Linus takes the final step in abandoning his original audience.

[paulsterio]

Surprisingly, I actually agree with this. 

 

As much as I enjoy watching Linus' videos, I really do miss the old style Linus videos where he would just make vlog videos of him doing tech related stuff that was just fun to watch. 

 

These days, it's always about products, products, products. 

 

Those who have been around since the start of LinusTechTips would remember the random videos he made about technological things such as how he tried to get 24GB working in his LGA1366 computer or how he tried to fix his video card in an oven. I think it was just the whole feeling of the videos. Those videos were the usual tech things that tech nerds love to do, such as making weird configurations run and trying to fix things that aren't really fixable. With his current videos, it's always about the new products which every tech channel on YouTube review and as much as I enjoy watching the videos, there's none of that old geeky, homebrew, vloggy feel any more. 

 

And also, it always seems to be reviews...the outro usually is "unboxings, reviews and other computer videos", but there never really seems to be any "other computer videos"

[LongTimeWatcher]

I registered just to comment on this topic.

 

I think a lot of the comments in this thread mainly involve the fact of Linus being an internet personality. I don't think I am alone in that a very large reason I watch LinusTechTips is because of Linus himself, not just because of the products, content, and quality. (Slick too.)

That being said, the quality, and content of videos being produced are only getting better, and it seems like people fear that may subtract from the "Linus" part of the videos. Personally I can see where they come from, It's a reasonable worry. It's happened to other youtubers. However I think Linus is manging things well, and isn't becoming just some other run of the mill review/tech channel. As for the other points brought up, I think Linus explained reasonably well.

 

Heck, there's a reason why videos of his cats have so many views, it's because people enjoy watching him.

 

Can't spell LinusTechTips without Linus.

 

I hope linus replies to me.

[LinusTech]

I understand that Lumio did not pay you, i am just saying that you get some money from every youtube video, even if manufacture wont pay you making video, and that keeps you in business. ( i might be wrong)

Anyways, keep up the great work!

 

Oh yeah we do get paid based on views on YouTube, but it's really not as much as a lot of people think. If I really wanted to just make whatever would get the most views I could do more than that Lumio one. Sometimes it's just more about answering that one viewer's request or just checking out something I think is kinda cool.

[FluffyNuggets]

I kind of agree with OP, LTT video's have changed, but how?

I understand why they unbox things like Lumio book lamp, it is called expanding viewer base and earning money to stay in business, while there is no new hot stuff like new CPU's and GPU's to unbox and show.

I understand how much it costs to pay employees, so i am not complaining if Linus unboxes clothes or something non techy. Also i am little sad about computex, but why to go there if it is not worth?

Dear LTT fans, lets remember that, they have done absolutely great job by delivering amazing video quality and effort to their videos, we all should appreciate the work that Linus have done to grow his channels.

Honestly, If he went back to just a camera man and him I wouldn't care. All his older videos lacked was a better camera and that's it. I honestly don't think he needs a massive crew to make videos. What would be so wrong with him just filming something, doing some quick edits, then uploading it? We don't need special lighting or panning shots of products to be entertained. If I wanted all this crazy camera work I'd watch a movie. For me it's just all unnecessary and I don't think it really adds much to the videos but I'm sure it costs a fortune to do! 

 

My vote is to downsize and go back to how it used to be. Rough and witty is why I liked Linus! He got most his subscribers that way and I doubt most of us cared about having better production quality. 

[LinusTech]

I registered just to comment on this topic.

 

I think a lot of the comments in this thread mainly involve the fact of Linus being an internet personality. I don't think I am alone in that a very large reason I watch LinusTechTips is because of Linus himself, not just because of the products, content, and quality. (Slick too.)

That being said, the quality, and content of videos being produced are only getting better, and it seems like people fear that may subtract from the "Linus" part of the videos. Personally I can see where they come from, It's a reasonable worry. It's happened to other youtubers. However I think Linus is manging things well, and isn't becoming just some other run of the mill review/tech channel. As for the other points brought up, I think Linus explained reasonably well.

 

Heck, there's a reason why videos of your cats have so many views, it's because people enjoy watching you.

 

Can't spell LinusTechTips without Linus.

 

I hope linus replies to me.

 

That's some small text you've got there...

