It was the first decentralized video platform that I ever used, if I'm not mistaken... and it's been kind of a pain in the ass from the get-go! So I had low expectations for the new Odysee Android app...
I'm going to spill the beans before I get into the longer story though: the ODYSEE Android app seems pretty damn solid so far!
LBRY: Take Two.
This was one of the strange, inconvenient truths about the platform for quite some time... they had a very slow rebranding from LBRY (which I pronounced 'LIBRARY', and which is still the token we earn for creating and watching videos on the Odysee platform).
Like, REALLY slow! And there has been-- and still is-- a separate LBRY app in the Play Store that never transitioned in its branding, and which never did work very well either. (Sigh.)
But that's been the other-- and easily the most important-- complaint that I imagine most #Odysee users have shared: overall sub-par video performance.
Seriously? You Have One Job!
I should say that I'm always willing to put up with a certain level of complications when it comes to adopting more ethical options... and I'm more than happy to extend this courtesy to LBRY and Odysee to this day.
I should also say that's THE KEY POINT I want everyone to take away from this entire post: Odysee really is a great video platform, and I don't regret climbing on board. Regardless of what you may hear (from me), I highly recommend you SIGN UP NOW if you're not already there.
Okay... now I can bitch for just a moment about the general lagging issues that have plagued the platform. Odysee has gone through some MAJOR growing pains in order to handle the gradual flood of people over the last few years.
That's my best guess anyway... I saw the problem first-hand, but I didn't hear very much about it. To be honest, the development team hasn't been as forthright or consistent with their communications as I would like, even though I could see that they were indeed hard at work.
I'll take it. I'd rather see forward momentum with something decentralized from a team I trust than know everything about everything. We rarely get everything, people.
What we do get is a censorship-resistant video community with crypto incentives. I've always found good stuff to watch, and there is more new, high-caliber content uploaded all the time.
Some of the more popular creators that I watch are JEFF BERWICK (aka The Dollar Vigilante and The Crypto Vigilante), SALTY CRACKER, CHICO CRYPTO, BETTER THAN FOOD (very cool book reviews) and THE ICE AGE FARMER... just to give you a nice range of topics and styles to sample. :)
Android... Check!
I can't speak for the iOs version, but the Android app is actually REALLY good! Quick, no lagging at all... and I like the layout. It seems unlikely, but they have rolled out a fantastic app that should make onboarding easier.
I noticed, however, that there are a few new premium tiers for the Odysee platform... so I'm curious if they're using this-- and some advertising-- to up their game and deliver solid products from now on.
And they also had a court battle not long ago, so they may be strapped and looking to get back into the black. The tiers aren't expensive-- $0.99 and $2.99 per month-- so it's nothing egregious.
I can see there being mixed feelings about this move, as it kind of looks like a mainstream shift... but I will be signing up for the buck a month plan, both to show my support and get my badge!
I'm Still Mad About Hive!
I don't speak so highly of ODYSEE because I dislike the video platforms here on Hive... I definitely do some of my consuming here. But LBRY was my first love when it comes to decentralized video platforms, and you know what they say about first loves.
While we're on the subject of video platforms though, I would love to hear what you like here on Hive... it seems like #3Speak is the default favourite, and there is some contention with #DTube because of its multi-platform approach. I think it's pretty solid myself, but let me know your thoughts.
VIMM is more of a gaming-centric streaming platform, so I know that will have its adherents... not really my thing for now though.
I've been learning so much about the #Hive ecosystem lately! I just found #Aureal too... a Hive-based podcasting platform that looks great and works beautifully. It seems we have just about everything. 😎
So Why Use Odysee Then?
That's a valid question... and I'm not twisting anyone's arm, but I think it's smart to diversify and have lots of tools in your box. It has much better traffic if you're a video creator, so I would suggest cross-posting from here (which I see other Hivians doing already).
And it doesn't hurt to add some LBRY tokens to your pile! ODYSEE will reward you every week with the ERC-20 token if you've watched a few things. And we all know how it goes... every little bit counts.
Thanks for reading! Let me know in the comments if you're already a happy Odysee user, if I've convinced you to SIGN UP, or maybe if you're a die-hard Hivian who won't budge. I'd love to hear from you in any case. Peace out for now! ✌️
READ MY LAST POST TOO (If YOU'RE NOT SICK OF ME):
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta
Hello. I saw your application to be whitelisted on hiveme.me and I wanted to make sure you knew that you've been approved for the whitelist. Welcome! @memehive looks forward to seeing your meme NFT creations.
Here is a tutorial post to help explain the meme NFT minting process:
https://www.hiveme.me/@holovision/introducing-viral-meme-nft
Whoa! Thank you so much. 🙏
I sadly won't be using it because they censor content, namely the NSFW tag. If they added the option to enable mature content, I would happily use odysee, but its an absolute deal breaker to me if I can't see uncensored news.
You might be right about the NSFW content... I thought there was a toggle switch for it or something, but I don't see it. AND I'm noticing the updated Community Guidelines also talk about the same "hatred" which will not be allowed. Hmm... I may need to plan a follow-up post to explain more.
Having said that, most of my alternative news comes from Odysee and I don't see them removing anything that would be axed on other platforms. They can put Ukraine down and lift Russia up, they can bash the LGBT community, they criticize every side of the political spectrum (just to illustrate the diversity of opinions on there as we speak)... so I'm curious if there is something you're wanting to see that's missing.
And I haven't heard anyone say that they are having content removed from Odysee, which would be an obvious red flag. So although I think you are right in your assessment, I don't necessarily think it is being applied at all (unless maybe in extreme cases).
Still... I am taking that into account when I speak in the future. I really do appreciate your comment, @phusionphil, and I apologize for not looking at it more thoroughly. Cheers! 🙏
I do support their platform dont get me wrong either, its my preferred blockchain media platform.
It would never get removed, just only be visible with the LBRY browser or app.
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