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YouTube - Video unavailable on this Platform

A

AppleP59

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 24, 2014
349
4
The YouTube app was updated yesterday and now, since the update it seems more then half the videos I've tried are unavailable and a "This video is unavailable on this platform" error message appears. It occurs with both iPhone I tested (5s and 4s).
Has anyone else the this issue?
 
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It's the channel that decides which devices get which videos.

For example if you are a musician you might want people to hear your music but not on a portable device because then people might not buy your album.

Nothing to do with Google/YouTube crippling the service for iOS users.

Sometimes you can get around this by using a browser that you can set the user agent to more of a desktop platform like internet explorer.
 
RenoG said:
Oh really? Ok I'll try that thanks...
Click to expand...


Make sure you are trying random videos too. I have a collection of music in a favorites folder and a lot of those won't play on my iPhone they just work on my Mac and ATV.
 
cynics said:
It's the channel that decides which devices get which videos.

For example if you are a musician you might want people to hear your music but not on a portable device because then people might not buy your album.

Nothing to do with Google/YouTube crippling the service for iOS users.

Sometimes you can get around this by using a browser that you can set the user agent to more of a desktop platform like internet explorer.
Click to expand...

I find it weird that the restriction is only within the app. For example, if a particular video doesn't work in the app itself, it would still be viewable in the mobile safari browser.

Surely YouTube would want everyone thinking their app (and therefore YouTube/Google) is the greatest thing out there. It seems like they are only making their own app look stupid rather then stopping people watching mobile content.
 
zaredh said:
I find it weird that the restriction is only within the app. For example, if a particular video doesn't work in the app itself, it would still be viewable in the mobile safari browser.

Surely YouTube would want everyone thinking their app (and therefore YouTube/Google) is the greatest thing out there. It seems like they are only making their own app look stupid rather then stopping people watching mobile content.
Click to expand...


It's not googles choice. It's the owner of the content, Google/YouTube are just the path to access that content.

There are a lot of reasons to block certain devices. The musician reason like I mentioned. Also for a device that doesn't display ads (thus no ad revenue like the ATV). Or an interactive video (embedded links that don't work on mobile/set top box). Etc etc.

If it was up to Google they would allow all content and get more ad views. But it's not. Catch 22 really...
 
cynics said:
It's not googles choice. It's the owner of the content, Google/YouTube are just the path to access that content.

There are a lot of reasons to block certain devices. The musician reason like I mentioned. Also for a device that doesn't display ads (thus no ad revenue like the ATV). Or an interactive video (embedded links that don't work on mobile/set top box). Etc etc.

If it was up to Google they would allow all content and get more ad views. But it's not. Catch 22 really...
Click to expand...

I understand you are saying there is an option for YouTube uploads to block mobile apps from viewing their content.
But is there also an option for them to block mobile web BROWSERS? With emphasis on it being a separate option.
I've looked, but haven't found it. Do you need to have some sort of minimal amount of activity before having access to these options?
 
zaredh said:
I understand you are saying there is an option for YouTube uploads to block mobile apps from viewing their content.

But is there also an option for them to block mobile web BROWSERS? With emphasis on it being a separate option.

I've looked, but haven't found it. Do you need to have some sort of minimal amount of activity before having access to these options?
Click to expand...


I'm not positive of either question. I do know they can tell that it's safari on a mobile device for example, just not sure if that specifically can be filtered.
 
cynics said:
I'm not positive of either question. I do know they can tell that it's safari on a mobile device for example, just not sure if that specifically can be filtered.
Click to expand...

I just don't see how it benefits anyone
-Users don't get to view content
Frustrating, as there is no way of known which content will play/not play apart from trail and error
-YouTube loses users
And make user think they have playback issues
-Uploader don't get views
The whole reason why they would use YouTube service

Why would YouTube add this function?

----------
The Doctor11 said:
I think its a youtube problem. Youtube has a lot of problems.
Click to expand...

Indeed.
Navigating to and around user settings is next to impossible.
 
zaredh said:
I just don't see how it benefits anyone
-Users don't get to view content
Frustrating, as there is no way of known which content will play/not play apart from trail and error
-YouTube loses users
And make user think they have playback issues
-Uploader don't get views
The whole reason why they would use YouTube service

Why would YouTube add this function?

----------



Indeed.
Navigating to and around user settings is next to impossible.
Click to expand...

