Shorts are YouTube’s answer to TikTok’s massive success with vertical videos. However, if you watch YouTube on a Smart TV, you know that the implementation of the new feature is a bit awkward. However, YouTube recently gave Shorts a makeover to make them more watchable on your big screen.
In a blog post this week, YouTube announced that Shorts is getting a new look. Until now, Shorts showed up in your feed and played the same way as regular videos, albeit with massive black columns on both sides. Now, those columns have been replaced by a white frame around the video and a grey-to-black gradient filling up the sides of the screen. The title of the video, channel name, and like/dislike buttons are displayed in the bottom right quadrant of your TV.
While the new skin of shorts is nice-looking and replicates the feel of watching on a massive smartphone, it doesn’t duplicate the experience of watching video after video on a mobile device. Nor does it roll along the same way it does on TikTok or Instagram. To combat this, YouTube lets you enter an experience like that via the Shorts shelf on the YouTube app home screen. You can also enter Shorts mode by navigating to a creator’s channel, finding a Short, and playing it. This kicks off the TikTok-esque mode, where an endless stream of Shorts starts playing.
YouTube Shorts for TV also makes great use of your remote control. When in Shorts mode, each button on your controller is dedicated to specific functions like pausing, viewing video info, and scrolling up and down between Shorts.
Not all Smart TVs will support YouTube Shorts. Some models manufactured before 2019 are incompatible with the new feature. And if you don’t see the new Shorts mode on your smart TV today, be patient. The company stated that the rollout will happen over the next few weeks.
Source: YouTube Blog
