If you purchased a Smart TV in the last three years, you will no longer be able to use YouTube in just a short while. The company has decided to stop supporting its apps that are built into Smart TVs.
YouTube apps will also stop working in any streaming device that was purchased in 2012 or earlier. YouTube is also adding Panasonic and Sony Blu-Ray players to the “no longer compatible” list.
Why the Sudden Changes Are Happening
YouTube claims that the reasons for the new changes are simple enough. The company now has apps that allow things like user comments, RSS notifications, captions, and the ability to flag videos. All of those features won’t work with older devices or older Smart TVs, so the company is just stopping any YouTube support through those devices. While it might make sense from some angles, there are bound to be a number of people impacted by this change.
Those that will feel the change the most are people that have an older streaming device (like an older Apple TV), or have never purchased a streaming device and rely solely on apps built into a Smart TV. If you fall into these categories, YouTube will no longer be an option for you. In order to get YouTube back, you’ll have to update your device - but you can expect this to happen again in a few years, and not just with YouTube.
Game Consoles Too
YouTube has just added some gaming consoles to the list of devices that the company will no longer support. Any console that does not have HTML5 or Adobe Flash will not be able to run a YouTube app shortly. While a lesser impact (since you can update your iOS device), any iOS device running anything earlier than iOS 7 will no longer be able to play YouTube videos as well.
Some Options
The people that will be impacted the most by these changes are Smart TV owners. Most people purchase a Smart TV thinking that they will never have to purchase a streaming devices on top of it. Clearly, this is not the case. But instead of purchasing a new TV, you can simply update your Apple TV device or Roku player. You may have plunked down a lot of cash to own a Smart TV, but updating a streaming device is a lot simpler and cheaper to do than purchasing a new TV.
If your streaming device is the problem, you will have to buy a newer version in order to access YouTube. There’s no way around that issue if YouTube is important to you. The same goes for any console or other device that will no longer run YouTube. If you need to have YouTube in your life, you’ll have to update.
Some Anger
This latest announcement by YouTube (Google) is making a lot of people upset. Some people really do rely on devices like Smart TVs to use apps like YouTube, and were sold those TVs with the promise that the apps will never go out of style.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case, and YouTube isn’t going to be the only app that won’t work on an outdated TV. Keep this in mind when purchasing your next TV, and go with one that’s not Smart.