YouTube rebrands TV web portal "YouTube XL"

Whether you call it ten-foot or lean back like Hulu Desktop, putting a TV-ready front end on your website is all the rage nowadays, and after six months of beta, YouTube is relaunching its Wii and PlayStation 3-aimed site as YouTube XL. Now accessible by any browser at www.youtube.com/xl, it's been stripped down to the basics (at the moment, that means no HD, or even HQ viewing option) to make YouTube work on the big screen, plus tweaks allowing control via Bluetooth remotes or some cellphones, like Android devices running Gmote. The HTPC crowd, those living without widgets and other direct access will surely find plenty to love, why not hit up the site right now to try it out?

[Via TechCrunch]

Gallery: YouTube XL

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[mahmud @ Jun 3rd 2009 7:14AM]

"why not hit up the site right now to try it out?"

Well, because as mentioned in your post, there are other alternatives offering HQ.

[Homeboy @ Jun 3rd 2009 7:40AM]

Not to mention content that's actually worth watching.

[Greg @ Jun 3rd 2009 7:21AM]

Just a note, you fucked up the link to Youtube.

Also, HD != HQ.

[L @ Jun 3rd 2009 7:21AM]

Who designed that? Looks and feels shoddy.

[superhobo @ Jun 3rd 2009 7:22AM]

It's www.touyube.com

[Randall Lind @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:07AM]

That how it looks on my HDTV when I access it from my Pansonic BD60 Blu-Ray player. However it is missing the HD options for video's some now have.

[Roberto @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:20AM]

So disappointed. I clicked the Soleil Moon Frye link and I get this PR announcement. I demand Soleil Moon Frye videos now. :P

[Chad @ Jun 3rd 2009 9:20AM]

I'll stick with my PC/PlayOn -> PS3,XBMC,Xbox360 combo for now.

[Hiattech @ Jun 3rd 2009 10:00AM]

So for those of us without HD, and besides Hulu and possible Veoh (and netflix) what other tv/movie alternatives are there? Are there any others I can watch from my Wii? Lookin to cut back on things so I'm ditchin my dish and tryin to find any alternatives. I have one of my PCs hooked up to the tv and a wii, so anything I watch using those is now my entertainment. Thoughts?

[MikeofLA @ Jun 3rd 2009 10:12AM]

What! No Apple TV or TiVo support? Come ON!

[YvonneReports @ Jun 3rd 2009 10:39AM]

It's about time that this trend finally picked up. I remember watching YouTube videos on the Wii a couple of years ago, and the novelty of it never broke the surface of mainstream media.

I'm genuinely looking forward to YouTube XL though. It's revolutionizing how everyone consumes media, but it's finally adapting to how young people have always consumed content.

- Yvonne Leow from www.yvonnereports.com.

[webon @ Jun 3rd 2009 11:43AM]

welcome miss Yvonne nice to meet you

[jesse.greathouse @ Jun 3rd 2009 10:55AM]

Does this have an MCE interface addon with windows remote functionality? I don't like busting out the keyboard for watching what teenagers submit from their camera phone.

[phinnvr6 @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:16PM]

Just tried it out on my PS3. Looks really nice on a big screen HDTV especially with the huge buttons and without the bright white background. However I think I still prefer the normal one.

[guyniraxn @ Jun 3rd 2009 1:25PM]

Soleil Moon Frye on the Wonder Years? Hell yes. I always hated Winnie Cooper, such a bad attitude.

[The Angry Intern @ Jun 3rd 2009 1:44PM]

I tried it on my PS3 with my 42" 1080p TV and it looked like crap. I didn't play around with it enough to find an HD video, but the standard youtube video just flat out looked like shit. I'll just stick with watching youtube on my computer for now.

[Ranger Rick @ Jun 3rd 2009 2:31PM]

I like this.

[youngcalihottie @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:14PM]

i really like it actually
it keeps everything basic and removes all the damn clutter of the regular page (including the ads so far)
i think ill even use it on my pc
*bookmarked*

[bearbear807 @ Jun 4th 2009 7:04AM]

i saw this yesterday on my ps3, the moment i went in i thought i went in some wrong website or some pirated website or xxx website lol! this webpage look so blend....... google put more stuff in it

[bearbear807 @ Jun 4th 2009 6:36AM]

i thought i went in the wrong website yesterday while i was in my ps3, it looks like a mock up website and inside everything look so blend google put more stuff in it!