Hello,
Has anyone used this device to watch YouTube videos?
What was the experience?
Do you think it will be suitable for a “YouTube Junkie” to watch for hours?
Thanks!
2 Likes
When using Firefox, I’d say that the experience is that the load times are pretty rough but once the video starts playing the playback is smooth. Due to the mediocre battery life you’d also need to have the phone in the charger if you want to watch for hours. Have not watched for more than 40min in a sitting myself, usually I watch at either my laptop or TV as I find that to be a better experience.
2 Likes
This may not be the most convenient way, but when I need to watch a long video, I download it to disk and watch it offline without advertising or hanging.
3 Likes
Somewhat (but not to be ignored) it depends on where you live, as PAL standard videos (for example here) are uploaded (produced and displayed) at a rate of 25 frames per second. Therefore for any smartphone that doesn’t follow this rate at 1:1, 1:2 or any other rate that divides or multiplies easily (like 100Hz÷4=25FPS, when external powerbank attached of course) your eyes need to do some math (easy if not for extended time of usage, secondary would be calculating some of actual distance to the used screen size, etc. 
). And, my two cents here apply to any smartphone connected with YouTube stream (or any other currently watched one), nothing to do in particular with the Librem 5 (but things, up to your well grounded question or good reasoning question deserves/needs to be taken into account/control, even without battery life time compromises, IMHO, by using some software switch to 60Hz or even 50Hz, otherwise 30Hz will do for most cases scenario, like phoning/messaging cases scenario).
@kate.mason, you can check frames per second of any video by typing:
$ youtube-dl -F 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYKYXXXXXXQ'
EDIT: My above comment: “100Hz÷4=25FPS” isn’t related to Librem 5 screen (technically not at all) likewise one, related one would be: 30FPS×2=60Hz, and would at the same time mean that the preferable Librem 5 screen refresh rate of 60Hz is the only one to be used for long term watching of 30FPS YouTube videos (such 60Hz setting should be easily doable for Librem 5, I guess).
1 Like
Stream (https://source.puri.sm/todd/Stream) works pretty well for watching YouTube videos, even on original PinePhone hardware.
4 Likes
This flatpak seemed to work pretty well when I tested it:
3 Likes
Clapper (flatpak available on the store) in another option. It can play local videos or remote videos given the URL. It fits perfectly the screen.
4 Likes
Adblock works great on Firefox on the Librem 5, so at least that part is not an issue at least 
I’ve also tried stream which works well, but my subscription feed on YouTube is quite important to me so I never ended up using it very often.
4 Likes
Quarnero is right, but he (seems like using) old software.
https:// github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp
Its a fork of youtube - d l
But yes it is the best way to watch that (stuff). I prefere to use local tv and recorder or just buy the videos from the creatores.
Googles Video Plattform is just like a large TV channel. You can see or find there what someone else selected before.
And if you use your Browser or the official App, you lose much more privacy. Like you have someone else filming you, or your kids by using that new tv.
So we try to got some privacy by using it indirect.
2 Likes
What would it take to port newpipe to linux? It’s open source but developed for android. (Disclaimer: I have almost zero experience programming so I have no idea how dificult it would be.)
Its sort of like putting a semi truck engine in a pickup. It has to mate with the transmission, the fuel system has to adapt, the trucks computer has to be able to read the sensors, the exhaust has to fit, the suspension has to handle the weight, etc.
1 Like
I know a long time ago I think @dos showed off running NewPipe within Anbox on an L5, but while the app worked fine, the videos didn’t play as some other parts weren’t ready.
I don’t know what state it’s in now.
There is Tubefeeder flatpak (designed for Pinephone), as well as others, in the store. Just a quick glance at Tubefeeder gives me the impression that it would work. At least it fits the screen, and the controls look good.
1 Like
it is possible to subscribe to YT channels using RSS, invidious makes it super easy to get an RSS link from a channel and gpodger can handle YT RSS, it uses youtube-dl to download and play the videos locally.
With some patches gpodder can work nice on the Librem 5.
3 Likes
That is the upstream where development is done, the packaging as a Deb package of Stream is done here: https://source.puri.sm/librem5-apps/Stream
2 Likes
My main issue more than the performance and frame rate which can probably be adjusted with the right know how is how weak the Librem 5 speakers are. Any background noise at all may drown out video sound. But I didn’t really buy this device to be my main media hub.
1 Like