Theater view is a little gimmicky, but Lights Off is a huge huge improvement.

Posco Grubb

@asingingsmile: Yes maybe it's DivX Webplayer. That's also what I was thinking of, when I read this post here.

mightymt

@asingingsmile: The DivX movie player does that

davistho2003

@asingingsmile: I know that the Dvix player does that, though I'd be surprised if that was what you were looking for.

Kyang

Sweet deal, YouTube. I'm trying to remember the video player I downloaded onto my PC that would slowly dim my whole screen (lights out mode) as I was watching video. Anyone know of this? I've been seeking it out ever since my new hard drive install.

asingingsmile

Looks good!

Gilgameish

@penguiniator: I didn't miss 'em. I pressed them and they did nothing...

Jai

not working for me, FF3, don't believe i have anything blocked.

artfuldodga

I guess this just doesn't impress me. Watching video on YouTube is okay... sort of. I just don't see the point of dressing up videos that are 5.5 inches by 4 inches, or smaller, and that have crappy resolution and crappy sound, with gimmicky features that add nothing to the quality of the content.

penguiniator

Wait, what's the point of this? I thought you couldn't upload long videos to Youtube in the first place (unless you have an account made in a certain category in 2006 or something).

Poisonous Taoist

@Jai: There are links just above the video for theater mode and lights out, in case you missed them.

penguiniator

It doesn't work for me. I'm using Firefox 3 but I doubt that will be the problem as a large amount of Lifehacker users do.

Does this feature use JavaScript or Java?

Jai

@Jai: Same for me. The links don't work.

alcyone

Nope, it doesn't work in FF. I have IE Tab installed in FF3, and it does NOT work in FF, but DOES work when rendered with the IE engine.

mjschmidt

@mjschmidt: Works in my Firefox, fwiw.

Adam Pash

@alcyone: ditto

Phoshi

Does anyone know HOW to get longer videos uploaded to Youtube? I have a directors account, but it still says I can only upload videos less than 10min. Do you have to submit a special request?

qwame

@Poisonous Taoist: If you're a partner, you are allowed to exceed the 10 minute limit.

ste-knows-best

You can use the " YouTube Lights Out" Greasemonkey script in Firefox. [userscripts.org] to turn off the lights in any YouTube video.

grantbw

@mjschmidt: Works in my FF3

Robert

@ste-knows-best: Ah, that makes sense.

Poisonous Taoist

Theater view also gives you lights out. Why have the two as separate features?

rolii

@asingingsmile:

Are you sure those weren't just the good old days of Stage6? The DivX player did just that. I'm not sure if the installed DivX player does that too. Might wanna give it a try though.

NilzXX

That was the DiVX Software that you used for playing their videos. The name of the site I forget, but that was the first major player in hi-def streaming video.

KerryWolf

...But I could already fullscreen. Why would I need this?

SMSDHubbard

Well, I figured out the FF problem. I am running No Script, and even though I had allowed You Tube, it would not work until I _also_ allowed Google-Analytics!

Those sneaky Google %$#*s won't let you use the feature unless you also let them track you doing it!

mjschmidt

Sort of like Hulu has been doing forever now?

Paradox460

Just a shame that it's a video of Steve Jobs. The feature is nice, but it's pretty redundant since most people will just fullscreen the video anyway. I am glad there is a way to center the video in the screen rather than having to drift my gaze left all the time (yes, I am that lazy).

Hopefully this will be implemented on a few more videos, I would mainly like to see it on the higher definition movie trailers that get put up, but most of the time they are pulled down for copyright infringment. Good call on this feature, Lifehacker.

The_Prince_Of_Rinse

BTW...that speech is actually a good one to listen to if you have a few spare minutes. Came across it about a year ago while at work...errr uh...on my lunch break.

wild_bill

whats the difference between lights out and theater view beside that in theater-view the video has curtains to the left and right?
don't see any use of this feature.

stage6 had a similar feature only more useful. the video switched automaticaly to "lights out-view" when not moving the mouse for ~20 secs

skrollan

@SMSDHubbard: i don't know...i really don't know

if a video is worth of having lights out, then it's worth of going full screen. if the quality fades in full screen, i'll move further away from the computer...i don't need stupid little scripts to try and make a small picture look bigger

Zepth

@Jai: same. works fine in IE7, though.

Gstein