YouTube Redesigned – What's New?
A very long overdue makeover to the king of streaming media has finally arrived. Internet giant Google completely redesigned the video site with the goal of making it seem less like a website and more like television. This decision seems a bit curious considering most major television networks are starting to embrace the power and connectivity of the internet by providing their the streaming versions of their programming.
The first most obvious change is the sheer customization given to each personal page. Instead of having semi related or recently uploaded videos as the main page when a user visits the site, users are greeted with the channels that they are subscribed to and recommended videos. While this change may seem subtle at first, you can quickly see the increase in navigational speed and usability it provides. The customization options for user channels have also had a makeover, coinciding with the homepage. While the hardcore users who use the site for sharing and the community it provides will benefit the most from the changes, average users might end up feeling a bit alienated.
Many people who visit the site are just looking for random videos or a way to pass the time. The design of the site isn’t really geared towards this anymore. Although it is still possible to randomly find the next best viral video, Youtube seems to be forcing its suggestions on you based on what you have previously viewed. This is supposed to allow the user an easier navigation experience, but for many, it is hit or miss. While Youtube is definitely putting more effort into making the video creation and upload process simple and efficient, it could hurt the basic user by making it a little harder to find those random videos.
Another big change is the integration of Google+ and Facebook into each video. Instead of uploads being published solely to Youtube, videos are now shared with the two aforementioned internet moguls. Not only will your content be shared, but you will be able to view content that is “liked” or shared among Google+ and Facebook users. They have even partnered with major celebrities and artists like Jay-Z and Madonna to help create to channels of professional content. It seems that Youtube is finally realizing that the mediocre content that has engulfed the site isn’t up to par with many of the competing streaming video sites.
Musicians aren’t the only ones that will be joining up with the newly redesigned website. Disney has recently signed a multi-million dollar deal that will give Youtube exclusive content. They have also joined with the British soccer team Manchester City to provide unique content that was previously restricted due to licensing issues. While already implemented in the United Kingdom and Canada, rental services for movie titles are going to be pushed into the US version of the site as well.
No matter what type of user you are, the changes done to Youtube will benefit you in some way. While hard to get used to at first, the recommendations and customization provided is definitely a breath of fresh air to a website that was starting to look a bit dated. Hopefully the new changes will only help bring new and professional content to the already massive collection of streaming videos.
Author's Bio:
Victor Daily is a blogger interested in technology and social media. Besides writing about latest news in these areas he has experience with cloud computingand as a website builderLabels: Google Funs, YouTube
