YouTube is an OK streamer but I made it better with these 5 hacks 2025

Summary

• If you’re going to watch YouTube on your TV, be sure to use your Watch Later playlist and hunt down long-form videos.
• It may be worth paying for YouTube Premium to strip out ads.
• Remember, there are many movies available through YouTube, including purchases, rentals, and free titles.

Something you might be surprised to learn is that in the US, most people don’t prefer YouTube on their

phones
and computers — they’re

watching on their TV
. It makes sense, really. The production quality of many YouTube channels is now close to broadcast networks, but with the advantage of being tailored to your interests. Why bore yourself with tired “reality” shows when you could be indulging your fascination with sewing, politics,

powerlifting
, and Warhammer? Even if you do like broadcast TV, many networks are hosting their material on YouTube anyway.

For maximum enjoyment, don’t consume YouTube on TV the same way you would on mobile devices. There are several tips you can use to greatly enhance the experience.

1

Live and breathe the Watch Later playlist

Curate your own personal stream

If you only look for videos when you’re about to start a viewing session, you may not find anything good enough to hold your attention. Instead, remember to use the Save to Watch Later option whenever you stumble across something interesting during the week (on your phone, computer, or TV). You’ll build a list of videos to choose from, and the more you add, the longer your streaming can continue uninterrupted by weird algorithm recommendations.

To improve things further, dip into editing the playlist occasionally to change the order of videos and remove watched/unwanted clips. Think of it like creating personal viewing blocks — chances are that when you’re in the mood for comedy, you’ll want a few comedy videos in a row, rather than having news clips and fitness tutorials mixed in. Maybe that’s exactly what you’re after — it’s up to you.

2

Consider subscribing to YouTube Premium

That dreaded S word

s.

YouTube Premium
is sometimes criticized as a bad deal, but subscribing gains a lot more value when YouTube becomes one of your main streaming services. You don’t need it, strictly speaking — but removing ads will dramatically improve your experience, making YouTube feel closer to Netflix or (more aptly) Nebula. As a bonus, some of the money from Premium goes to supporting the creators you’re watching.

I actually do watch without Premium, but the price for that is keeping my remote handy to skip ads. Even 15-minute videos can sometimes have multiple ad breaks these days, and Google is a little ridiculous with what it allows as “ads” — I’ve seen its algorithms insert full-length shows and music video

3

Focus on consuming long-form content

Settle in and relax

While 30-second videos might be fine when you’ve only got a few minutes to spare on your phone, they don’t make much sense when you’re trying to relax on your couch in front of a 60-inch home theater setup. You’re going to be inundated with ads, and TikTok-style shorts usually aren’t very satisfying in the end. This is your opportunity to sink deeper into content, whatever your interests might be.

If you’re not already subscribed to a few long-form video channels, one way of discovering longer content is to search for topics on your phone or computer and use the Filters menu to highlight videos over 20 minutes. Add some of these to your Watch Later playlist, and hopefully, you’ll find something that clicks with you.

4

Take advantage of free (and paid) movies

All-in-one entertainment

A surprising number of movies are available for free on YouTube. Some of these are bootleg copies, or outright scams trying to get you to click a link, but there are also fully legal movies available, whether because they’re public domain or the ad revenue is worth it to the studio. You can watch the Andrey Tarkovsky classic Stalker, for example, or the original 1922 version of Nosferatu.

In some countries you can also buy or rent movies, including the latest blockbusters. In fact YouTube is my preferred way to rent things now, since I know I’ll be able to watch on almost any device I own, even my

Nest Hub
. There are advantages to renting from some other platforms, but YouTube makes things dead simple and consolidated — which is a good thing in this case.

5

Optimize your TV’s audio and video settings

Time for maximum immersion

While the YouTube app doesn’t have many settings of its own, be sure to check the video and audio settings on your TV, especially if you’re using an add-on media streamer like the Apple TV 4K. If an add-on device is plugged into an

outdated HDMI port
or can’t detect external speakers, you might be missing out on the full experience. Some YouTube videos now support 4K HDR (high dynamic range), and you may even run across some mixed for 5.1-channel surround sound. Just don’t expect 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X.

In fact, the same settings a cinephile would choose should apply here. Disable motion smoothing, tweak brightness and contrast, and make sure color balance is set to your preferences, whether warm or cool. Sometimes these things can make all the difference to whether a video is pleasant or an ugly mess.