If you have ever wondered if it’s possible to watch YouTube videos without the annoying Advertisement, or how to listen to your favorite Playlist on YouTube and being able to leave the YouTube application? Then let me show you a simple and fast forward and cheap way to do so.
Everything you need is:
· a Raspberry Pi — I have used a Model 2 Raspi and it has worked just fine but with newer models’ better performances can easily be reached.
· Some form of internet connection. I have used a Wireless Adapter which is plugged into the USB Port but a LAN cable also works fine.
· A Micro SD Card with about 8 or more Gigabytes. We will install OSMC on it. To plug it into your PC you will need a Cardholder too.
· A Power Supply for the Raspberry Pi
· An HDMI Cable to connect the Raspberry Pi to your Screen or TV
· Something to connect the raspberry pi to your Speaker. I have used an AUX cable because my speakers do not support Bluetooth but if yours do so than you are also able to connect them via Bluetooth.
STEP 1 — installing OSMC on your Micro SD Card
So first go to https://osmc.tv/download/ and download the windows installer. If you work on OS X then choose the installer for OS X. Then just run the osmc-installer.exe which you find in your Downloads Directory.
Then this window will pop up. Select your language and the device on which you want to install it. In our case, we choose English and Raspberry Pi 2/3. Then click the button on the right side.
After that, this window will appear. Select the current version of OSMC and press the button to go ahead. You can also use a local build from your computer, but we do not need it.
In the next step, you can choose where you want to run OSMC from. In our example, we click from an SD card and press the button to go ahead another time.
In the following step, you can configure your internet connection. I have done it right away, so I do not have to do it later during the installation but in the end, it doesn’t matter at all.
After that, you will see a list of possible devices on which you can flash the image. Choose your device and go ahead.
During the installation, you will be asked if you are sure. Select yes because yeah you know what you are doing.
After that, you will have to wait a few minutes until the installation is done and you can move on to step 2.
STEP 2 — configuring OSMC on your Raspberry Pi
After having flashed the OSMC image on your SD Card we can go ahead. Plug the SD Card in your Raspi. Connect the Raspberry with a screen via the HDMI cable and via AUX to your speakers. Then just plug in the Power supply into the raspberry pi.
You will have to configure your system a bit, for example, select your language enable SSH setup your network if you haven’t done so before. All these tasks are very easy and there shouldn’t be a problem. After that you will see the Home Page of your Device which looks probably like the following image:
The first step is not necessary at all but for me, it makes my life easier. Go to the settings and change the Interface to the standard Kodi skin. In my opinion, it is quite well-arranged.
Then go to the addons > Download > Video Add-ons > YouTube and click install.
After a successful installation, you will find the YouTube-Plugin under your Add-ons.
Step 3 — Enjoy having made your own Multi-Media Centre ;)
This installation is quite basic and OSMC can much much more. For example, you can store your holiday pictures and clips and watch them there, or download some movies and store them there. Also, Netflix and Amazon Prime can be played via OSMC. Many different Television Programs are also available on OSMC but more detailed information on that in another post.
To be honest, the YouTube interface looks very different and strange at the beginning but in my case, I was after a really short time used to it. A great Extension is to install a Remote Control for your OSMC Device on your mobile. I will give you some information on that topic in another post because it needs some time to compare the different applications and which is the best, at least in my opinion.
A few words at the end
I hope you have enjoyed reading this post and it helped you. I use this setup to listen to music and to watch Netflix on a rather old TV, which normally doesn’t support Netflix because it has no WIFI connection. The YouTube Plugin is also really helpful because I don’t have to pay for YouTube Premium every month as I can use all the needed features without it.
So please stay tuned because I may upload more posts that relate to that topic.
Thanks a lot,
JL
