View Youtube like a tv.

Lately I've found myself exploring Youtube more than ever and it's amazing how a website that was designed strictly for video sharing has become so popular. The sheer volume of videos is simply astounding and these days they cover just about any conceivable topic or idea. Against this backdrop, it was just a matter of time before Youtube itself saw a need to better categorize its content according to themes. Imagine being able to access a great compilation of Youtube videos by selecting clearly defined areas of interest and watching them live or tagging favorite items for playback at more convenient times. This concept is analogous to the content segmentation seen on live video and audio streaming devices like Amazon Fire TV, Roku devices, Google Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Apple TV, Samsung Smart Media Player and Xbox One to name the more popular ones.

Youtube Leanback was designed with the above principles in mind. Created in 2010, Leanback was described as 'Youtube designed for your tv'. It was designed for users to watch their favorite videos in full screen and in high definition where available.  The user can create a personalized 'feed' or list of preferences for continuous play of pre-selected videos. Even though I had to figure out how to scroll across the screen to select videos that don't fit in the initial menu display area (by using left and right arrows on the keyboard), I still think the interface is great and I've enjoyed using it.