We have all love YouTube for its ability to bring us hours upon hours of HD video Playback without having to pay a single dime to upload or stream. While it’s become one of the most popular websites around, it also offers a top-notch feature that has been kept well hidden for some time now: YouTube Remote. YouTube Remote allows you to sit back and control YouTube from your favorite handheld device anywhere you are.
The Google app with no publicity
YouTube Remote provides the wireless control of your browser or TV that you’ve been looking for. Creating playlists, watching previously made ones, or simply browsing and selecting one video at a time is simple thanks to the easy to use mobile application.
While the UI is not the greatest, it still follows a Gingerbread design scheme, it still provides the necessary control to turn any Android device into a nifty remote for your computer, tablet, etc.
From YouTube Remote you can search all of YouTube, look through recommended videos, subscriptions, and your playlists without having to touch the PC. The Remote application and webpage both focus on videos instead of community interaction like the desktop experience. Descriptions, comments, and video replies have been removed and replaced with a simple UI that consists of lists on your mobile device and a small control bar with full screen video playback on the desktop/host device. While some users will rejoice at the idea of not having to deal with others, many also enjoy the interaction and ability to see a video’s rating before watching it that the normal desktop version provides. The application also allows for full control over the currently playing video including like/dislike, share, play/pause, fast forward/reverse, and you can even drag the slider to adjust the currently playing time.
Leanback, the version of YouTube you’ve probably never seen
Designed for use alongside the application, YouTube has a webpage specifically for sitting back and watching videos without having to be directly in front of a computer. Leanback is a feature built into YouTube that which lets users navigate a Netflix-like UI, watch videos and playlists, discover new channels, or browse and search with your personal account. The desktop interface is designed to be used with the directional keys on your keyboard, or controlled with the remote app. While there’s not a whole lot to the different layout, it simply offers an alternative to the usual experience where you have to be right in front of the computer.
Connecting the application to the computer is rather easy and only involves typing in a code generated by the website, or by using the QR code reader built in, and typing a name of that “Screen” for later use. You can also sign in directly to your YouTube account to access your videos instead of being limited to the device. Go to the Leanback website, then click on My YouTube and scroll right to select Pair then follow the on screen instructions; From there all you have to do is select a few videos, then press the menu button and select the screen you would like to play on.
The YouTube Remote application is a great addition to the many we currently have on our devices, and generally makes streaming the Youtube videos a pleasure with the awesome UI on the desktop. There were a few times where the device said it was connected and playing on the desktop with no response, but a quick refresh of the desktop website fixed it right up. Like the many applications provided by Google, it’s completely free and available on the Google Play Store for both tablets and phones.
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