Are there any YouTube plugins?

[acnp77 60]

@cayars Thanks for your reply. I hear what you are saying. But for me, as a principle, I do not use any OS from Microsoft, Apple or Google. I know it has it's disadvantages, so I have to live with them. I have been using Linux since the beginning, in the 90's. Linux is perfect for the servers, but questionable at best for the desktop, I know. But for me there is no alternative

I use Kodi on some RPi's, and it is really great. IMHO there is hardly any other device out there that has so good video-playback capabilities as Kodi on RPi. Also the the Emby plugin is great, especially the native playback mode. If my RPi can playback everything from my network shares, why would I get, for instance, an AppleTV that can not playback half of my stuff and force me to transcode? That makes no sense to me. So at home I only use Emby to sync my libraries etc. I think that is a great setup. That's why I find it a shame I can not integrate YT into my system. BTW: The Kodi addon for Youtube simply does not work properly.

I guess I will just get an other Pi, connect it to the TV, install Linux and use the browser. And as a remote, use a tablet with something like Teamviewer.

Edited September 26, 2020 by acnp77

[Carlo 4329]

So you don't like the OSes (Windows, iOS, Android) from those companies but have no issue using their services?

You realize a lot of code in modern Linux is from those 3 companies right?

I certainly get picking the best tool for the job and for servers that can often be Linux but for media playback it suffers horribly and is usually the worst tool for the job compared to the alternatives.  So I read this as "self inflicted wound". LOL

But I give you credit for trying to stick it out.

Personally I'd just get a MiBox-S and be done with it.  It's on an open platform (android) and gives you all the media services you would ever want to playback including YouTube.  It arguably has the very best Emby client as well.

[oneduality 8]

yes windows has a posix underpining .. they are different in many many ways, it's only recently that microsoft is coming closer for sure.. as in the last decade ( Microsoft certified engineer here, and Linux Admin )

I would love to see a better plugin architecture for Emby.. I'm edges away from using it's brethren Jellyfin since it's 100% free and open source fork, it's only missing a couple of odds and ends.. Emby suffers from bugs reported multiple years ago, and no major enhancements in a long time..when asked, they have what seems like a form letter response.. it's frustrating as a lifetime subscriber.  But with all that said, it's still top of it's game for certain things..  youtube isn't one of them, plugins in general isn't either..

[acnp77 60]

@cayars

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So you don't like the OSes (Windows, iOS, Android) from those companies but have no issue using their services?

Sure I have an issue using their services... but nothing is perfect, I go as far as I can, but there is a limit, even for me

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You realize a lot of code in modern Linux is from those 3 companies right?

I do not know what you mean by "modern Linux", but I highly doubt that my Debian Linux has any code from those 3 companies, at least the way I install it. And also I do not consider Android to be Linux, as many others do.

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I certainly get picking the best tool for the job and for servers that can often be Linux but for media playback it suffers horribly and is usually the worst tool for the job compared to the alternatives.

Picking the best tool for the job is a good strategy. But to say Linux suffers horribly when it comes to media playback, is simply not true. This may be true for YT, but for my local media there is nothing better than the RPi with Kodi on Linux. There is not one player with Android that can handle so many different media-types so well, and without any interfearences like unwanted upscaling or changing framerates etc.

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But I give you credit for trying to stick it out.

CHEERS

Sorry, I got a little bit off-topic now... I am going to continue to stick it out with Linux, would be nice if some others would join
Privacy and security are important issues, and I can not support companies that behave like the ones mentioned above.

 

Edited September 26, 2020 by acnp77

[Carlo 4329]

Media playback for a user such as Youtube, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Xudo, Tubi,  etc is what I was referring to above.

[acnp77 60]

@oneduality

Quote

yes windows has a posix underpining

Yes, since Windows 10 they do... but still a long way to go...

The problem with plugins in general is that they are often written by single contributors, and often do not work properly. Plugins are ok, but IMHO they need to be published by the core dev team, to work and be integrated into the main system properly.

For me Emby is by far the best product available for playing my personal media. The problem I see, is that they try to expand too fast. They support far too many platforms, too early. Much more important should be to ensure a bug-free core functionality first.

[acnp77 60]

@cayars

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Media playback for a user such as Youtube, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Xudo, Tubi,  etc is what I was referring to above.

Sure, in this case you are right.

Actually I was hoping to find other users that are in a similar situation, and could share how they solved it. (Linux and YT on a big screen)

And yes, sometimes I ask myself why I am making my life so difficult. I looked at the MiBox-S, and it looks awesome. But first thing I would need to do is remove the microphone from google-assistant

 

Edited September 26, 2020 by acnp77

[Carlo 4329]

That's an easy one.  The mic is in the remote, not the box.  So take the batteries out and setup a different remote to work with it.  OR use your own remote via CEC.

[acnp77 60]

@cayars thanks

Sorry, just one more question: When you say it has the best Emby client, do you mean the Android TV Emby client? And would you know if the Android TV Emby client has the option of using "direct paths" like the "native playback" mode in the Kodi client?

CHEERS

Edited September 26, 2020 by acnp77

[Carlo 4329]

This of course is personal opinion but to me the Android TV client has the best UI and functionality using a remote.

There is an option in the client if I remember correctly for direct play of media using UNC.

[acnp77 60]

@cayars CHEERS

[GiGo 103]

Another upvote from me for this, I'm not going to go down the podcast workaround as I don't use YT that much but;

What I would like to see in a plugin, either from the Dev team or 3rd party is the ability to have a 'Library' that you can log into with your YT account and then view your YouTube channels like you can Live TV, to a certain extent, ie Channel 1 - Then each video uploaded is sorted into date order in some form of EPG

I know it wont happen but that would be great to have!

