Google is pulling the plug on YouTube's TV-friendly browser interface
Enjoy YouTube's "leanback" interface while you can. A pop-up message on the streaming video site's TV-friendly landing page says it'll be gone soon.
There's no indication of when it will be going away or why, but Mashable reached out to Google for comment. The pop-up message makes it clear that TV watchers will have to turn to supported devices like game consoles or streaming boxes as a user-friendly alternative for watching YouTube in the living room.
"This version of YouTube will be going away soon," the pop-up message reads. "You'll still be able to view youtube.com, but you can get an optimized experience on a supported device." Users are then pointed to a YouTube help page that runs through exactly what qualifies as a supported device. (You probably own one.)
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YouTube launched the "leanback" interface way back in 2010 as a way to bring streaming video into the living room. It was a time when smart TVs were still in their infancy, Roku was only two years old, and game consoles weren't the multipurpose streaming boxes they've become.
Chances are high that Google is shutting down the web portal simply because, with so many other options, usage has tailed off. Did you even know this TV-friendly YouTube portal still existed? The news that it's being shut down is probably the most people have talked about it in a number of years.
We'll update this story if/when Google responds, but if you've been relying primarily on the leanback interface for YouTube on your TV, now's a good time to look into alternatives. Also: you might want to think twice before you rely on your smart TV exclusively for streaming video.
[h/t Android Police]
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
