Love that smart TV and all of the awesome apps that it offers? You may be out of luck when it comes to one of the most popular apps. There’s a new version of YouTube, but it apparently doesn’t work with older smart TV sets and other devices.
So if you’ve been missing YouTube, it’s not just you. According to a recent announcement on the YouTube blog, the company has officially launched the YouTube Data API v3. This is great, since it will open up new features, such as comments, captions, RSS push notifications, and flagging videos—making for a better overall experience. However, the update will leave some users with, well… no experience at all. That’s because the company has shuttered the old version, so it may have already disappeared from your favorite smart devices.
Of course, that’s only if your favorite smart devices are older smart devices. If your smart TV, Blu-ray player, gaming console, media streamer and/or other devices were made in 2013 and beyond, you should be okay. Anything before that may require a simple software update. However, there are several devices that will no longer be able to access the app at all.
“If you’re still using the Data API v2, today we’ll start showing a video at the top of your users’ video feeds that will notify them of how they might be affected,” said YouTube’s announcement (the video is listed below). “Apart from that, your apps will work as usual.”
According to YouTube, the devices that have been affected include the first- and second-generation Apple TV, the Sony Playstation Vita, Panasonic and Sony devices produced in 2012 and earlier, and more. If you have one of these devices, you should see the video above. However, it’s expected to be gone by late May, with YouTube saying that all apps using the old API will then display 410 Gone HTTP responses.
For a complete listing of devices that have been affected (and ones that have not), check out the YouTube Help page.
Steve says
Shame on YouTube/Google/Sony… The Sony BLU-Ray player I purchased in 2011 still works fine. So, the notion that I need to “upgrade” to a newer device in order to continue to be able to view my favorite YouTube channels/subscriptions is truly preposterous! I know that the discontinuation of YouTube support on my device (manufactured in 2010) is about money… It always is. Sony and many other companies had to have struck licensing deals with the various content providers whose apps appear in the menu of my Blu-Ray player & it’s apparent that the both parties are unwilling to renegotiate otherwise, an update to the YouTube API would be available for downloading. However, the obvious goal of hardware manufactures such as Sony is to get you to buy the newest version of a device even though your present one still works. That being said, I’M PISSED & WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER SONY PRODUCT EVER AGAIN & WILL STEER ALL OF MY CLIENTS, FRIEND & FAMILY AWAY FROM THEIR PRODUCT AS WELL. F— YOU SONY
J says
I can understand the TV no longer supporting this (because the interface is cheesy anyway). However, my Sony bluray is a cut above and I loved the way I could fast forward and rewind almost as if I were watching a disc. This pisses me off that a fully functioning player drops the top app, telling me it is “already up to date”. I might buy a Roku. I might buy an Apple TV for the mirroring capabilty. What I am absolutely not doing is re-purchasing a bluray player which is still in perfect working order.
ladylansing says
My LG Smart Tv just turned two yrs old this month. We bought this tv for the apps and both Amazon and Youtube bailed on us. This is BS to buy something and call a two year old tv an ” old tv”. If i was told these apps would quit on us i would never have purchase the tv to begin with.
Susan Lavigne says
This is a disgusting occurrence! I am so ashamed of Youtube for not providing us with a newer smart TV application so that we can continue to enjoy our Youtube favorites and subscriptions over our TVs. I am extremely disappointed in this company, to say the least.
Grant says
“comments, captions, RSS push notifications, and flagging videos—making for a better overall experience”.
Better in whose opinion. The experience I want is simply to watch videos. That’s what the app is for.
Joe says
I remember getting the discontinuation notice just like everyone else above. Knowing now that is about forcing our hand and making people upgrade equipment is just repugnant. But, what big corporations do is just sit in there high chairs and just laugh, we have no choice in the matter. The sad thing is just most people don’t know, and just bend over. I am not and won’t.
Naheed says
YouTube must find a solution how to update the tv because for me also same problem Hisense smart tv
johnny says
I think the tv brands should be the ones to fix this. After all, we payed for this app