Youtube just raised their prices!

[rmcelwee]

And of course if you watch YouTube on a PC browser with an ad-blocker, you will never see the ads. But most of our viewing is on the big TV using a Fire TV Cube. I'm not aware of any ad-blocker that runs on the Fire TV platform.

I wasn't aware that an ad-blocker would block YT ads BUT if you are looking for a blocker for your Fire TV, and don't mind doing a little computer work, you might look into pi-hole. It will block everything coming into your computer.

 

[Pasha]

... you might look into pi-hole. It will block everything coming into your computer.

I got interested and looked at the Pi-hole app.

"A drawback of Pi-hole is that it can expose your DNS queries to potential snooping or interception, as it does not encrypt them by default. This can compromise your privacy and security, especially if you use public or untrusted networks."

 

[Koolau]

I got interested and looked at the Pi-hole app.

"A drawback of Pi-hole is that it can expose your DNS queries to potential snooping or interception, as it does not encrypt them by default. This can compromise your privacy and security, especially if you use public or untrusted networks."

Well, as I always say (used to be my tag line): If the gators don't getcha, the skeeters will. YMMV

 

[rmcelwee]

I got interested and looked at the Pi-hole app.

"A drawback of Pi-hole is that it can expose your DNS queries to potential snooping or interception, as it does not encrypt them by default. This can compromise your privacy and security, especially if you use public or untrusted networks."

I guess if Cobra9777 took his TV, pi-hole, and computer to Starbucks and hooked it up on their network and didn't turn on encryption he might have someone look at the name of a website he visited.

My pi-hole intercepts around 50,000 ads and inquiries per day, including 6500 just from my smart TV.

I built my first DNS server around 1995. I set it in the back corner of my office on top of a server that we built for Piggly Wiggly to handle their Greenbax program. The DNS was an old 386 that ran 24x7 for except when a hurricane came through. I think it is neat that "normal" people run DNS servers in their homes now. I never saw that coming.

Old screenshot:

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I don't see ads on YouTube. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place to see them. Anyone have an example of a specific YT page and what I would see as ads?

I do not see any when I watch on my PC. ...... which I do most of the time. I do see them when I use Roku or any other streamer. Maybe my ad blocker is doing a good job. I dare not change anything just in case.

 

[5Miler]

Last time I looked into this issue was when I installed Pi-hole on my network. Apparently, the open source utility uBlock Origin which many web browsers such as Chrome and FireFox use is very effective at blocking Youtube ads.

Unfortunately, Pi-Hole is not very effective as it uses a different method of detecting the ads and would result in the videos themselves being blocked as well. So if using a streamer such as a smart TV or a ROKU device you will be in for a lot of ad viewing.

I don't run Pi-Hole network wide on my system but only on select devices as it causes me other issues I'd just as soon avoid.

 

[meleana]

We just finally dropped cable this week and the only things we’ve subscribed to these past years is Amazon Prime and The Blaze.

So we are just making do with what we can get on the smart TV. We are having a little trouble trying to figure it all out. I’d like to get our local news station live and Paramount for when the season finale of Yellowstone comes out but I don’t see apps for those, even when doing a search.

 

[JJpop]

This always happens to me. I subscribe to something and I don't get three months into it and they raise the price. It happened to me on Hulu, Netflix, and now youtube. I dropped the other two but I will have to stick with YT because we watch more on it than we do on TV.

EDIT:
Mine raised from $11.99 (I started paying less than two months ago on 5/29/23) to $13.99 per month.
They had a "pay $120 for a year - $10 a month" at one point but I never could figure out how to get it. I think it was a "new user" deal but I used a trial membership and I think that killed it.

Take a deep breath. Does 2 bucks a month or about 7 cents a day really matter in your life?
So many on this and the bogleheads forum made up mostly of very well off people always make a big deal out of Netflix or Hulu or whoever raising their prices a few dollars.
The amount of entertainment one can get from a Netflix or You Tube is astounding for the price in comparison to anything else in that realm.
Seriously.
Now if you never or rarely watch it why bother having it.
Complain about paying 25,30 40 bucks to park at a game or concert you just paid 400 bucks for a pair a tickets to attend.

 

[rmcelwee]

So many on this and the bogleheads forum made up mostly of very well off people always make a big deal out of Netflix or Hulu or whoever raising their prices a few dollars.

