YouTube has revamped its smart TV app to boost interactivity.
The video-sharing platform has unveiled a redesigned UI which makes the main video smaller to create space for a column featuring video counts, likes, a description and comments.
“While watching television has historically been considered a passive experience, one where you can sit back and enjoy your favorite programs,” the company explained in a blog post. “We’re building one that is uniquely YouTube that gives viewers the opportunity to engage with the content they’re watching, even on the big screen.”
“As watchtime on TVs has grown to more than 1 billion hours per day, we’re faced with a fun challenge: How can we bring familiar YouTube features and interactivity to the living room while ensuring that the video remains at the center of the experience?” the post continued.
YouTube looked for “a way to add greater engagement” to people watching in their living room, with “the right balance between interactivity and immersion.”
“We began tinkering with the idea of reducing the size of the video player and simplifying the interactions, so signature features such as comments can live alongside the content rather than obscuring it,” the post stated.
The new design aims to “not only improve existing functionality like accessing video descriptions and comments,” but also offer new experiences. These could range from “shopping for your creators’ favorite products” to keeping up with live sports scores.
