Are YouTube taking note of iDesktop.tv?

We have recently been noticing new features appearing on YouTube that iDesktop.tv has had for some time now - Popout Players and Lights Off Features.

Pop out Players

iDesktop.tv allows users to open up their video/playlist into another window.

iDesktop.tv Pop-out window

YouTube now has a button to open the video in another window.

YouTube Pop-out window

Lights out Feature

iDesktop.tv Lights out Feature

YouTube have now released the feature to turn the lights out around the video.

Are YouTube keeping a close eye on iDesktop.tv and our features? - We would like to hope so

iDesktop.tv is in the TechCrunch News Again!

TechCrunch Europe once again have heaped praise on the new version of iDesktop.tv

Here is what they wrote..

“We last covered iDesktop.tv (formerly YouTube Desktop) in February, when they launched a new version of their player. But that was a relatively incremental update by comparison to this total relaunch of the service, the result of two years’ research and beta testing.

In case you missed our previous coverage, iDesktop.tv is a web-based interface for YouTube that allows greater customisation and control. It also allows videos to be saved locally and watched offline in customisable players.

The new features include a cleaner design, easier embedding, branding and customisation options, new player types, themes, faster downloads (now including MP3), playlists and a bunch of things under the hood to make the whole service run more smoothly.

The legal and moral implications of this service remain unanswered, though it seems clear that iDesktop.tv is moving in quite a different direction to Nick Bell’s Quick.tv, which was originally perceived as a competitor. ”

You can read the article in full at TechCrunch Europe

How To Add a YouTube Video to Your WebSite using iDesktop.tv Custom Players

When we originally launched iDesktop.tv we had many users suggesting we create Custom Players to allow users to embed videos from YouTube using the iDesktop.tv player.

Embedding Videos has become increasingly more popular on websites as the whole process to embed videos is a whole lot easier. Users can now grab embed code from websites and add it to their website code. The embedded video then appears in the website, steaming the videos from a hosting server.

With iDesktop.tv you can now create Custom Players that embed right into your websites. After you have chosen how your player looks in our step guide we then provide you with the embed code for you to embed your video.

The great advantage of using iDesktop.tv to embed YouTube videos is that you can change which videos are shown or how the player looks without re-embedding your code again. When you make any changes to your custom players and hit save, the player dynamically updates in your website.

With iDesktop.tv you can embed videos from YouTube video channels, results of a video search, favorite videos, YouTube video categories and video playlists.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create Custom Players and embed them into your website.

1. Click on “Custom Players” found in the top menu

2. This is the window where your Custom Players are stored. To get started click “Create a new player”

3. Through this wizard you will be able to create and customize your player to your exact needs. In this first window you will need to choose exactly where you want your videos used in the player, to come from. When you have chosen your video source, hit Next

4. You will now need to create a name for your player and choose your player and playlist type. Hit Next

5. In this window you can customize exactly how the player looks and feels. (Please note depending on which player type you chose this window will look different). When you are finished here hit Next

6. The next screen is where you specify what your playlist in the player looks like. Change the settings to your needs and click Next

7. If you are on a Business Plan you can add advertising to your video here. You can choose from pre, mid and post roll adverts

8. Click Preview to see your Custom Player

9. A new tab will open that will show the Custom Player you have created. If you need to edit this Custom Player further repeat steps 3 – 8 until you are happy with your player

10. Click “Save and get code”

11. This window will give you the Embed Video Code. Copy and paste this code and embed it into your website. Any changes to your player through iDesktop.tv will dynamically change your player in the website

12. You will now find your Custom Player in the Custom Player Window (Step 1). From here you can edit your Custom Player, duplicate it, preview it or generate the embed code again

For a step by step guide on how to embed video into 3rd Party Platforms see our Embed Video into 3rd Party Guide.

iDesktop.tv 2.0

After 2 years of development and a lot of hard work we are pleased to announce that iDesktop.tv Version 2 is now live!

So what’s new in this version?

Custom Players

Our BIG new feature. You can now create your own branded YouTube Custom Player and embed them right into your websites using our embed code - no manual coding requried!

• Skin your Video Player with your own branding including splash screens, custom logos and custom backgrounds
• You can take videos from users, channels, playlists, favorites or even results of a search.
• No Bandwidth/Hosting Costs for you to worry about
• 15 Players and playlists types to give you a wide variety of ways to attract the attention of your website visitors
• Over 300 options to customize to make your Player stand out from the crowd!
• Fully customisable advertising allows you to place certain videos at the start, between or the end of videos in the  playlist.
• Great for eBay and ecommerce websites.
• Supports all major 3rd party blogging platforms

Click to see our Custom Player showcase for examples of Custom Players you can create in iDesktop.tv

Faster and easier downloading

We have re-written our download engine to ensure faster downloads and added notifications to guide you through the download process

MP3 Downloads

We have added the option to download YouTube videos in MP3 format!

New Design

We have completely changed the way iDesktop.tv looks to make it more user-friendly and at the brink of Web 2.0.

Playlists Upgraded

We have upgraded the way you create , save , edit and view your playlists so the process is faster and easier

Quick Search/Save

You can now save your favorite searches to come back to later with the touch of a button

More themes

We have added more themes so you can find the right iDesktop.tv look to match your mood.

And Much more

Plus many other Features and Performance upgrades you ensure you achieve a fantastic iDesktp.tv experience.

Sign up now or Take the Tour

or for more information please see our What Can I Do page.

Best Regards

iDesktop.tv Team