Opera browser issues

[robgul]

I've been using Opera on a Win 10 PC for about 6 months with ad blocking - just for watching YouTube . . .  it's been working fine until the last few days when it's been very slow to load, lots of buffering and resolution dropped to a very blurry 140 or so (which can be reset manually but still loads of buffering).

Using Firefox the speed and resolution are fine for YT - BUT all the ad blockers I can find don't work (YT comes up with a black screen and message)

It's a real PITA - anyone else had similar experiences . . . or can offer alternative solutions?

I've not tried Chrome for some time . . . but I'm guessing that YT and ad blockers aren't compatible given the parentage at Google.

[Stuart Anderson]

Using Win 11 with Chrome and some flavour of adblocker that definitely does its job with YouTube.

Will check later. Though a quick Google suggests this might change soon.

[Kim]

VLC, when it's not being the antidote to Windows codec problems, supports playing YouTube streams directly.  Usefully it *doesn't* support the additional gubbins needed to play the shitverts, so you get the video unadulterated.  Just copy the YouTube URL into the "Open Network Stream" wossname.

[SteveC]

VLC, when it's not being the antidote to Windows codec problems, supports playing YouTube streams directly.  Usefully it *doesn't* support the additional gubbins needed to play the shitverts, so you get the video unadulterated.  Just copy the YouTube URL into the "Open Network Stream" wossname.

Coo, so it does. Would never have thought of trying that. Thanks Kim.

[robgul]

Installed Chrome - same issue with resolution/fuzziness.

Can't understand why as YT using Firefox is fast and normal resolution/clarity of image - just can't suppress the ads.

Speed tests on the broadband are about 60 down and 9 up which is better than I'm guaranteed - PC is about 6 years old but that shouldn't be an issue, especially as Firefox is fine.

BTW - VLC sort of works but lots of buffering, to the point of not being usable.

Weird.

[perpetual dan]

I’d guess that YT can spot that you’re ad blocking, and drops the quality in response. A bit like the websites that put you on a “no cookies” version of the site if you don’t accept all the tracking and advertising stuff.

[robgul]

I’d guess that YT can spot that you’re ad blocking, and drops the quality in response. A bit like the websites that put you on a “no cookies” version of the site if you don’t accept all the tracking and advertising stuff.

Ah - I'll hold onto the cigar for the moment -  BUT the cookies thing MAY be the issue - I've just logged out of YT and back in again accepting cookies - and am running Opera with the in-built ad blocker turned on.  3 or 4 tests and it seems to be ad free and normal quality sharp/resolution.

I'll report back - hopefully one swallow and all that . . .