[m33r]

I hope linus replies to me.

 

notice me senpai pls

[Misanthrope]

There is an argument to be made against the higher quality: It just flat out costs too much to produce the stuff he's doing now. And no I don't think that's a good thing because it slows things down, has made things very unwieldy and now he's no longer just a "youtuber" but also doing professional commercials. In a perfect world, it would be better if it was still just average looking videos with poor lighting and improvised locations instead of having to come up with more and more stuff to pay 5 employees and 8,000 dollar cameras and so much video equipment.

 

If the effort was put into growing the amount of videos and content being pushed out instead I bet he could do both the "wider audience" fluff as well as the more quirky stuff that was a lot more improvised and such.

[Kaczy]

I very slightly agree with first, second and last point but rest is just nit picking in my opinion. Quality of videos has increased but ammount of them has decreased. I undestand why because video editing takes a long time but its still sad.

[xByakko]

My take on the points:
 

 

• Linus prioritizing boutique video quality sacrificing all quantity and depth of insight. We're down to less than a video a day, and the ones we get are usually shorter and less opinionated/ insightful.
• Forgetting who the audience is with an increasing number of consumer gadgets, (seriously, a wi-fi plant humidifier??) mobile phones, and other borderline tech of fringe interest to PC enthusiasts, even further lowering the quantity of content desired.
• Getting on the same release bandwagon as all. the. other. tech. channels. Every video with a product I want to watch either doesn't exist at all or is covered by OC3D, Linus, TekSyndicate, TastyPC, SWEclockers and HardwareCanucks ALL AT ONCE.
• Random WAN show guests that I very often find to be irrelevant and annoying. Getting that weird uncomfortable YouTube "buddy club" vibe that just kind of smells bad to me. Josh from Fractal being an exception.
• Why go to PAX? There are hundreds of YouTube channels doing PAX. Just why?
• Where are all the hidden gems in PC hardware? Have Linus completely abandoned reaching out to manufacturers for samples of interesting new coolers, cases, NAS boxes, you name it? It just seems Linus is more interested in autonomy, getting all the same stuff as everyone else, and losing touch with the market. It used to be about consumer enlightenment, showcasing stuff you might not have heard of. Remember the Thermaltake Tt eSports BAG? That kind of thing. I bought one because of Linus. What has Linus shown me in the past 6 months that I wanted to buy afterwards? Absolutely nothing, I'm afraid.

 

But the final step that is probably going to make me unsubscribe, is not going to Computex. Seriously, that is gutting. That is a stone-cold knife in the back to the original audience of the channel, to whom Computex is probably the highlight of the entire year, after the huge thrill of covering it last year. I could forgive anything from Linus but not that.

 

 

 

 

1. I think I'm not the only one here that would prefer quality over quantity. How many products can Linus really get, unbox, film, and edit, then pump it out daily? He no longer works at NCIX and runs his own business, not to mention a young child to look after. Not only is his time and ability to get hands on products reduced, but also the cost of producing a video of adequate quality has increased as he and a good part of the audience have increased the quality expectation, especially considering how youtube has developed and improved.

 

2.I think you're the one who is getting the target audience confused. His audience has always been people interested in tech (aka technology), not just PC technology. In fact it was never all about enthusiasts, the old videos were just opening the products and reading what's on or in the box, which personally don't think is something the enthusiasts was looking for. If you need details and analysis, Linus has never been the person to turn to and that's how I be came a fan. Also, his top 2 video are about hobby RC, and the 3rd being the AR drone. Is this pc enthusiast content? Some of his oldest videos aren't on PC parts either. Bobble head pen holder, Digital photo frame, Eneloops, etc. Tech is not just PC computer.

3. What on Earth are you talking about. Things are released and sent at the same time. Non-disclosure agreements are lifted at the same time. OF COURSE the videos are released at the same time. Are you saying that Linus should not cover the newest ROG release as soon as it's released while the other channels do? Either that, or you are suggesting Linus cover lower end products that many of the audience are not interested in. Which is costly and not something that is affordable. (Unless you think the cost of making a video, editing it, and releasing it is cheap.)
 

4. This is your personal opinion and I respect that. However I personally enjoy the guests as they often provide a interesting twist, additional perspective, or even extra insight to the topics discussed. If the guests are not welcomed by the audience, I don't think Linus would go and waste the time in arranging them to be on in the first place.

