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Very glad to hear this. Well done.


However, please explain how people can watch these videos via a smart TV; preferably using the standard free YouTube app (NOT the paid YouTube TV app).


I am asking because I need a solution for our HODs events in September 2020. I do not have access to a smart TV so cannot experiment myself, but believe that the YouTube app's on-screen keyboard does not offer either a "/" symbol, or capital letters. Unless perhaps there is some hidden trick to obtain these?


Also, although it's possible to attach a USB keyboard to some smart TVs, apparently the YouTube app ignores these?


"More advanced students" might be able to "cast" a video from another device, or perhaps to use another device as a remote keyboard; but that requires skill, suitable equipment, & persistence.


Thanks for any advice.

Richard, I saw your conversation with Graham Turner‍ but he covered most of the points except some specific points you raised in this post.


Many (but not all) Smart TVs do include a YouTube application and generally you can use that without any login and you can search for any YouTube content via the search capabilities that it provides, but any character input is via an onscreen keyboard. Some Smart TVs do support bluetooth keyboards for text entry. I would even say some do support USB keyboards, but the support is not universal as this depends not on YouTube but on the TV manufacturer supporting keyboards. Note not having the '/' I would have to check, but I see no reason why you need it as YouTube is just an standalone app run on the TV and is not a web browser so you do not need to enter any URLs which is the only thing I would believe would need that symbol for.


However this is not the main approach to consumption, as they do offer the ability to login to YouTube so you have access to any of the subscriptions or search history that is associated with your login - which is a 'Google' enabled login. Then all you need to do is 'subscribe' to the channel (which is free) and it will be available everywhere you watch YouTube with your login. You set this up on any mobile phone, tablet or PC and then use the same account on the TV. This is free, there is no cost. YouTube TV is an entirely separately service that just happens to be added to your 'Google' enabled login and is not available outside of the US. There is a paid tier of YouTube called YouTube Premium which cuts the adverts and gives you offline video playback. YouTube also offers some premium content on a transactional basis, such as movies. All of this is via a Freemium model.


There are two ways to login, one is via entering the details via the remote but also there is an approach where you can login on a phone/web browser and 'pair' your account to your TV YouTube app. This makes it much easier and there are instuctions available online to be able to do this and the app on the TV generally will take you through this if you select the login option.


An additional way to use Youtube is to 'Cast' from your phone or web browser to the TV, which uses your account directly. For this you use the built-in YouTube app on the TV, or you can have an enhanced experience by having either a Chromecast device connected to the TV or you can get the same feature through an Android TV STB that you can buy from man places such as from NVIDIA or from Mi. In other words you could do it now by just buying one of these devices for £30 - https://store.google.com/gb/product/chromecast


Casting is not particularly complex as long as you have an Android or Apple mobile phone provided in the last four or five years and the relevant YouTube App on phone and TV, and you have some understanding of the name that the TV is on your network that would automatically show up in the 'Cast to' dialogue.


Does this help?

Ian Nock:

Many (but not all) Smart TVs do include a YouTube application and generally you can use that without any login and you can search for any YouTube content via the search capabilities that it provides, but any character input is via an onscreen keyboard. Some Smart TVs do support bluetooth keyboards for text entry. I would even say some do support USB keyboards, but the support is not universal as this depends not on YouTube but on the TV manufacturer supporting keyboards. Note not having the '/' I would have to check, but I see no reason why you need it as YouTube is just an standalone app run on the TV and is not a web browser so you do not need to enter any URLs which is the only thing I would believe would need that symbol for.


<snip>

There are two ways to login, one is via entering the details via the remote but also there is an approach where you can login on a phone/web browser and 'pair' your account to your TV YouTube app. This makes it much easier and there are instuctions available online to be able to do this and the app on the TV generally will take you through this if you select the login option.


An additional way to use Youtube is to 'Cast' from your phone or web browser to the TV, which uses your account directly. For this you use the built-in YouTube app on the TV, or you can have an enhanced experience by having either a Chromecast device connected to the TV or you can get the same feature through an Android TV STB that you can buy from man places such as from NVIDIA or from Mi. In other words you could do it now by just buying one of these devices for £30 - https://store.google.com/gb/product/chromecast


Casting is not particularly complex as long as you have an Android or Apple mobile phone provided in the last four or five years and the relevant YouTube App on phone and TV, and you have some understanding of the name that the TV is on your network that would automatically show up in the 'Cast to' dialogue.

Many thanks for answering. My TV has a smart brass funnel, but as the fire under its steam boiler went cold several years ago, a streaming box is unlikely to help. ;)

BTW. Enthusiasts suggest building your own streaming box, using a low-cost Raspberry PI + open source software; something the IET might promote as a learning project; particularly as this is a quick-win "assembly" project which does not require people to learn complicated electronics or heavy coding, but which results in creating something useful using a blend of modern hardware and software?


My particular quest this year, is to provide a free-to-attend online event which can be enjoyed by as wide a range of visitors as possible. Usually we offer a free-to-attend physical event and get a whole range of visitors, up to and including people in their nineties.


I have chosen YouTube, because it does not require visitors to book, to have a subscription, to log in, or to download any special software. Also, it is available on most devices which have Internet access... including modern TVs.


But I am now discovering that almost no-one uses their fancy TV for watching anything apart from TV programmes or commercial streaming services. The few people who do use YouTube and other apps, have often had their TV set up by an "expert" or enthusiastic relative.


Recently, I even asked a store manageress who was busy carting away a batch of unsold 4k TV; she relies on a niece to set-up her own TV.


So the original "promise" that smart TVs would offer access to a wealth of online information, seems to have failed. Perhaps that is why there was no discussion about helping children from disadvantaged families - many of whom will have a modern TV - to use it to access learning whilst schools were closed? All media reports lamented the shortage of "laptops"; there was no mention of eg. providing (cheap) USB keyboards even as a stop-gap.


To make it easy for visitors to find our online videos and events, I am providing several aids:

• For PC / Mac / Tablet users: Full URL hyperlinks and shortened bit.ly links

• For Smartphone users: QR Codes 

• But is there really nothing available to help TV users?

Because the on-screen keyboard of the TV's YouTube app appears not to offer a "/" character, visitors cannot easily type the shortened link: bit.ly/234hhhh


Trying to use a typical TV remote control to enter data, is particularly frustrating for older people and those with poor eyesight: It is hard to focus on the tiny buttons of the remote control... then on the on-screen keyboard on the distant TV... then on the remote control... then on... 


Apparently, the TV's YouTube app. ignores any USB or Bluetooth keyboard connected to the TV?


"Searching" using the TV's YouTube app also seems unnecessarily obstructive; inevitably, it returns lots of irrelevant results.


So, how do I provide easy access for potential visitors perhaps in their 80s & 90s who - even if they own a mobile phone, it might be a "basic" model (only for emergencies) - and probably do not have a YouTube account? Such people would usually come to our physical events.


I am very disappointed that so many people have been persuaded to buy such poorly designed (imported) TVs; presumably on the promise of great things? I am also disappointed that people in the industry & government do not seem to understand or care about this situation?