We all know that YouTube's general interface is an inflexible mess full of details that aren't useful to the end user. Fortunately, there are alternatives that let us access its content without additional downloads, but we also have the possibility of using an external player. One of the most interesting is PotPlayer, which we've mentioned before. PotPlayer just received an update, and we're glad to know its ability to play YouTube videos outside the site remains intact…
First, Google blew up Google Vanced. Then it decided to aim its guns at one of its own products, YouTube Go, which stood out for its offline playback support. And if we judge the standard experience on PCs and laptops, the truth is that in Mountain View they have other priorities. To that we must add the advance of Shorts, as a direct response to TikTok devouring a piece of the pie. The Shorts format averages 30 billion daily views, and everything seems to indicate that Google/Alphabet will put its biggest eggs in that basket.
In other words, we don't expect any radical change in YouTube for desktop users. What's the alternative? Implement those changes ourselves, adopting new playback options. Both Piped and Invidious work perfectly, and remove all the bloat associated with YouTube these days; however, there's another possibility: Use an external player like PotPlayer.
How to play YouTube videos with PotPlayer
At the time of writing, PotPlayer received a new update, so I recommend visiting the official page and getting that latest build. Opening URLs is very simple: You can choose the URL option from the Open submenu, or simply press Ctrl+U as a shortcut. Once playback starts, in the bottom right corner you'll find quality parameters much more advanced than what YouTube offers. With that list you'll be able to select the codec, framerate, and audio independently, something ideal for creating your own playlists.
PotPlayer also supports chapters, and they appear correctly marked on the timeline. However, to jump between them you'll need to use the Shift+PgUp or Shift+PgDn combination, or open the entire chapters menu by pressing the H key. Finally, the gear icon in the interface opens the control panel with an audio equalizer inside, and if you click S/W (next to the video duration), you can enable the integrated DXVA decoder for better performance. Try it!
Official site and download: Click here