5. They were sponsored and it's something they are interested in. If you aren't interested, you can ignore the videos. It's something the crew that wants to do, and they should do what they enjoy. Which to point out the obvious, a good part of the audience also enjoy.

 

6. Firstly, how on Earth is the Thermaltake Tt eSports BAG PC hardware? You just contradicted yourself with the first sentence on this point AS WELL as point 2. Regardless, you clearly have not seen any of the vlogs uploaded and does not know how many products have been planned. Time, cost, and energy are all constraints here. Not to mention many products have either been covered, too old to be relevant or discontinued. If there are new and INTERESTING products, they are often covered. If you follow the manufacturers on their social media, then you will know when a product is released and whether it's available. Availability is also a constraint in covering new products as if it's not available in the region, there is no point in sending a sample to Linus as it would be irrelevant. (Considering most viewers are in North America) 

 

7. Your final point shows how badly informed you are. Computex is in Taiwan, Linus can't afford to go there without sponsors. If you remember the Computex giveaway, then you will know how little views it got. It's infeasible for the sponsors to sponsor Linus and his crew (that is at least four) over when the content gets so little attention and so little reward for the sponsors. (If you don't understand how sponsorship works, look it up.)

If you unsubscribe base on that last point, that is your choice. However it does show how little you understand how the "industry" works and how irrational you seem. I too am a long time viewer, and I do sometimes miss the poor quality, high quantity style of Linus. However I believe the change is for the better, not just for Linus and the audience, but also for the development of the youtube tech scene. I did hope that Linus could go to Computex, but I completely understand why he can't.

 

[Paralectic]

Oh yeah we do get paid based on views on YouTube, but it's really not as much as a lot of people think. If I really wanted to just make whatever would get the most views I could do more than that Lumio one. Sometimes it's just more about answering that one viewer's request or just checking out something I think is kinda cool.

This basicly confirms you aren't even close to being a sellout, you are checking out what is requested by the community instead of going for products which could make you the most money, and that made me happy honestly and keeps me excited for new content.

cheers,

[LongTimeWatcher]

That's some small text you've got there...

*doki doki*

 

 

 

I think another example of this is RoosterTeeth. I'd argue people mainly watch their videos for them (The staff/Internet personalities/) and people worried that would be lost as they grew.

[LogicalDrm]

I have kinda posted these topics earlier with my thoughts. So why not again but I'll keep this short.

 

There's fine line between good entertainment and good review styled videos. We have crossed that line into good review style now. They are informative and show whatever you want to see from each product. But thats about it. I don't care how many videos are uploaded per day. I care more about quality, style and content. For me biggest miss has been the fact that tech guy who used the be THE UNBOXER has turned into one of the mass. @LinusTech do you even have courage to wear "Professional Unboxer" shirt? Because you aren't anymore. I bet someone else opens the box for you. Nah, just kidding. I'm just missing the feel of something like unboxing new case. No more fun of finding new features for first time. I haven't watched mobo videos yet, but surely I'll be disappointed since there most likely isn't box nowhere near the shooting zone.

 

The good thing are the gadget reviews. Those represent the old style more and suite better for showing items. The specs are usually meaningless to wider audience so practical example like the surveilance stuff is good fun to watch. Same thing goes behind the commercials -style videos. I won't watch the commercials but I'm always interested on how things work behind camera.

 

I was the one guy complaining about Brandons camera work when he came along. Now there's only compliments to give. Thats mostly excellent to watch. Bigger problem is still in color control. Black stuff against black background is good reason not to watch.

 

Then there's WAN show. That has been good and bad during first half of this year. I liked the guest segments. They give nice insight to tech world same way that written articles, interviews or blogs would. Problem is that you are trying to make them scripted. That makes me feel like instead of talk show we are watching news flash. When Barnacules was on I really liked the parts about Intel overclocking and shopping tips. There are other problems with current style of WAN show. Mainly that it isn't hardware show. It has bit too much content about general events in tech industry. Thats not bad thing. The bad thing is that there's too many of those topics and the conversation about them takes too much of time. For someone who follows the tech scene anyway it gets boring really fast.

