This difference is highlighted even further when the screen in question is a large 4K TV with screen sizes ranging from anywhere between 40-105-inches. If not optimized properly, this can result in a very poor viewing experience that leaves the majority of the screen blank and useless. This is part of the reason why YouTube is taking its sweet time figuring out the best way to showcase such content.
They initially tried to use the Jukebox style of grid layout, which was made popular by platforms like Pinterest, which rely on using multiple images to keep your attention on the screen. However, that proved to be too distracting for average users, who are used to only viewing one video at a time. They even tried to enhance the sides of the videos artificially to showcase similar colours and patterns as the video itself, to make it seem like the video was bigger than its actual size.
None of these worked out through, which is why they decided to stick with a simple interface that shows the videos as intended, albeit with a few cosmetic changes. This includes simple ease-of-use features, like the ability to like or dislike videos, the chance to read the full title and description, as well to go to an individual creator's channel to see all their shorts in one place.
This simple yet elegant interface also bypasses the auto-scroll style of a video presentation that was made popular by their rival social media platform, TikTok. YouTube realized that people like to have a certain level of control over what they watch on TV. So, they instead opted to go for full manual control of the interface, where you have to move the video feed to the next suggestion on your own.
The video itself plays on a loop until you physically stop the playback or move the cursor to the next option. You will also get intuitive controls to pause, play, and rewind the videos, so you can take your time scrolling through the things you like. All of these features and more will be part of this new interface that is expected to be rolled out to the general public in the coming weeks.
YouTube will be running ads between posts on this feed, increasing the ad revenue of YouTube Shorts creators, who until now were only limited to the mobile platform until now. This will make them more likely to stick to this platform, considering they already receive a much bigger share of the revenue generated compared to other such small-form platforms. Let us see if the users and creators alike accept these changes and embrace the new style of social media.
