The latest minor release of PeerTube, version 6.3, a decentralized video hosting platform developed as an alternative to centralized ones such as YouTube, has just been unveiled.
Although it’s a minor update before the major leap to v7, it brings many interesting new features, so let’s review them.
Separate Audio and Video Streams
One of the most significant updates in v6.3 is the separation of audio and video streams. Previously, the audio file had to be duplicated for each video resolution, which consumed extra storage space on the server. Now, with the streams separated, storage space is saved, and users gain more flexibility.
For instance, the player now has an “Audio only” option. This allows you to stream just the audio of a video, which is particularly useful for listening to music or conferences where the visual component isn’t necessary. It also helps conserve bandwidth when you’re on a limited data plan.
Moreover, PeerTube can now ingest audio-only live streams. This means you can live-stream music or podcasts on PeerTube, and it will display an audio player instead of a video player.
Additionally, the video download modal has been simplified. It now displays essential information for each available resolution, and you can choose whether to include or exclude audio in the file you download.
Those who need advanced options can still access it by selecting “Video File” next to the download modal title.
New Transcription Widget
Another noteworthy feature is the introduction of a subtitle panel on the right side of the video. This transcription widget allows you to:
- Follow subtitles in real-time: Keep up with the dialogue as it happens.
- Navigate to specific sections: Click on any sentence to jump directly to that part of the video.
- Search within subtitles: Find specific words or phrases to locate information within the video quickly.
This enhancement makes it much easier to engage with content, especially for educational videos or lengthy discussions.
Improved YouTube-dl Integration
YouTube-dl is essential for importing videos and related information from other platforms, such as YouTube, Vimeo, and other PeerTube instances.
In this release, administrators can set up multiple proxies dedicated to YouTube-dl. PeerTube will randomly select from these proxies to bypass certain restrictions, ensuring smoother imports.
Furthermore, it’s now possible to use an alternative version of YouTube-dlโa binary that includes additional dependencies. This enables features like impersonation, where the tool can mimic a real browser, enhancing compatibility and success rates when importing content.
PeerTube 6.3: Enhancements and Fixes
As with every release, PeerTube v6.3 includes numerous user experience and interface improvements:
- Better Resolution Labels: Videos with custom aspects like 1920×816 pixels are now displayed as 1080p instead of 816p, providing a clearer understanding of video quality.
- Enhanced Chapter Markers: Chapter markers are now more visible in the player’s progress bar, displayed as small dots for easy navigation.
- Smoother Live Playback Resume: Resuming live playback is now smoother since only the video player is reloaded, not the entire page.
- Easy Error Log Copying: A dedicated button has been added to easily copy server error logs, simplifying troubleshooting.
- Adjustable Frame Rate: Instance administrators can now change the maximum frames per second for videos, which is limited to 60 by default.
Finally, exciting news: the PeerTube team is still working hard on preparing the mobile application, which is expected by the end of the year. As always, we’ll be among the first to let you know when that happens.
For detailed information, visit the changelog or read the release announcement for more information on all the bug fixes, improvements, and other changes that PeerTube 6.3 brings.
Image credits: PeerTube Project
