YouTube Expands Mobile Site, Tests Mobile Player

If you’re a hardcore YouTube addict, you’ve probably checked out the previously limited selection of videos on YouTube for Mobile. You’d better have a good data plan, then, because YouTube has made most of its videos available through its mobile interface.

Also, you can now log into your account through YouTube for Mobile, giving you mobile access to favorites, sharing, rating, and commenting. YouTube for Mobile has long featured a mobile upload service, and now those mobile uploads will be available on both the Web and mobile sites within minutes.

If you’re a normal phone owner who’s jealous of the iPhone’s dedicated YouTube player, then your envy may end soon. YouTube is also beta-testing a J2ME client for selected Ericsson and Nokia models. Once again, I’m glad I didn’t buy into the iPhone hype.

I never bought into the whole idea of mobile TV either, and now I have a viable alternative. While TV is ill-suited to mobiles because of its programmed longform nature, online video is great for mobiles because it’s both freeform and shortform. That’s great for people on the go, who want short clips on their own time between appointments.

Until now, YouTube for Mobile has lacked two of the things that make YouTube so addictive: infinite selection and community interaction. Now mouse potatoes could also become mobile potatoes.