I mentioned quite a few reasons youtube added this functionality.... :confused: . It was user requested btw. You can only really be upset at the content owner. Keep in mind prior to these functions music selection on youtube was extremely limited, generally rip offs and then generally removed on copyright restrictions.

Lets put it this way. If you had a channel on YouTube that was so big you not only turned a profit from it but you made a living doing it would you want people watching the videos on ad free devices? What if your videos were high production and cost you quite a bit of money to make?

However the way it SHOULD work is when using your iPhone you can't even find videos that won't play. I don't have a good example because frankly I can't find any videos that don't play. But another example would be Beck - Blue Moon. You can't find Beck's official VEVO video when searching on an AppleTV (user name BeckVEVO). Without another device you wouldn't even know of its existence and not care.
 
The Doctor11 said:
I think its a youtube problem. Youtube has a lot of problems.
Click to expand...

cynics said:
I mentioned quite a few reasons youtube added this functionality.... :confused: . It was user requested btw. You can only really be upset at the content owner. Keep in mind prior to these functions music selection on youtube was extremely limited, generally rip offs and then generally removed on copyright restrictions.

Lets put it this way. If you had a channel on YouTube that was so big you not only turned a profit from it but you made a living doing it would you want people watching the videos on ad free devices? What if your videos were high production and cost you quite a bit of money to make?

However the way it SHOULD work is when using your iPhone you can't even find videos that won't play. I don't have a good example because frankly I can't find any videos that don't play. But another example would be Beck - Blue Moon. You can't find Beck's official VEVO video when searching on an AppleTV (user name BeckVEVO). Without another device you wouldn't even know of its existence and not care.
Click to expand...

I'm still not totally sure the uploader settings are the reason for the error message. As there is also a error message "This content owner has not made this video available on mobiles Add to playlist to watch it later on a PC." Which seems to be the restriction you are talking about.

So any other ideas about "This video is unavailable on this platform" error message?
 
YouTube - Video unavailable on this Platform

zaredh said:
I'm still not totally sure the uploader settings are the reason for the error message. As there is also a error message "This content owner has not made this video available on mobiles Add to playlist to watch it later on a PC." Which seems to be the restriction you are talking about.



So any other ideas about "This video is unavailable on this platform" error message?
Click to expand...


Post a couple PG links that won't work. I'm having trouble finding any.

Edit.

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/3008107?hl=en&ref_topic=29378

It's the owner of the content restricting use on mobile devices.
 
Last edited:
cynics said:
Post a couple PG links that won't work. I'm having trouble finding any.
Click to expand...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eLhpHjmxNw8
-When played in an iPhone Safari comes up with "This content owner has not made this video available on mobiles Add to playlist to watch it later on a PC."

-And in the YouTube app comes up with "This video is unavailable on this platform"


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dS6H1uanvOY
-In the YouTube app comes up with "This video is unavailable on this platform"

-But in the iPhone Safari works fine.
 
YouTube - Video unavailable on this Platform

zaredh said:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eLhpHjmxNw8

-When played in an iPhone Safari comes up with "This content owner has not made this video available on mobiles Add to playlist to watch it later on a PC."



-And in the YouTube app comes up with "This video is unavailable on this platform"





https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dS6H1uanvOY

-In the YouTube app comes up with "This video is unavailable on this platform"



-But in the iPhone Safari works fine.
Click to expand...


Looks like it's just the app reporting a generic message. Read my edit above about the app specifically.
 
zaredh said:
Thanks.
How easy was that info to find by the way?
Click to expand...

Too easy for us to be going back and forth for so long about this. Lol. Just google searched that error and it was the top link.

Messing around with my youtube channel under a video and advanced I can change the distribution or at least I would if I was a monetized partner with youtube (option is grayed out) so I can't dive and further into the settings.
 
zaredh said:
I'm still not totally sure the uploader settings are the reason for the error message. As there is also a error message "This content owner has not made this video available on mobiles Add to playlist to watch it later on a PC." Which seems to be the restriction you are talking about.

So any other ideas about "This video is unavailable on this platform" error message?
Click to expand...

I really think its youtube. I don't know of a setting to make it videos only aviable on a computer. And I don't know why someone would do that any way.
 
The Doctor11 said:
I really think its youtube. I don't know of a setting to make it videos only aviable on a computer. And I don't know why someone would do that any way.
Click to expand...
Well, the how and the why have been mentioned in some of the previous posts.
 
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