rf1705/youtube-webos-cobalt-adfree — explained in plain English
Analysis updated 2026-05-18
Block ads in the YouTube app on an LG webOS smart TV
Automatically skip sponsor segments using SponsorBlock
Restore visible dislike counts with Return YouTube Dislike support
Patch an official YouTube IPK or build a standalone Cobalt launcher yourself
| rf1705/youtube-webos-cobalt-adfree | mrxujiang/hicad | yyx990803/speech.js | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last pushed | — | — | 2014-01-29 |
| Maintenance | — | — | Dormant |
| Setup difficulty | hard | moderate | easy |
| Complexity | 4/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| Audience | developer | vibe coder | developer |
Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.
Requires Homebrew Channel or developer mode on the TV, plus Docker and Linux/macOS to build from source.
This project is an unofficial modification of the YouTube app on LG webOS televisions that adds ad blocking and SponsorBlock support, the tool that lets viewers skip sponsor segments in videos. It works by replacing or patching Cobalt, the underlying media player runtime that YouTube's TV app is built on, while trying to keep the rest of the normal YouTube TV experience intact. The project is not affiliated with YouTube, Google, LG, or webOS in any way. Beyond ad blocking and SponsorBlock, the patched app also adds support for Return YouTube Dislike, a community project that restores visible dislike counts on videos, along with adjustable playback speed controlled from the remote, and an optional setting that lets the app autostart so it behaves more like a built in input source on the TV. Installing the finished release is meant to be straightforward: a user downloads a prebuilt package and installs it through one of several supported methods, including the Homebrew Channel, a custom app store style repository the project provides, the webOS Device Manager, LG's own command line install tool, or by copying the file to the TV directly over SSH. Because the patched app intentionally reuses the same app identifier as the official YouTube app, installing it replaces the original app, so the README recommends keeping a backup of the official package. For people who want to build it themselves rather than use a prebuilt release, the project can also patch an official YouTube package directly, or build a standalone app that only launches the Cobalt player pointed at YouTube's TV website. Building from source requires a Linux or macOS machine, along with Docker, Git, and several common command line tools, and the TV itself needs Homebrew Channel, developer mode, or root access enabled before anything can be installed. The README does not specify an open source license for the project.
An unofficial patched YouTube app for LG webOS TVs that adds ad blocking, SponsorBlock skipping, and other tweaks to the built-in Cobalt player.
Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes JavaScript, Cobalt, webOS.
Setup difficulty is rated hard, with roughly 1h+ to a first successful run.
Mainly developer.
This repo across BitVibe Labs
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