What is Grayjay?

Grayjay is a cutting-edge app that serves as a video player and source aggregator. It allows you to stream and organize videos from various sources, providing a unified platform for your entertainment needs.

It’s mostly used as a YouTube frontend^. However, it is now launching as a desktop app for Linux, Mac and Windows.

  • Matriks404@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    edit-2
    8 hours ago

    No website version? I hope the desktop app isn’t Electron-based then.

    Edit: It is. What the fuck?

  • Lumisal@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    16 hours ago

    Lots of desktop front ends.

    Meanwhile I got to emulate Android to run S-Tube because there’s nothing good for remote control use for Plasma Bigscreen.

    At least my Bigscreen “easy to use” legit package might be done soon.

  • el_abuelo@programming.dev
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    15 hours ago

    Honestly the mobile app doesn’t work for such long periods of time that I’ve all but given up and gone back to YouTube.

    If anyone knows an app to replace YouTube that is actually reliable then let me know! I’m in the market.

    • Sips'@slrpnk.netOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      15 hours ago

      What do you mean it doesnt work for longer periods of time? Been flawless for me ever since I started using it.

      • el_abuelo@programming.dev
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        15 hours ago

        It either restarts part way through or stops playing as if it can’t buffer anymore.

        It comes and goes, sometimes I’ll go a couple of weeks of it working fine then for a week or more i get the above issues.

    • GHiLA@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      15 hours ago

      …truth?

      Run your own yt-dlp frontend. Punchflat… or one of the many other solutions out there. Dump your subs to a folder and let Jellyfin turn them into individual shows with episodes.

      I shouldn’t have to do that!

      Don’t tell me. Tell Google, or… pay them, I guess. Your call. I’ll be over here turning my lemons into lemonade. You do whatever you want with yours.

      • el_abuelo@programming.dev
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        12 hours ago

        Did you just have a whole conversation with yourself? Lol at least give me a chance to respond.

        Thanks for the recommendation.

    • Sips'@slrpnk.netOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      15 hours ago

      The other most used frontends are Newpipe(and it’s forks) aswell as Revanced.

  • zerozaku@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    17
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    edit-2
    1 day ago

    Why can’t they be a website than an app for Dekstop?

    Also understood that they’re not open-source but are they privacy-respecting?

    Edit: Went through their privacy policy and seems they’re privacy-focused. I will be trying their app now.

    • timestatic
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      16 hours ago

      Personally I’ve been using FreeTube for accessing YouTube as they are FOSS. Only thing I wish they would have a feature to share like subs with Tubular and watch history somehow. It doesn’t have all the platforms Grayjay has but for just YouTube its pretty great

    • Sips'@slrpnk.netOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      19
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      1 day ago

      Yeah if you know who’s behind Futo (Louis Rossman) you will know he fights very hard for better privacy across the board among other things that are better for us consumers.

      Edit: Futo being the company behind this app and other privacy respective apps.

      • TriflingToad@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        edit-2
        1 day ago

        when it comes to right to repair he’s amazing. that being said, however, he hasn’t had much positive to say about the SteamDeck which is leagues ahead of something like the Nintendo switch in terms of user freedoms and customizability.
        Granted that’s like one take I disagree with compared to ALL he’s done but I’m still surprised he hasn’t made a followup about how much good it’s done for Linux in general considering he’s been using Linux since it was in a physical box lol

    • Blisterexe@lemmy.zip
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      1 day ago

      the app is source available, it places some restrictions on modifications of the source code, but the code is fully available

  • CaptDust@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    20
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    2 days ago

    Grayjay mobile is awesome, very much looking forward to checking this out. Love how it puts all my YouTube, Patreon, Twitch and Peertube content in one place.

      • CaptDust@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        edit-2
        2 days ago

        There’s an occasional error popup during playback, but the feeds and video still work here. I’m on Grayjay v268 w/ Patreon v17

        My biggest issue is Peertube tbh, discovery is difficult, border line useless.

  • parpol@programming.dev
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    11
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    2 days ago

    Yes, finally! I’ve been using the mobile app, and it has been nothing but amazing.

      • ownsauce@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        2 days ago

        I am linux noob, they provided a .zip file for linux. Do I need to use the command line to install it?

          • ownsauce@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            1 day ago

            Thanks. I’m running PopOS Cosmic Alpha and it doesn’t like the executable, and since its in alpha there’s features missing in this DE that would allow me (linux noob) to easily install it. I’ll try installing Grayjay again when my OS / DE is in beta or something.

            • confuser@lemmy.zip
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              3
              arrow-down
              3
              ·
              1 day ago

              Pro tip from one Linux noob to another, chatgpt allowed me to take the leap from not understanding Linux well enough to make it work on my own to making it work and doing a few advanced things.

              Chatgpt has pretty decent usefulness even without buying the subscription nowdays if you don’t want to do that, so glad I did this!

              • ownsauce@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                3
                ·
                22 hours ago

                Thank you, that helped. I used perplexity and double checked the sources (so I don’t end up running hallucinatory code).

                I was able to get it running

  • Fizz@lemmy.nz
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    10
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    2 days ago

    That’s awesome. I love the grayjay mobile app. I need more non YouTube creators to follow though

  • Jayb151@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    2 days ago

    Mobile app has been the best YouTube app replacement I’ve found. And I just got the pop up about the desktop app on my drive home from work. Will for sure check it out.

    I wish it more closely mirrored YouTube’s native video suggestions, but it’s pretty damn close.