SmartTube Beta (Android TV) 30.34

git clone

github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube.git

cd SmartTube git submodule update --init adb connect gradlew clean installStorigDebug

Video codecs

Video codecs are the algorithms used for video compression.

Which codec to choose / overview

recommendation

hardware support

compression, bitrate*

quality

AV01

aka. AV1

best choice,

if your device supports

first devices started coming in

2020

best

(e.g. 1.6 Mbps)

same

VP9

best choice on most devices

most devices

since 2015

better

(e.g. 2.1 Mbps)

same

AVC

only for old or slow hardware

all

devices

good (e.g. 2.7 Mbps)

same

* Examples taken from the video-only track at 1080p @ 25fps for this video:

Dua Lipa - New Rules (Official Music Video)

At the same resolution, a

lower bitrate is better!

YouTube explicitly targets the

same quality

regardless of the codec. Older codecs have a higher bitrate only because they are less efficient. On Youtube, you

do not

get better quality by simply choosing a higher bitrate. Newer codecs have a better compression = lower bitrate = use less bandwidth = save the environment. This is a feature, not a bug. You should use the newest codec that works smoothly on your device, not the least efficient one. AVC usually has the highest bitrate. This is bad, not good.

Which quality to choose?

Currently, there is no automatic mode based on your bandwidth. But you can configure a default video preset yourself under settings > video player > video presets. The first option ("none") will remember your last selection within the video player. Any other preset is used initially for each video; if the selected profile is not available, the next best available option is used. You can still override the profile on each video individually within the player.

To decide the optional resolution / video quality for you, you need to consider a few limiting factors:

your bandwidth (choose only up to the bitrate that your bandwidth can handle; you can do a speedtest using

fast.com

by Netflix)

your TV's display resolution (the quality

might slightly

improve, if you select the next higher resolution, e.g. 1080p on a 720p display; but don't expect a big difference)

your TV's capabilities (e.g. HDR, 60fps)

Generally 60fps is an improvement, but if you personally don't notice (or mind) the difference, you can save bandwidth (and the environment) by not choosing 60fps.

HDR

HDR works only

if your hardware supports it

. It's a complicated mess.

Your TV must support it

If you use a TV box, that TV box

and

your TV cable

and

the TV must support HDR

Yes, there truly are different HDMI cable versions with different HDR-support, it's complicated

some devices (like the

NVIDIA Shield

) generally support HDR, but

not

the specific HDR format that is used on YouTube 😢

If HDR videos look looked dim or washed out, then check

this article

.

If HDR is not working

, it's probably not this app's fault. You might need to search on the web for "HDR" and your device name for any help.

Liability

We take no responsibility for the use of our tool, or external instances provided by third parties. We strongly recommend you abide by the valid official regulations in your country. Furthermore, we refuse liability for any inappropriate use of Invidious, such as illegal downloading. This tool is provided to you in the spirit of free, open software.

You may view the LICENSE in which this software is provided to you

here

.

Limitation of Liability.

IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MODIFIES AND/OR CONVEYS THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

FAQ

Q: Videos buffer a LOT

A: Try to switch to encrypted DNS like NextDNS. You can set-up such DNS either automatically or manually. To automatic set-up you can use the

Intra apk at fdroid

and the

"AutoStart - No root"

apk to make it autolaunch after every TV restart. For manual set-up

use this guide

.

Q: There is no result for the search that I say (Android 11)

A: They're some reports that the latest update for "Google app for Android TV" could cause this bug. Deleting the update should fix the problem.

Q: AV01 does not play / Why is VP9 slow on my device?

A: Because AV01 is very new,

most

TVs and TV boxes

not not

offer hardware support and

cannot

play AV01

at all

.

If your device has hardware support for a codec, videos using that codec should play smoothly. High resolutions might also be slow in VP9 on cheap TV boxes that don't officially support 4k. Your device probably can play VP9 videos even without hardware support, however this requires a powerful CPU to run smoothly. Fixing AV01 without hardware support is technically possible, but currently not planned and probably not efficient enough.

