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SmartTube - an advanced player for set-top boxes and tv running Android OS (github.com)

submitted 1 year ago by jeena@jemmy.jeena.net to c/piracy@lemmy.dbzer0.com

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I've already been paying for YouTube Premium for many years to get rid of advertisement, and I've been using SponsorBlock for a year or so on my laptop to skip the inline ads, but because most of my watching of YouTube happens on the TV I always had to use the remote to skip it. It helps to see the "most rewind" area so you can fast forward to it, but it's still very cumbersome.

Now a couple of days someone mentioned SmartTube on Lemmy and I installed it on my Chromecast with Google TV OS and oh boy is this software great! I did it to get SponsorBlock, but that is by far not the only feature I love about it.

flexible time hiding the UI of a video (have it to 1 sec now)
not showing UI when pausing
way faster scrolling
instant loading
way faster account switching
instant voice search

But there is one feature missing, changing the search language. We speak combined 7 languages at home and it's impossible to search anything other than in English which is really annoying.

Anyway, check it out if you can on your TV.

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[-] LievitoPadre@feddit.it 11 points 1 year ago

Been using since few days on my first gen fire stick. Feels like another world completely. No more bloated YouTube app and MUCH faster

The only feature missing is the streaming from the phone

[-] Deiran@programming.dev 3 points 1 year ago

You can cast videos from your phone, you just have to connect it somewhere in the settings (can't really check right now but I'm sure I've used it)

[-] LievitoPadre@feddit.it 1 points 1 year ago

I tried but it opened the YouTube app instead

[-] redcalcium@lemmy.institute 4 points 1 year ago

I haven't tried it with the official YouTube app, but in YouTube revanced, there is a "watch on tv" settings that would let you pair with SmartTube. This would turn the cast button from casting to Chromecast to casting to SmartTube, though you'll need to have SmartTube running first.

[-] mrjfilippo@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

In Smarttube, go into settings and link device or something similar (edit: remote control). On your phone, go into settings and link TV and input the code Smarttube will give you.

It acts more as a remote, you need to have Smarttube already opened. It's not perfect, it's a decent compromise.

[-] antipiratgruppen@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 year ago

On my Android box running SmartTube, I can cast to it a few seconds after it's booted up. No need to open the app first.

[-] antipiratgruppen@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Sounds like the devices aren't properly connected yet. In the settings of the SmartTube app, go to Remote Control to find the numbers you need in order to connect to SmartTube. Then, in the YouTube app (unmodded or Revanced) on your phone, hit the Cast-button, then "Connect with TV-code". Enter the code, and you're ready to cast. Next time you want to cast a video, just hit the Cast-button and select the device with its name ending in "(SmartTube)".