YouTube is enhancing ambient mode for Android because it wasn't quite distracting enough before
  • YouTube recently added ambient mode to its full screen video player, which complements its new rounded video player design.
  • Ambient mode works by illuminating a glow around the video window, similar to LED backlights for TVs, to create a more immersive experience for users.
  • A recent update has made ambient mode more vibrant on Android devices, extending the glow below and above the video player, but it can be disabled in settings if not preferred.

And the worst part (to me):

if a video is not formatted to take up your entire screen, an ambient glow has been added to the black filler bars

  • WaterWaiver@aussie.zoneEnglish
    26·
    11 months ago

    I thought my monitor was broken – the grey it tends to show looks like an LCD from a bad angle. If it were not for this Lemmy post then I’d never know it was a feature, not a bug.

    It’s much easier to watch with it off (it’s really distracting). Settings icon (where you find video quality) -> Ambient Mode.

    • Cralder@feddit.nuEnglish
      221·
      11 months ago

      I noticed immediately because I thought I had a giant smudge on my glasses. Super distracting and I always disable it.

    • BleatingZombie@lemmy.worldEnglish
      211·
      11 months ago

      My main issue is that it’s a buggy mess. The bars will be different shades and get stuck. I have to close the app to fix it (or at least had to now that I know I can disable it)

      Also, not really a big thing, but I bet it uses a little more battery than it otherwise would

    • T156@lemmy.worldEnglish
      15·
      11 months ago

      Personally, I dislike it because it makes my older devices lag noticeably, so I just keep it off out of habit.

    • shotgun_crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      11 months ago

      I disabled it after noticing it exists, which took a while tbh (it made some text harder to read)

    • Mek@lemmy.worldEnglish
      106·
      11 months ago

      Same, and when I have noticed it, I think it looks pretty nice at times. This is one of those cases of people just complaining for the sake of it.

      If people want to complain about actual dumb UI changes; aim it at the new Discord mobile UI.

    • Victor@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      11 months ago

      Some people do, some people don’t. I do, and find it distracting because it’s not subtle enough.

    • Plopp@lemmy.worldEnglish
      8·
      11 months ago

      You and the other two agreeing with you here I think. Personally I think it’s 100% a waste of resources. That shitty feature spikes the temps on my old laptop and the fans go nuts. If it was off by default I’d appreciate that feature (however there are SO many things I’d like YouTube to fix before adding nonsensical features like that).

    • sirfancy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      7·
      11 months ago

      For me, I can’t get over the obvious banding and gradient artifacts, and it’s just too distracting.

    • Octopus1348@lemy.lolEnglish
      4·
      11 months ago

      Same, but it would be better if it made it completely black when the light would be gray. So only show it if there’s color or the video becomes really bright.

    • _NoName_English
      2·
      11 months ago

      I’ve been wondering wtf it was doing this whole time. I’d been toggling it from time to time for what feels like weeks and I’ve never noticed what the hell it was changing.