[Carlo 4329]

You want the same things a Youtube subscriptions inside of Emby?

[GiGo 103]

3 hours ago, cayars said:

You want the same things a Youtube subscriptions inside of Emby?

To a certain extent, yes.  Like I said I don't use YT really, I don't subscribe to many channels at all, but (as sad as I am) I have subscribed to 'No 10 Downing Street' so I can get the latest announcments about the countries latest restrictions etc... so it would be good to be able to see the latest videos released in date order and it pop up under a "Latest YouTube Chanel Content" ribbon like the Latest TV Shows one.  I'm not fused about being able to search or browse channels I'm not subscribed too, but having that option would be great.  Not sure if it's possible.

[aefon3pfpn9wn9 0]

Another vote for Youtube integration with playback speed controls.

[buccinator 1]

On 1/24/2021 at 7:25 PM, aefon3pfpn9wn9 said:

Another vote for Youtube integration with playback speed controls.

here here

sharing/casting random youtube videos is the only reason i still use kodi

[Pasidua 0]

Another vote for either a YouTube plugin or else integration of YouTube videos and streams as items that can be linked and added to media libraries. In particular, I have a couple devices around that are set up to go straight into Emby (and to only use Emby). I can download videos from YouTube and add them to Emby media libraries, however I have no way to incorporate long (live) YouTube streams. I have several channels, such as international news, etc. that I can only access through YouTube (since they lack other ways of viewing them) and right now that's the biggest gap in my media devices: live news channels.

Edited April 13, 2021 by Pasidua

[Carlo 4329]

One problem with YouTube is that not all clients can use YouTube so the functionality can't extend to all clients.

[visproduction 122]

I've been working with Youtube embed options since about 2005.  I have not read everything in this post.  Just thought I would mention a couple of issues.

Youtube allows embed in other websites with some limitations.  Normal embedding resolution appears to be 480.  I have not found official code options to force a higher resolution on Youtube's developer's site.  They have a form where you could perhaps request it: https://support.google.com/youtube/contact/yt_api_form
There are unofficial methods to force higher resolution, but I think that would possibly violate any API agreement.  This could maybe explain the pixelation.

Normally all music videos and some other premium content is blocked from working with Embed.

Another issue is that Youtube typically changes it's any embed and security code regularly, I am sure to help block any non-approved use of their content.  If a plug-in is not following their guidelines and is not registered correctly with the development agreement it is very likely it will just cease to work.  Previously, I seen this happen as often as twice a year.

If anyone is thinking of working on a new plugin, it's probably worth looking into what Youtube approves for API development or you might spend many months getting something to work to find out it breaks overnight when Youtube updates.

I hope this is useful to your discussion.

 

[visproduction 122]

I have to say the Emby server continues to be impressive.  I just ran some tests and noticed some interesting results that can cause pixelation.  I apologize if I am restating what you all already know. I am sure this is also covered in the help documentation, which I have not read completely.

Anyway... the road to pixelation passes through some bottle necks. 

  Main Settings / Users / click on any user / Media Playback / Allow video playback that requires transcoding -- checked. 

Then any tested connection bandwidth that drops below the ideal playback rate, will start transcoding.  This is tested for each content playback.  So, videos with lower bitrates can pass, while HD versions with high bit rates will get transcoded, based on speed throughput results for each hardware and each playback request. 

If transcoding starts, then the quality depends on the numbers set in transcoding.  The recommended numbers are pretty nice quality.  I find that I can like H264 Encoding preset: Medium or slower and H264 encoding CRF: no higher than 32. for phones.  Even at that setting you start to see some pixelation in water, smoke, fog.  When does transcoding kick in?  There is an automatic throughput speed check and transcoding starts when the speed check is too slow.   I suspect the cutoff test is you have to download the content faster then the phone can play it back.

What was interesting, playing content on a phone on a local Wifi Network, passed inspection and playback was direct.  Everyone knows you can watch if a user is getting transcoded or getting direct playback in the admin account, right?  But, if I clicked on the Internet access IP for my server, transcoding started up for the exact same content. 

Hunh! Wait a minute.  I had to stop to think what exactly is different?  And then it hit me.  Download at my location is 200 Mbps, but upload is still only 10 Mbps.  That penny pinching host!  I will have to give them a call...  Phone with 5 Ghz band gets around 170 Mbps from the Internet.  Aha... I saw the problem.... Upload speed...   Server uploading to the Internet has to go several hops in to my host, till it finds a lookup cache table that redirects the IP data back to my Wifi router and that top speed is 10 Mbps. So, that route has a speed limit.  When Emby makes it speed / throughput test, the answer is no, this is too slow to allow the phone to play back without stuttering, then check and see if transcoding is allowed for this user... and then start transcoding.

At this point, if you don't have hardware transcoding support in your server, then the demand goes all to the CPU which, in may case, is 100% and very annoying.  Now depending on the transcoding settings for the server, pixelation can arrive.

There are other factors that get involved with playback, but have nothing to do with pixelation. Both the phone and browser might have built in time limits to download anything,  Waiting too long without playback, you might just get "site not responding".  The content itself might be optimized for Internet playback or not.  This would affect how soon you can start a playback for a large content.  Then the user can leave the playback on pause for some time which would work nicely together with a higher quality transcoding setting.  But users are impatient, so any long wait time just raises their blood pressure and if they can call or email you, it might only take about 30 seconds before that happens.

If you all already covered this in the post, sorry.  I just thought some of this might apply and be helpful.  I am impressed that Emby can handle these options so nicely.

Edited June 13, 2021 by visproduction