DTube is more than a YouTube alternative
YouTube is the world's largest video hosting platform but will it keep its position or will it drop in user popularity? And if it does, which service will pick the number one spot then?
DTube is a decentralized video platform that utilizes the Blockchain and P2P technology. The first thing that I noticed when I visited the start page of the platform was that it listed Dollar amounts underneath each video.
Interface
The main interface of DTube displays hot, trending and watched videos on the start page. You can run searches, or use the menu to explore trending tags and account related listings such as the "watch later" or "watch again" video lists.
A click on a video opens it in the interface and videos start automatically or manually. So far, no difference to how sites like YouTube operate.
Some videos may take a moment before they start, but I'm not entirely sure if that is a DTube issue or was caused on my end.
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DTube raises some questions:
- How is DTube content monetized if there are no ads (there are no ads)?
- Where are videos hosted?
- Are there restrictions in regards to videos that you can upload to the service?
- How are videos ranked?
DTube is an ad-free platform. It uses the Steem blockchain to keep records. STEEM's advantages over comparable blockchain solutions is that it is entirely free. This means that users don't have to make initial deposits and that there are no transaction fees. Videos uploaded to DTube earn Steem crypto-currency rewards for seven days. DTube uses decentralized storage powered by IPFS to store videos.
Video publishers are not the only users who earn money on DTube. Users who leave comments may earn money too.
Content creators may create accounts on DTube and upload videos to the service. DTube supports regular, and NSFW videos; the latter is hidden by default but can be unlocked with a click on the settings icon and the NSFW Videos > Show in the menu that opens when you do.
The service claims that there is no content moderation (manual or through algorithms) by the makers of the service and that users are in control by using the upvote/downvote functionality. The reliance on users to moderate content works right now. You don't find unpleasant videos showcased under trending or hot videos
What about downsides? There is not too much content on the video platform yet. While the situation improves with every passing month, content is nowhere near the level of YouTube or other popular video hosting sites.
Closing Words
DTube gets a lot of things right. It is a decentralized platform without censorship or algorithms that artificially change the rankings if videos. It is ad-free, but creators and users may still earn revenue when they interact with the service.
The main downside right now is that it lacks content. It offers a good selection of content in niche categories such as cryptocurrency but lacks content in other areas such as gaming, fitness, or music. You will find videos but not the sheer mass of content that is uploaded to YouTube every day.
