DTT is no longer the only alternative for entertainment at home in Europe, and there are a large number of alternatives which, in streaming, They allow you to enjoy a lot of free time. Sometimes in exchange for a monthly payment in exchange for a subscription, but there are also services that do not incur any fees, such as YouTube
It is probably the best free streaming platform in the world, thanks to the enormous amount of content it has. From documentary videos to short films, live broadcasts or even informative videos with news. The content is very abundant, and can perfectly replace the use given to television.
In addition, it is present on practically all platforms, including televisions, since it has a application compatible with major operating systems. Much of its content is in 4K resolution, which on television is only offered by RTVE.
The platform, although free, has a payment option called YouTube Premium, which costs 11.99 dollars per month and has some pretty striking advantages. Complete ad removal is one of them, but it also lets you pick up the last video where you left off and includes a subscription to YouTube Music. Also an option to consider if you spend a lot of time in the app.
Control from mobile
If you use the option share content via Chromecast, a notification with commands will appear on Android phones. It is possible to change the television volume using the phone buttons, pause content, move forward or backward in the timeline and even change videos to watch a new one or play the next one. you want to watch in the playback queue.
This makes the mobile phone – or tablet – an ideal remote control, since it allows you to take a look. To do this, both devices must be connected to the same WiFi network and the content must be shared via Chromecast.
If you do not have a Chromecast compatible television to share content, it is possible to connect the television to the mobile using an alternative system integrated into the YouTube application itself which works using a code. You will need to open it on both the Smart TV and the phone.
You will need to go to Settings, and click on Link with TV code. A series of numbers will appear that must be entered in this same section, but entered from the mobile phone. After that, videos can be added to the queue.
See later
There are times when it can be difficult to decide what to watch on TV, and this happens more often the more options available. Therefore, we must take advantage of the occasions when we come across a video that may be interesting, but we do not have time to watch it at that moment.
With YouTube’s built-in Watch Later list, you just need to Tap the clock button that appears next to the video so that it is automatically saved in this section. This way, there will always be content available to watch in times when it is difficult to find the right content.
Keep in mind that after watching one of these videos you will have to manually delete it from said playlist, otherwise it will stay there permanently. Under this same premise, it is possible create multiple custom playlists to divide pending content into categories, so you can find what you want to see without having to search a lot.
Educate the algorithm
To receive recommendations for interesting content, YouTube requires you to leave your viewing history active, and it is strongly recommended that you do so. On the platform, according to data from Global Media Overview
It’s relatively easy. When you have liked a video and want to see more, you will have to click on the “Like” button, while, if the opposite happens, you will have to click on the “I’m not interested” button. YouTube will eventually learn from each user’s tastes to serve only the content they want to see.
If you do not want to receive recommendations, especially from a channel, you can activate the Stop recommending videos from this channel option, which will ban their content from the recommendations list.
Change options
The YouTube configuration on the television hides certain options which should be modified depending on the use that each person wishes to make of it. One of the most interesting changes is disabling autoplay so that one video doesn’t play after another.
You can also enable Restricted Mode, which will essentially make that no type of content inappropriate for minors appears. It is also possible to deactivate the preview of videos, which allows you to have a preview each time you switch to one of them using the controller.
The application options do not stop there, and in each video it is possible, for example, to change the playback quality, or even activate automatic subtitles, which in many cases also have the possibility of making a translation, to understand the content. in other languages.
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