Why Youtube on TV is not Mainstream

For about 18 months now, I have been watching Youtube on my TV.  At first, I was using youtube-dl to download the shows I liked, and I used a computer that was hooked up to the TV to watch those episodes.  About 10 months ago, I purchased 2 MK802 II's and retired the computer that was hooked up to the TV.  This new interface was usable, but just barely.  As time went on, the Youtube Android app got more and more usable on the TV, but it is still pretty rough for non-technical people.

Other TV devices that support Youtube tend to have similar issues.  The interfaces just aren't designed around navigation from your couch.  Unless you subscribe to channels that are more episodic, it is almost impossible to find content that you want to watch.  The interfaces are designed to allow you to watch that one funny video that you want to show a friend when they come over.

Youtube (or other similar services) won't catch onto the mainstream unless the interface gets designed in a way that competes directly with DVR and On Demand interfaces.  What is funny, is this shouldn't be too hard, since most of those existing interfaces suck!  Google doesn't seem to be taking the interface problem seriously.  As an example of that Google recently released Chromecast.  Chromecast is a cheap HDMI stick that allows you to stream video from your phone/tablet/computer.  Would your grandparents want to go into another room just to pick out what show they want to watch?  No.  You need the interface to start from the TV.

Youtube also has the problem of storing three different types of content: the one off viral videos, the vlogs and the episodic shows.  When people think Youtube, they usually think of the first two.  For someone who just found out about shows like Tabletop or Crash Course, it can be very hard to find similar content.  The TV interface for Youtube should allow you to enter in your interests, then try to match shows/channels that you might be interested in.  From there, you can try out an episode and subscribe after if you like it.

An interface that not only feels more natural for TV watchers, but allows you to more easily find content that you like is the only way Internet-based content will ever tackle the Big Media TV model.