That is because we spent decades pinching pennies to get to this point. You'll have to cut me some slack, I'm doing the best I can!

TQQQ went up 2% today so I can buy YT for the next 1,000 years with the gain. I still don't like subscriptions increasing a month or two after I start them..

 

[Koolau]

Take a deep breath. Does 2 bucks a month or about 7 cents a day really matter in your life?
So many on this and the bogleheads forum made up mostly of very well off people always make a big deal out of Netflix or Hulu or whoever raising their prices a few dollars.
The amount of entertainment one can get from a Netflix or You Tube is astounding for the price in comparison to anything else in that realm.
Seriously.
Now if you never or rarely watch it why bother having it.
Complain about paying 25,30 40 bucks to park at a game or concert you just paid 400 bucks for a pair a tickets to attend.

I guess it's because we get tired of increasing monthly prices on EVERYTHING from Electricity, to water, to sewage, to garbage collection to Netflix.

Some things you can't do with out - Netflix is not one of those things. Vote with your feet and maybe they won't raise their prices. There are lots of ways to get entertainment. Netflix is just one.

 

[kgtest]

Speaking of garbage...ours is up to about $21/week to pickup our trash. That includes recycling every other week, and 3x a year we can put out a "large item" like a mattress or box spring or grill.

My YT music subscription just went up, but I didn't realize I could get youtube for just a couple more dollars a month and YT music was included. So I guess I was over paying. YT music was like $8.99 now they are increasing to 10.99/month.

 

[Koolau]

Speaking of garbage...ours is up to about $21/week to pickup our trash.

Do what so many people do - dump your trash along side the road. We see this in the Islands and it makes me sick!

 

[CincyDave]

Interesting. No ads for me. I've seen them in the past, where I had to wait at least 5 seconds before I could skip the ad, but it's been a while. Now that I state this, watch the ads reappear soon.

This is exactly what happened to me. Now the ads show for a split second and then it just jumps to the video. I watch on my laptop and don't pay anything for YouTube.
I get free Netflix from T-mobile and they just bumped up the price of the basic plan. If you already have it you are grandfathered to keep it at current price as long as you don't cancel or change plans.

 

[Focus]

I love not having any ads and not having to mess with it...but ALSO it includes YouTube Music (no ads, download mobile music, etc.) which has unlimited streaming of all music releases and dynamic playlists and such (i.e. competitor to Spotify, which BTW costs $9.99 a month, so one could argue ad-free You Tube is getting thrown in for free).

Combined, it has been a good value for something we use every day.

That's what makes it worthwhile for me. YT Music is my favorite music streaming platform and it has a great selection.

YT's ads had become absurdly frequent and annoying. Intentional, of course, to make us feel obligated to subscribe.

 

[2HOTinPHX]

I don't find the YouTube ads nearly as annoying as over the air tv ads. Try to watch the evening news and you get three commercials between each news story now. YouTube ads are shorter and more realivent.
YouTube is the best IMO...the content options are incredible.
Want to flash back to MTV days....select a music video and they just keep coming.
Researching products or projects tons of user reviews.
Interested in a hobby..tons of content.
While searching for info on aquariums last night YouTube suggested a video on an Ohio fish rescue. Ok let's check it out....WOW who knew such a place exists. Giant fish in large tanks..cool to see. Sad that the pet stores still sell these fish when they know the average fishkeeper does not have tank large enough to house them as adult fish.

Want to know more about a place? Want to go on a walking tour of a place.. YouTubes got you covered for just about anything...love it!

 

[Koolau]

That's what makes it worthwhile for me. YT Music is my favorite music streaming platform and it has a great selection.

YT's ads had become absurdly frequent and annoying. Intentional, of course, to make us feel obligated to subscribe.

Or quit watching.

 

[yakers]

Pandora just went from 4.99 to 5.99, not happy but will pay it, love Pandora

 

[Golden Mean]

I can download YT vids to watch when offline (like on an airplane) which I think is part of YT premium. Love YT premium, hate ads.

 

[rmcelwee]

Ah, I forgot something else you get when you pay. You can close the window (turn off your phone's screen) and continue to listen to music. We use this when we are at the fire watching stars. It also lets you "listen in the background" which might be a little different.