Return "original" Layout to Youtube

[T3rminat0r]

⚬ PROBLEM:

It seems, like Google once again had a "great" idea, and instead of offering it as an optional feature, they're forcing it on everyone...
namely, the layout of youtube on desktop completely changed (just now, for me, no idea how the roll out of this will go...):
Player is where it used to be, but below it, is related/suggested videos, while Title/description/comments all wandered into the right sidebar, similar to the comments view for shorts.
⚬ SOLUTION:

Offer a setting to return everything back to where it's supposed to be, so scrolling down shows comments in the "wide" column, instead of the small right sidebar...
⚬ ALTERNATIVES:

Well, I guess an alternative for me, would be to spend way less time on youtube...
⚬ RELEVANCE / SCOPE:

I'd think ... a lot?
⚬ "SIDE EFFECTS":

Well, people used to phone screens or who love scrolling while reading comments might want to keep the current "feature" by Google, or those who want bigger previews of related content, but aren't interested in the video they're currently watching or the comments of it?

[L34T]

May be returned with next custom rules in ad-blockers:

• AdGuard
  youtube.com#%#//scriptlet('set-constant', 'yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS.kevlar_watch_grid', 'false')
• uBO
  youtube.com##+js(set, yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS.kevlar_watch_grid, false)

[ImprovedTube]

I think I found some of the new experimental flags, but not all.

So temporarily if you for example use uBO you can add these to your filters:

www.youtube.com##+js(set, yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS.kevlar_watch_grid, false)
www.youtube.com##+js(set, yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS.small_avatars_for_comments, false)
www.youtube.com##+js(set, yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS.small_avatars_for_comments_ep, false)

Here are the flags listed, but I don't know how relevant each of them are:

"desktop_search_bigger_thumbs_style": "BIG",
"enable_desktop_search_bigger_thumbs": true
"enable_desktop_search_bigger_thumbs_square": true
"kevlar_watch_comments_panel_button": true
"kevlar_watch_flexy_metadata_height": 90
"kevlar_watch_grid": true
"kevlar_watch_grid_auto_open_playlist": true
"kevlar_watch_max_player_width": 1560
"optimal_reading_width_comments_ep": true
"small_avatars_for_comments": true
"small_avatars_for_comments_ep": true
"web_watch_compact_comments": true
"web_watch_compact_comments_header": true
"wn_grid_max_item_width": 700
"wn_grid_min_item_width": 300

Also if someone comes here looking how to fix theater mode on the new UI you can add this to your userstyles until the addon is updated:

ytd-watch-grid[full-bleed-player] #player-full-bleed-container.ytd-watch-grid{
  height: calc(var(--it-player-size) - var(--it-header-size));
  max-height: var(--it-player-size);
}

ytd-watch-grid[is-dark-theme][theater]:not([fullscreen])[transparent-theater-mode] #player-full-bleed-container.ytd-watch-grid{
  background: rgb(0,0,0);
}

Hopefully someone else can keep investigating. I don't really have the time right now, but this can be used as a starting point

#2038 (comment)

---

as a feature here:

if (extension.storage.get('undo_description_on_the_side') === true ) { 
try {	yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS.kevlar_watch_grid = false;
	 	yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS.small_avatars_for_comments = false;
		yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS.small_avatars_for_comments_ep = false;
	}	catch (error) { console.error("can't undo description on the side", error); }
}

#2038 (comment)

[excessivegravitas]

One problem with the uBO fix (this one and variants I've seen on Reddit) is that it seems to truncate the bottom of the video a bit. You can see this on initial load. And the truncation behavior gets really wonky as you change the zoom level.

This happens in latest Chrome on both Mac and Windows when NOT viewing in theater mode. You can see it get applied on page load, on the rendering pass which applies the rounded edges to the video. Would be great to have an option to just remove this "round edges" pass entirely...

[Anoaxx]

only problem i see is people never liking any changes made by youtube.

[ImprovedTube]

hi!
Where to place the toggle representing it and how to call it?
(i don't know how many people get it now. Maybe half)

• Should we just undo the layout by default for now? (and hurry)

It also helps if you can list which features don't work with it (assumably only in our appearance sections: sidebar, details, comments)

hi @excessivegravitas, maybe?:
www.youtube.com##+js(set, yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS.web_watch_rounded_player_large, false)

And please check what other yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS you might get and add them here
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GidvMduxTl6jXpDCKj-sOPg8KSqDfCYO2OlCdBADaSI/edit#gid=0 ( @code-charity/contributors )

Thanks!

[jasonycw]

With current update, I would rather get an option to completely hide the suggestion side panel.
I use theater mode exclusively and it's so distracting when there are so many thumbnails under the player.

If I toggle one "To the left!" setting in Appearance>Sidebar, it goes back to the right but still have more than 1 column

[ImprovedTube]

hi @jasonycw yes, with youtube's layout experiment, our features need an update since the related videos arent in the sidebar then. Why don't you want to undo it for now?

[jasonycw]

hi @jasonycw yes, with youtube's layout experiment, our features need an update since the related videos arent in the sidebar then. Why don't you want to undo it for now?

Maybe my wording was off, there was nothing to undo.

I just want to say that there is no option right now that can fix the side panel. At most move it back to right side with that toggle.

It would be great if there is an update toggle to switch the side panel back to single column mode or hide the whole thing completely.

[ImprovedTube]

Hi! @jasonycw you can paste the new names of the elements?

[jasonycw]

Hi! @jasonycw you can paste the new names of the elements?

YouTube reverted the new UI changes for my side, so I am not sure about that.

[ImprovedTube]

if anybody still gets this, lets us know the names & path of the related videos below the player, so we can make our features compatible, such as hiding related videos!
@T3rminat0r @L34T

[jasonycw]

@ImprovedTube well, the bad UI is back, here are some screenshot FYI