1w ago

Suggestion for an invidious alternative

So, I had an idea for an Invidious alternative that would be pretty difficult for YouTube to block. Basically, YouTube can block instances because it is really easy to detect which IP is making a lot of requests. But what if everyone using Invidious were an instance? Like, if one person wants to watch a video, they would get it from a random person using this software. I don't really know how it would be done—if it would be something like torrents, which have a direct connection, or if it would go through some server in the middle. This is just a suggestion; I don't really know how I would implement it. But if it can be done and someone wants to do it, it would be great.

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Some YouTube clients allow "local extraction" (FreeTube and LibreTube, to name a couple), which sidesteps the need for an instance altogether. However, that then means either 1. You use a VPN to hide your IP from YouTube and risk getting the VPN server IP banned or 2. You don't use a VPN, expose your IP to YouTube, and have a (small) chance of banning your own IP.
The best alternative would be to remove YouTube altogether and switch to something like PeerTube or Odysee, but you can't expect all your favorite creators to be there.
- What about to upload these creators videos to PeerTube? Maybe just the best ones, like a videoarchive.
- In the long term a switch wood be good, yes. But I am impressed by youtubes ability to load 10+ year old videos without problems, and I am afraid this is only possible because of their immense scale.
- I use FreeTube, but it also depends on Invidious instances. If YT blocks the instance also Freetube wouldn't work, it show the Thumbnail, but on't play the Video.. My workarround is using the SMplayer as extern player, which almost works, when FreeTube can't.
  But I think sooner or later there are not longer YT Front-ends, because Google kill them all, the only thing is to use an YT alternative, instead of an Front-end. The only which I know which can be an alternative in the future is Odysee, it depends on the creators which want to monetize their work, without all the Google crap, clickbaits, trackers and ads. Odysee permits to monetize in a more fair and clean way.
  Until now is watching YT with a good adblocker, watch Videos embedded or search the Video with Andisearch y watch it there sandboxed in the search results.
  
  You don't need an Invidious instance to back FreeTube. You can set it to local mode to just talk to YouTube from your IP, or to operate through a proxy.

I think this is absolutely doable to problem is you need to have enough users on all the time to make this sort of thing work soa doptionn is important. You could probably piggy back off existing open source projects to get it going.

Do I understand correctly, what you mean is that there is an Invidious instance to which two users are connected. User A sends request to Invidious to get a video, Invidious forwards it to user B, user B downloads the video and sends it back to user A?
Sounds a lot like Tor or maybe I am missing something?
- Yes, it's basically like it, but i don't think it would be possible just from a web browser

So, kinda like a cross between FreeTube and Torrent? Interesting idea...

this sounds like decentralized anon network to me, like i2p... but with access to the clearnet. https://geti2p.net/en/

I've been running Piped for over a year. Its been fine, though I have had some bobbles like it had a buggy Newpipe update that took it down for a day.
I run it on docker and set up watchtower labels so its kept right up to date since I think YT keeps messing with Newpipes access.

Bad actors might only feed on such a networks without seeding, so you will need some kind of good actor reward in your proposed system.
- Or just block leeches. Let's say, if you download 50GB without seeding at least 10
  „If ya don't wanna play nice, don't play at all”

GrayJay works fine for me

Kinda sounds like you're describing Tor
- Thinking about it, this really looks similar

17 comments