YouTube acting weird: not playing some videos?

RuralWarrior · 10 Feb 2016 at 01:19

Hi
I've several devices at home a PC and 2 IPads one of which is brand new IPad mini and fully up to date, also a TV that gets youtube.

Over the last 24 hrs, some videos just won't play, yet will play on other devices. Some videos just stop half way or stop after the first few seconds. I first noticed it on my TV. Some videos play fine.
What's really weird is that on my Ipad, Videos that won't play on the YT app will play on YT via safari browser and vice versa so I'm having to keep swapping from one to the other. :confused:

On my IPad mini I have not yet logged in to Youtube but some videos still won't play so it can't be a YT account problem.

The internet connection as far as I know is ok because I can use other services.

The brand new IPad mini is having the same problem too :mad:

I use YT a lot probably one of my most important pieces of social media and this is really bugging me.

Please can anyone help? Thanks in advance.

asim18 · 10 Feb 2016 at 02:30

It could be an area specific issue. Most ISPs use something called cache servers dotted around the country. Basically your ISP stores popular videos on their own servers instead of getting it directly from YouTube's servers every time.

Are you with Virgin Media by any chance? I ask because they've had most problems (reportedly) with their YouTube caching servers.

Might be worth checking this to see if it fixes anything: http://www.chromeactions.com/
I find it fixes YouTube for a lot of people, but it only works on chrome/firefox so it won't help with the iPad sadly.

RuralWarrior · 10 Feb 2016 at 14:05

asim18 said:
It could be an area specific issue. Most ISPs use something called cache servers dotted around the country. Basically your ISP stores popular videos on their own servers instead of getting it directly from YouTube's servers every time.

Are you with Virgin Media by any chance? I ask because they've had most problems (reportedly) with their YouTube caching servers.

Might be worth checking this to see if it fixes anything: http://www.chromeactions.com/
I find it fixes YouTube for a lot of people, but it only works on chrome/firefox so it won't help with the iPad sadly.

Thanks for your reply.

I'm with AOL.

What you are saying is that it's the most popular videos that are the ones on the ISP server and those should be easy to play back, but the ones not on the ISP server are the ones I will have most difficulty loading and playing?

Pawnless Endgame · 10 Feb 2016 at 16:06

AOL... did I read that right or do I need to go to Specsavers? Don't think I've seen anyone use AOL in the C21st

Serious answer though - I use a VPN to get around Virgin Media's traffic shaping on Youtube. VPN is also great to get around that error message where it says such-and-such video is not available in your country.

Sliver · 10 Feb 2016 at 16:11

Pawnless Endgame said:
Serious answer though - I use a VPN to get around Virgin Media's traffic shaping on Youtube. VPN is also great to get around that error message where it says such-and-such video is not available in your country.

Interesting. How do you use a VPN then? I'd like to know as I sometimes get that YT error. I see a VPN setting in my W10 Action Center but I have no idea how to use it. :confused:

ikillbears · 10 Feb 2016 at 16:11

been happening with my friend and I recently both on talk talk. wouldn't worry too much. sure it will sort its self out. go for a walk instead

Pawnless Endgame · 10 Feb 2016 at 16:17

Sliver said:
Interesting. How do you use a VPN then? I'd like to know as I sometimes get that YT error. I see a VPN setting in my W10 Action Center but I have no idea how to use it.

See screenie :-)

I use privateinternetaccess (all one word), at $40 per year. I don't do pr0n or such but in principle I don't want some nanny telling me where or where not to go on the internet. Speed-wise, I still get the top speed that my VM tariff advertises.

Sliver · 10 Feb 2016 at 16:23

Pawnless Endgame said:
See screenie I use privateinternetaccess (all one word), at $40 per year. I don't do pr0n or such but in principle I don't want some nanny telling me where or where not to go on the internet. Speed-wise, I still get the top speed that my VM tariff advertises.

I see. So you need to pay for this service then. I'm guessing it's some kind of proxy? What service providers should I be looking at?

***EDIT*** ok privateinternetaccess

Pawnless Endgame · 10 Feb 2016 at 17:05

Yeah, a proxy is normally slow and the settings are applied only at the browser level. You normally enter the settings under the "Internet Options" section in Windows' control panel.

A VPN works at the OS level (and thus all internet services), with end-to-end encryption via the VPN's chosen server (reference the country/location screenshot in my post above), and usually at around the same speed as the ISP's advertised bitrate.

cainer · 10 Feb 2016 at 18:11

one thing ive noticed is that annotations can now be permanently switched off :0
nice, i hate the things, before i could only disable them untill i logged off/on

Pawnless Endgame · 10 Feb 2016 at 18:35

Cainer, you're a LEGEND, as I was after a permanent fix for donkeys!! Found it in Youtube settings, then it's under "playback" tab.

Edit: I don't mind subtitles if they're available (as I'm hard of hearing), but annotations are over-used "please rate, comment and subscribed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!oneone.one.2222222"

cainer · 10 Feb 2016 at 18:39

Pawnless Endgame said:
Cainer, you're a LEGEND, as I was after a permanent fix for donkeys!! Found it in Youtube settings, then it's under "playback" tab.

Edit: I don't mind subtitles if they're available (as I'm hard of hearing), but annotations are over-used "please rate, comment and subscribed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!oneone.one.2222222"

that option was always there, but it would reset every time i logged off/on or even just closed my browser, but now it seems permanent

RuralWarrior · 11 Feb 2016 at 13:58

I've thought that my ISP could be throttling my usage and stopping me using Youtube but even at 2am I can't use Youtube and I thought ISPs only throttled at peak times?

Also my broadband is unlimited.

dacads · 11 Feb 2016 at 16:39

asim18 said:
It could be an area specific issue. Most ISPs use something called cache servers dotted around the country. Basically your ISP stores popular videos on their own servers instead of getting it directly from YouTube's servers every time.

Are you with Virgin Media by any chance? I ask because they've had most problems (reportedly) with their YouTube caching servers.

Might be worth checking this to see if it fixes anything: http://www.chromeactions.com/
I find it fixes YouTube for a lot of people, but it only works on chrome/firefox so it won't help with the iPad sadly.

Yeah I've been having this issue as well, and it's annoying. Will give that a go thanks

Pawnless Endgame said:
I don't do pr0n or such but in principle I don't want some nanny telling me where or where not to go on the internet.

Don't worry, you're secret's safe with us bud.

Pawnless Endgame said:
Cainer, you're a LEGEND, as I was after a permanent fix for donkeys!! Found it in Youtube settings, then it's under "playback" tab.

Edit: I don't mind subtitles if they're available (as I'm hard of hearing), but annotations are over-used "please rate, comment and subscribed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!oneone.one.2222222"

But I need dem subs!

SexyGreyFox · 11 Feb 2016 at 16:43

I can report that when I click on You Tube videos recently it can take a while before they start playing.