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Show HN: I built a cleaner YouTube – no ads, sponsors, or doomscrolling

22 points by Nina_F 1y ago

Hi HN! I built SkipCut it’s like an ad-free, distraction-free YouTube with useful extras: background play, SponsorBlock, dark mode, playlist support, local history, download/share buttons… and it works on any device. No install. No login. Here’s the best part: It works just by replacing "youtube" with "skipcut" in the video link. You skip all the boring stuff — ads, sponsors, intros, silence, filler and just watch what matters. Why it’s different: No comments. No suggested videos. No clickbait. I made this for my kid, I create a playlist and just send a SkipCut link like: https://skipcut.com?list=xyz123 https://skipcut.com?list=xyz123 It plays only those videos and stops the doomscrolling. Just replace youtube with skipcut in the URL of any video Example: https://www.skipcut.com/watch?v=abc123 https://www.skipcut.com/watch?v=abc123 No signup required Would love your feedback, ideas, and bug reports! Try it: https://skipcut.com https://skipcut.com

gigatexal 1y ago
How does it work?
- Nina_F 1y ago
  It uses an embed player, like how IMDb or any website uses it. When I added YouTube videos to my website, I observed that ads never show there, so I made it and added a sponsor block too. Now, I can watch videos on any device or share links without anyone installing anything.
  - Leftium 1y ago
    I also noticed embedded YouTube videos don't seem to play ads. I am planning to make a beat-aware YouTube player, so I was wondering how ads would affect the timing...
  - netsharc 1y ago
    Some videos don't allow embedding though, for example the Formula 1 channel disallow it for seemingly all their videos: https://skipcut.com/watch?v=QGTErgNcpDM https://skipcut.com/watch?v=QGTErgNcpDM
    - Nina_F 1y ago
      Yes. Some videos are not allowed by channel owners.
Hiikyu 1y ago
just tried it out with replacing the youtube.com in url to skipcut.com and it seems like there is a bug where the video doesn't show keep up the great work!
- Nina_F 1y ago
  thanks for the feedback.
OdehAhwal 1y ago
[flagged]
- Nina_F 1y ago
  thanks a lot.
Leftium 1y ago
I also made an alternate YouTube player with a different feature set (for sharing/reviewing segments of dance videos) - https://youloop.leftium.com https://youloop.leftium.com - https://github.com/Leftium/youloop https://github.com/Leftium/youloop Your app gave me some ideas. Here are some ideas your app might use: - Load video by detecting YouTube ID/URL in clipboard - Hide YouTube "branding" in paused/thumbnail state. (Mostly to hide "More videos" UI) - (A-B) looping - Playback speed controls - Mute
- RobotCaleb 1y ago
  Please keep your paws out of my clipboard
- Nina_F 1y ago
  Most people won’t allow clipboard access, that’s why I never added the paste button. I’m already planning to use a different player to remove YouTube branding, playback speed controls, and other features. Thanks for the feedback.
Leftium 1y ago
A feature I would love to see in a YouTube player: better transcript view - Single click to open transcript - Transcript not crammed into tiny window in corner - Often I use the transcript as a navigation tool when (re)viewing a long video. Especially when I want to share a specific part of a video. --- And I found a bug in SkipCut when clicking a FAQ: - If the video was started (then paused) opening a FAQ starts the video (audio). - Possibly related? often the browser jumps down the page, so the FAQ I clicked is not visible unless I scroll back up. (Or maybe it is scrolling the FAQ to near the top of the viewport? It's disorienting. If intentional, a smooth scroll animation may help.)
- Nina_F 1y ago
  Thanks for the feedback. I will update it soon.
- djyde 1y ago
  Many language learning extension have this feature. They provide a transcript view beside the player.
ibdf 1y ago
This looks really nice, but... you went so far to remove all the annoying things just to add some annoying notifications... you get about 3 of them per video loaded.
- Nina_F 1y ago
  Which notifications? Related Sponsorblock?? I will add toggle to off them in Sponsorblock setting soon.
ponta17 1y ago
I just tried it out. This is awesome!
- Nina_F 1y ago
  keep sharing.
CHB0403085482 1y ago
Testing: https://www.skipcut.com/watch?v=eMP1JoYVnmw https://www.skipcut.com/watch?v=eMP1JoYVnmw

22 points by Nina_F 1y ago

gigatexal 1y ago

How does it work?

Nina_F 1y ago
It uses an embed player, like how IMDb or any website uses it. When I added YouTube videos to my website, I observed that ads never show there, so I made it and added a sponsor block too. Now, I can watch videos on any device or share links without anyone installing anything.
- Leftium 1y ago
  I also noticed embedded YouTube videos don't seem to play ads. I am planning to make a beat-aware YouTube player, so I was wondering how ads would affect the timing...
- netsharc 1y ago
  Some videos don't allow embedding though, for example the Formula 1 channel disallow it for seemingly all their videos: https://skipcut.com/watch?v=QGTErgNcpDM https://skipcut.com/watch?v=QGTErgNcpDM
  - Nina_F 1y ago
    Yes. Some videos are not allowed by channel owners.

Hiikyu 1y ago

just tried it out with replacing the youtube.com in url to skipcut.com and it seems like there is a bug where the video doesn't show keep up the great work!

Nina_F 1y ago
thanks for the feedback.

OdehAhwal 1y ago

[flagged]

Nina_F 1y ago
thanks a lot.

Leftium 1y ago

I also made an alternate YouTube player with a different feature set (for sharing/reviewing segments of dance videos) - https://youloop.leftium.com https://youloop.leftium.com - https://github.com/Leftium/youloop https://github.com/Leftium/youloop Your app gave me some ideas. Here are some ideas your app might use: - Load video by detecting YouTube ID/URL in clipboard - Hide YouTube "branding" in paused/thumbnail state. (Mostly to hide "More videos" UI) - (A-B) looping - Playback speed controls - Mute

RobotCaleb 1y ago
Please keep your paws out of my clipboard
Nina_F 1y ago
Most people won’t allow clipboard access, that’s why I never added the paste button. I’m already planning to use a different player to remove YouTube branding, playback speed controls, and other features. Thanks for the feedback.

Leftium 1y ago

A feature I would love to see in a YouTube player: better transcript view - Single click to open transcript - Transcript not crammed into tiny window in corner - Often I use the transcript as a navigation tool when (re)viewing a long video. Especially when I want to share a specific part of a video. --- And I found a bug in SkipCut when clicking a FAQ: - If the video was started (then paused) opening a FAQ starts the video (audio). - Possibly related? often the browser jumps down the page, so the FAQ I clicked is not visible unless I scroll back up. (Or maybe it is scrolling the FAQ to near the top of the viewport? It's disorienting. If intentional, a smooth scroll animation may help.)

Nina_F 1y ago
Thanks for the feedback. I will update it soon.
djyde 1y ago
Many language learning extension have this feature. They provide a transcript view beside the player.

ibdf 1y ago

This looks really nice, but... you went so far to remove all the annoying things just to add some annoying notifications... you get about 3 of them per video loaded.

Nina_F 1y ago
Which notifications? Related Sponsorblock?? I will add toggle to off them in Sponsorblock setting soon.

ponta17 1y ago

I just tried it out. This is awesome!

Nina_F 1y ago
keep sharing.

CHB0403085482 1y ago

Testing: https://www.skipcut.com/watch?v=eMP1JoYVnmw https://www.skipcut.com/watch?v=eMP1JoYVnmw