Streaming device releases new desktop update

Did you log on to YouTube and noticed it didn't look like it did yesterday? If you noticed that the YouTube player on the desktop seems to have a sleeker look-and-feel, then you were probably looking at the update YouTube has just rolled out.

The company has launched a new HTML5 video player for desktop users, which now features a transparent control bar that disappears when you’re not using it, as well as updated buttons and drop-down menus.

The revamped player, spotted by the Google Operating System blog and reported by TechCrunch, has been in testing for around four months.

With the new update, the YouTube player on the desktop now operates more like it does on mobile devices.

The “Watch Later” button, as part of the update, has been removed from the control bar. The buttons on the new player are also larger, while the drop-downs for speed and quality also look to be more mobile-inspired, the blog reported.