YouTube Leanback, which lets you watch a playlist of selected videos without interruption in HD and full screen, is out of beta. And Google hopes it will become the default option for watching YouTube videos on the new Google TVs that go on sale this week.
Ads are now part of the previously ad free Leanback experience. Pre-roll and overlay ads now will be shown during playback. Users will have an option to close or click on the ads.
According to YouTube internal research, users watched twice as much video when using Leanback. Leanback videos come from a user's account (uploads, playlists, favorites), the existing categories on the site (from the Browse page) or a personalized feed (based on prior viewing preferences and linked services such as Facebook)
Also, you can either browse all of YouTube or search for specific videos without leaving Leanback. Here's a video explaining the service:
Another feature of Google TV is Google Queue. This lets you subscribe to podcasts, TV series, or websites via RSS, and updates you when there is new content.
The Next Web provides a quick preview of Sony's 46-inch ($1,399) Google TV. Seems like Sony got the remote control right, making it quite similar to a PlayStation 3 controller.
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