Q: Can you make SmartTube look like the original app?

A: Compared to SmartTube's UI, Stock Youtube and YT Kids are far ahead. However, we'd need someone who's skilled and willing to dedicate enough time and energy into making it. And into maintaining it longterm (incl. new features, bug fixes). All of this for free. If you are / got someone like that, please help. Not to mention that SmartTube follows Google's official template & recommendations for Android TV apps. It's Google's fault that the template is somewhat ugly. 😂

Q: Can the search page be improved?

A: It can be, but it takes someone to do it, similar to the above FAQ-entry. SmartTube is following Google's officially recommended design/template for TV apps and is using the official, preinstalled Android TV keyboard. Sadly, Google did a really bad job regarding the search page and keyboard. Maybe a future SmartTube update can add an embedded keyboard, similar to the original YouTube or other major Android TV apps. Maybe it can improve the looks to be as good or better than in the official YouTube app. But for now, it is the way it is due to lack of time and due to Google's official recommendations being bad.

Q: Can I install this on a Samsung Tizen TV / LG webOS TV / Roku / iOS / toaster?

A: No, this only works on

Android

devices. If you look at an Android TV's product page, it usually says clearly that it's based on Android. The app

cannot

easily be ported over to other plattforms and we have no plans to even try.

Please do not ask

. Instead, you can connect a separate TV stick or TV box to your TV.

Q: Can I install this on a smartphone? / Can you add portrait mode? / Scrolling doesn't work.

A:

Big No

. This app is

not

for smartphones, we offer

zero support

for that.

You

can cast

videos

from

your smartphone to a TV / TV box running SmartTube, though. Just use the official YouTube app or

ReVanced

, see

the casting section

for more information.

There will not be a phone version.

You can use

ReVanced

,

Pure Tuber

,

NewPipe

, or

NewPipe x SponsorBlock

instead. Please go to their respective support chats for help.

Q: Can I install this on a tablet / car screen / smartphone with docking station?

Yes... maybe.. Requirements:

it is an Android device

it has a large screen

it has a TV remote, controller, or keyboard

Touch input is not supported.

Mouse/touchpad scrolling neither. You cannot properly use SmartTube with only touch or mouse input.

Some users reported great success (incl. on a

car entertainment system

).

Please share your success stories with us.

Q: I get "unknown codec" / "can't download video" errors

A: please wait 5 seconds for the video to play. If that doesn't help, press the play button. Some users reported, that this issue only appears when they have a USB audio device attached or if their disk storage is full.

Q: I get "the video profile is not supported"

A. Press the "HQ"-button in the bottom-left, select

video formats

and select anything other than AV01. AV01 is

not supported

on most devices (apparently including yours), so select VP9 instead. See

the section on video codecs

for more information.

Q: I get "video unavailable" when watching unlisted videos / my own videos

A: Right, that's currently a bug.

Q: It doesn't show up on my casting list

A: Please read the

Casting

section.

Q: I get an error saying "Sign in to confirm you're not a bot"

A: Your IP address range might be temporaily/permanently blocked by YouTube from watching videos if you not signed in to your account.

Q: The video is buffering a lot

A: The issue might not be specific to SmartTube, as other unofficial YouTube apps also report this issue. It seems uncommon nowadays, but was very present in the 2nd quarter of 2021. Some users or devices seem to be more affected then others. The official YouTube app & website are apparently only rarely affected. The root cause of the issue is currently unclear, but it appears to be a server-side thing on YouTube's end. Possibly, YouTube is discriminating 3rd party apps.

For now, try to see if it helps to:

reduce the resolution (or chance it back)

change the video format to AVC

increase the buffer in the settings

hit the back button and try playing the video again

Q: The debug information says my display is 1080p, but I have a 4k/UHD display!

A: Do not worry,

the debug information is incorrect.

