YouTube is a multifunctional video hosting service focused on storing, transferring and displaying videos uploaded by official developers and other community members.
From the point of view of social interaction, the service does not differ from competitors in the genre – the authors allow you to leave comments and likes under the video, share finds with friends and subscribe to channels for the sake of notifications and a kind of support.
And yet, the main idea of YouTube is not in social tools, but in content – on the pages of video hosting it is easy to find movies and video clips, travel videos and educational and entertainment films that can help you learn programming languages or search for ideas for gifts for Christmas or Halloween costumes. .
Features
YouTube is a storehouse of non-standard concepts and ideas that deserve special attention:
- All are welcome. Developers allow everyone to view content and be inspired by the world around, and even registration is not required. But, if community members take the time to prepare a profile, then video hosting will sparkle with new colors. A section will appear with recommendations where the videos go, depending on the recent activity and search queries of each member. Additionally, there will be a chance to write messages and make individual subscriptions to channels that are interesting to watch.
- Continuous development. At the start of YouTube, videos were only allowed to be viewed in 3GP format and only at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. Two years later, the situation changed – support for 720p HD appeared, and by 2015, problems no longer occurred when viewing files with a resolution of 7680 x 4320.
Similar trends in the development of video hosting can be traced in other areas – for example, monetization appeared, panoramic videos that allow you to view the environment at 360 degrees, changing the direction of the view manually, and no one even forgot about the ability to edit videos before adding them directly in the browser.
It is not known what prospects will open in the near future, but it is definitely worth paying attention to YouTube – the best way to spend your free time is sometimes not found.
Platforms and features
Developers offer to view the content available on YouTube pages in different ways: as an option – through the browser of smartphones, tablets or computers, or through separate software designed specifically for Smart TVs, iOS and Android mobile platforms, and separate entertainment stations that can play videos.
Both versions for browsers and separate tools for viewing are distributed, according to the Freemium model. Developers do not offer to pay for registration, personal recommendations or access to interface settings (on YouTube, you can change the theme, create an individual profile using banners and images).
Reviews and criticism
Community members rank YouTube as the premier platform for watching videos from famous bloggers, studios and creators. But beyond the positive reviews, there were situations when the service turned into a real headache:
- In early 2006, an American pipe company sued the video hosting service due to the influx of users who entered the domain name incorrectly (instead of YouTube.com – utube.com).
- In 2007, the service was closed due to frequent copyright infringement. Community members added materials that are prohibited, and administrators did not have time to remove inappropriate options.
- Since mid-2010, in the Russian Federation, video hosting has often been blocked by law due to extremist materials available on the pages of the service.
- There have been other out-of-the-ordinary materials as well, with adult-oriented content appearing on videos designed for children.
And, although the situation with YouTube has been different, the service still ranks second in the world in terms of the number of users, and outperforms competitors in the quality and variety of videos.
