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by discomrobertul8 283 days ago
> I wonder why anyone has to fight for an ad free YouTube.

90% of my YouTube use is on my smart TV. There's not really a straightforward way to block ads there. Used to be many years ago that a PiHole or similar would work, but they clued onto that years ago.
6 comments
zettabomb 283 days ago
If it's a Google TV, there's an app you can sideload called SmartTube, which doesn't play ads and has SponsorBlock built-in. I went from often using my laptop just to play videos without being interrupted constantly, to actually enjoying using the TV app.
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hdgvhicv 283 days ago
There’s a very simply way to avoid ads on YouTube tv — pay some money.

I spend less in nominal terms, let alone inflation terms, for my tv entertainment now than I did 20 year ago, even with Disney, Netflix, bbc, Paramount and YouTube subscriptions.

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Spare_account 283 days ago
I have a Chromecast with Google TV, and it allows sideloading of APKs. I installed SmartTube which is a YouTube client that incorporates Adblocking and also SponsorBlock.

It periodically has issues loading videos when Google change something, but the app gets updated every time within a day.

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master-lincoln 283 days ago
SmartTube works reliably for me on the smartTV for years now
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account42 283 days ago
If you are using an internet-connected smart TV you already decided you don't care about ads. No one is forcing you to make that choice though.
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fragmede 283 days ago
The straightforwards way is to give Google money to get rid of them.
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animuchan 283 days ago
Paid YouTube still shows some ads, so no, it's just a way to give Google some money.
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immibis 283 days ago
Not ones run by YouTube.
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animuchan 282 days ago
Not sure this is correct. For example: https://vanced.to/posts/youtube-premium-shows-ads-users-conc...

There's also this email from YouTube support: https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1gnaetv/paying_to_...

It reads:

> While YouTube Premium provides an ad-free experience for most content, promotional ads can sometimes appear for specific partnerships or limited-time offers. These promotions are often targeted based on various factors, including your location, viewing history, and account settings.

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