Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
YouTube wants to reinforce the notion that vertical short-form video is here to stay and what better way to do it than to continue expanding the platform to more devices? This is exactly what is happening right now with YouTube shorts, which, starting today, will debut a brand-new experience on TVs.
The new look underwent several design iterations, which were judged by users who were shown this UI in advance and were given a chance to input their opinions. The choices were narrowed down to three models: one that included no changes at all and played Shorts in a conventional video player, one that mimicked the current redesign on YouTube where in dark mode, you could see the colors of the video peeking through, and lastly one that displayed three short videos at a time in a “Jukebox” format.
Eventually, the decision was made to keep the second design where the video appears front and center and enclosed in a white frame, but also with more functionality, such as showing related tags, comments, and the color-sampled blurred background. This design allows for easier navigation and interaction using a TV remote.
YouTube states that the functionality to the right of the video will eventually be expanded to include even more information and that this experience will be rolled out to Smart TVs (2019 models and later), streaming devices, and newer game consoles over the coming weeks. It also released a guide on how to reach and navigate through this new experience, which we are linking to in the below video.
What do you think of Shorts’ inclusion on Smart TVs? Is this something you wish to be able to view on a bigger screen, or do you prefer it to be mobile-only? I welcome this addition as I do often watch YouTube on my Smart TV once my eyes get tired of looking at my phone screen. It will be nice to do the same to scroll through YouTube Shorts which can be entertaining.
SUBSCRIBE TO UPSTREAM
Get Chrome Unboxed delivered straight to your inbox
Upstream is our flagship, curated newsletter with the top stories, most click-worthy deals, giveaways, and trending articles from Chrome Unboxed sent directly to your inbox a few times a week. Join 31,000+ subscribers.