SmartTube works fine even above 1080p and you should be able to see that, when you play a video in 4k or UHD. Also do not worry if it says "720p" and you have a 1080p display.

Q: Why does it not autoselect highest quality?

A:

It does

(by default). If you set a

video profile

under settings, that acts as a maximum for automatic selection. Check if you configured a video profile, you can unset it by choosing "none".

Please do not confuse quality with bitrate

. See

the section on video codecs

for more information.

Q: Can I set a (maximum) resolution by default?

A: SmartTube automatically select the highest available quality for your video, up to a maximum resolution that you can set in the settings under "video profile". If available, SmartTube will pick the selected video profile, or otherwise the next best one available will be used. You can still always change the video profile while watching videos.

Q: Can it set the resolution to "auto", depending on my available bandwidth?

A: This is planned, but not available yet (sorry 🙇‍♀️). However, you can set a maximum resolution to something that should work for your bandwidth. See above for details.

Q: Why does it skip video segments?

A: SmartTube has a feature called

SponsorBlock

. You can select categories should be skipped, if any. See the

SponsorBlock section

for more details.

Q: How to start the next video automatically / stop after every video?

A: You can switch between different autoplay-modes using the loop-button 🔁

Q: How to remove recommended videos (e.g. news) that are unrelated to me?

A: Recommended videos are defined by YouTube and not by the app, we cannot change the algorithm. They are based on your country, which you can change in the settings. If you are logged in, they are based on your watch history, user profile data, and whatever else Google might use. If you are not logged in, you are like in "incognito mode", so your watch history does not influence your recommendations. Maybe a future version will add optional user profiling without logging in.

Q: Does HDR work?

A: Yes, HDR works

if your hardware

supports it. The

NVIDIA Shield

does not. See

the section on HDR

for more information.

Q: Why do some updates say "don't update if satisfied with the current version" in the changelog?

A: These updates change a lot of code, trying to fix bugs that only affect a few users/devices. Only the affected users should update. For anyone else, there is nothing to gain from updating; however there is the chance of causing new bugs. Do not worry if you updated anyways.

Q: When playing at other speeds, frames are skipped!

A: We currently cannot fix this, sorry.

Q: What is AFR?

A: "Auto Frame Rate". It adjusts the refresh rate of your TV to match the content you're watching. It can slightly improve the smoothness, but the difference is very small; most people barely notice it. It does not work well on every hardware. If you don't know what it does and don't want to test it out yourself, you can safely keep it off.

Recommendation:

You can turn it on to see if it works on your device; if it causes issues (or if you don't care to test), turn it

off

.

Q: Should I choose high or low buffer?

A: The higher your buffer, the more of a video will be preloaded ahead of your current position. A low buffer might minimally reduce your bandwidth usage, if you often close videos before they end. A high buffer can smooth out network issues and prevent the video from pausing to buffer. A higher buffer increases RAM usage, however this shouldn't be an issue.

Recommendation: high

.

Q: Can I retain the buffer when seeking back?

A: No, when you seek back (e.g. jump back 5 seconds), SmartTube will have to rebuffer. This might be improved in a future update.

Q: My device freezes when watching YouTube

A: That's a firmware or Android issue. If you are using a custom rom, maybe that rom is buggy. Because this issue is nearly impossible for the developer to debug, we cannot help you, sorry. You can try the usual workarounds: rebooting, clearing cache, reinstalling the app, or factory resetting the device.

Q: Can I remove videos from the history?

A: not yet

Q: Can I download videos?

A: not with SmartTube

Q: Can updates be installed automatically?

A: no, this is technically not possible. Only the preinstalled app manager (usually Google PlayStore, Amazon AppStore, etc) has the required permission. All other apps, incl. SmartTube can only show open installation prompt. A workaround using root would be possible, but hasn't been implemented yet.

Q: Can I whitelist ads on some channels?

A: no, this is not possible. SmartTube does not have any code to display ads. Adding this functionality would actually take time and effort, which is instead spent on adding useful features and fixing bugs.