Touch-enabled version — plus the option of viewing in HQ or standard.
On 3G: Yes, the website version is ridiculously better than the app. The YouTube vid in Safari took slightly longer to load over 3G than Wifi, but once it ran, it ran beautifully and without lag. The quality, particularly when “HQ” is selected, is stunning. The built-in YouTube app was awful (especially once you see how good this looks in the browser). It was practically unwatchable over the data connection, with a lot of “fuzz” and a ton of artifacts all over the place. So yeah, this would seem to corroborate the fact that the built-in iPhone app was throttled over 3G. Doesn’t look like this is an issue in Safari.
Thanks for your elaborate testing results.
The three links I am referring to on the youtube mobile website are the ones you see when you type http://www.m.youtube.com on the “iPad Safari browser”. (These links does not exist on my Evo, so not to confuse you.)
I think, Safari intercepts the website and understand if this is an iPad user or not.
I see these similar three links when I login to gmail website from my Safari browser in my iPad. Those links are Mobile (Which is specially made for iPad), Basic HTML & Desktop on gmail website.
So there is what I did.
1) Settings on my iPad 3G set to use Wifi and cellular data to no 3G. This means I am using Wifi only on my iPad.
2) I opened Safari browser on my iPad and typed in http://www.m.youtube.com
3) It opens mobile youtube website. If you scroll down it shows three links saying, Mobile, Touch Screen Version & Desktop. The Touch Screen version is selected by default. I kept that same Touch Screen version and did not change anything there.
4) I searched for the video –
“Moon” – the official trailer [HQ]
and it showed the first video. I selected that and it played the video nicely. All crystal clear in quality.
5) I closed Safari and went to iPad settings. Set Wifi to off and Cellular Data to 3G. This means I am using 3G only on my iPad.
6) I opened Safari browser on my iPad and typed in http://www.m.youtube.com
7) It opens mobile youtube website again. If you scroll down it shows three links saying, Mobile, Touch Screen Version & Desktop. The Touch Screen version is selected by default. I kept that same Touch Screen version and did not change anything there again.
8) I searched for the video –
“Moon” – the official trailer [HQ]
and it showed the first video. I selected that and it took little longer to load. The video quality is really bad. I hardly see any words on the screen. That awards credits “Sundance Festival 2009″ is hardly readable.
Only difference in my testing is I was logged in to my gmail account on the gmail website before. So by default I was logged into my youtube account too. But that should not matter here.
Your iPad testing was done using iPad wifi on wifi only. Well, of course you will see good picture quality on youtube app and youtube website through wifi.
I don’t see any extra features on youtube mobile website on safari using iPad neither wifi or 3G connections.
I think I don’t get the same experience on iPad 3G using 3G cellular data. You might want to test with iPad 3G and share your experience.
My guess is I don’t think they updated anything for iPad version. And another thing which makes me curious is are you seeing those extra features on youtube mobile website on your iPad?
If you guys have an email I can send you screen shots of my iPad.
Thanks again for keeping up with me!!
Ah, I see the three links now. Didn’t catch it at first. (And they didn’t all show up in my iPhone. Only a “Desktop” link. Bizarre.)
Don’t worry about sending screenshots — no proof needed. (I believe you!)
That’s interesting about your 3G iPad performance. If I get my hands on an iPad 3G, I’ll be sure to test it out. I just took a quick look around the web, and other iPad 3G users are reporting the same snafu. There’s a theory that it purposely doesn’t run at HQ quality over the iPad 3G, due to the bandwidth issue. (That the higher quality videos could make people exceed their data limits.) I’m not sure that’s true, though. New iPhone users would be subject to the same thing. It may be more likely that it just hasn’t been optimized for iPad 3G yet.
Like I said, on my iPhones over 3G, it looks pretty spectacular.
As for extra features, on my iPad, I get buttons for “Favorite,” “E-Mail,” “Add to Playlist,” and “Flag.” I get none of these options on the tablet’s YouTube app.
Thank you again for responding back. I really appreciate that!
Well that theory is really true. All my YouTube, ABC app videos are really low quality that you hardly see anything. That’s a separate rant to rant about. AT&T hide that and Apple never disclose that publicly.
Yes I see this extra buttons you mentioned like “Favorite,” “E-Mail,” “Add to Playlist,” and “Flag.” but I don’t see HQ button or that grid icon on top like shown in that video above. That’s is something for iPhone only.
But thanks one again for keeping up with me as I know it’s Saturday and you guys are off and there are plenty of other things to enjoy than replying to me! LOL. So really I do appreciate that.
I have one more favor to ask. You can reply on your leisure anytime. Since you have iPad, whenever you use multiple windows inside iPad safari browser and you jump across, does your browser window refreshes most of the time? So, let’s say I opened safari on iPad. I go to phonedog website. I see a link and I usually hard press the link to be be opened in a new window. The safari takes me to a new window and the new link page loads there. So if I have to go back to previous page I click on that double square icon on top and choose the previous window I want and when I go to previous window my whole page reloads again. This happens on wifi and 3G connections all the time and it is so annoying.
i just tried to do the desktop version on my iphone 4 and got error need flash plug in, any idea as to the problem?
Well iphone does not support flash and desktop version is a full blown version of YouTube just like what you see on your traditional browser on your pc or laptop. If your phone supports flash for example Evo does, then you get full experience.
So, there is really no problem per say.
Very fast and smooth. I love the new site! Just hoping they change the bookmark a little.