 

The general stuff in WAN show is gone way better. Lights sound etc works. Most of the time. I still feel like you should get producer to show to make it even better.

 

Ok. So it wasn't so short than I wanted. Atm for me the best thing about LMG is this forum.

[Niblolkik]

i see no problems seeing as this iss a JOB. 

[Hazy125]

Honestly, I don't mind the weird USB butt plug ans find Slicks sausage stuff, I personally think that 15 videos on every version of the R9-290 is just dead boring. I don't like having videos that are like "This product is exactly the same as all these except this one runs 2.444453235346547546765 degrees cooler". I think that being a forum member might also be a negative, many people on the forum already know everything Linus is going to talk about before he does because we keep up with leaks and reveals etc. and most of us already tend to be more than knowledgeable about tech as a whole meaning things like techquickie is pretty much irrelevant. If @LinusTech could do more, I think more knowledge dumps would be good, talking about architectures and bus speeds and cache levels, that's why I like the videos with Taran in them, I feel like I'm learning something. But that would alienate more of his audience than not which is a bad idea in general

 

UserID A9A3BECE0563982D

[Misanthrope]

3. What on Earth are you talking about. Things are released and sent at the same time. Non-disclosure agreements are lifted at the same time. OF COURSE the videos are released at the same time. Are you saying that Linus should not cover the newest ROG release as soon as it's released while the other channels do? Either that, or you are suggesting Linus cover lower end products that many of the audience are not interested in. Which is costly and not something that is affordable. (Unless you think the cost of making a video, editing it, and releasing it is cheap.)

 

I'll play a little devil's advocate (haven't done so in a while, I've gotta justify my legal expenses bill to get my monthly paycheck from Lucifer) I think that what he means is that he is just playing too nice with the hardware manufacturers and just reviewing what they want when they want. Now I don't agree with that, he's turned down some high profile items cause he wouldn't accept their terms (i.e. Samsung S5) but the point is that there should be more requests or purchases of non-primetime items like lesser known brands and models since otherwise you end up with JJ talking about his motherboards for fucking hours, not good content.

EDIT: Also, I'm actually a lot more interested in lower end products than high end stuff. I understand that a lot of people are quite rich and can afford all the 780's and i7s they please, but I actually never buy high end stuff at all: I just can't afford to. I'd love to see more about entry level motherboards and such because yes, cheap cost doesn't necessarily means cheaply made: you can find affordable tech that cuts down the price where it should while keeping the quality and features where you need em most.

[joshuamurphy]

where is all the tech? there is nothing to review, there are just stupid remakes being released lately, just wait...

How long till a poopload of new tech?

[NICKT]

The reason I order dominos is because I've had the same delivery man for the past two years, I know him by name and we always chat for a good minute or two when he gets to my house.

The reason I order a milkshake at the corner store when I go out is because they own the corner store and I they've been there for the past six months, I trust they can make a good milkshake and they value my patronage.

 

The reason I watch LinusTechTips is because I enjoy watching Linus, I appreciate his sense of humour and I have faith and trust in his opinions and taste.

 

However, I agree with the OP in that lately, the professionalism is cutting out his personality, that spark which made him unique and worthwhile in the field.

 

It's similar with the Battlefield people on Youtube, you get all of them who pretty much do the same video, with only varying ones when they're talking about different guns and stuff, but whenever something new comes out they all release essentially the same video and I'm stuck sitting here wondering why I'm subscribed to each one. Levelcap, Matimio, Jackfrags, Xfactor, you can pretty much get all their content just by watching one, but you know what? I'm subscribed to each more or less because of their different mindsets in the game, their different opinions and their personalities, I'm subscribed to them more or less for them and not so much for their specific content.

 

Some of his better videos in my opinion are the one where his personality really takes the helm, like the "find the sausage" video, or the video where he rammed into the behind of Slick....'s car.

 

Even when he's just sitting in his car, it feels a lot more fresh and approachable, more personalized and in my opinion, better than half the reviews where he's standing behind a desk with a product.

I don't mind so much the sponsors, I've been meaning to get around to getting dollar shave club, even my dad wants in so it's not too bad, in general I like sponsors to be a little bit more appropriate with the content of the show, it's like watching tv, an episode of Law and Order and then in the middle of an ad break there's a glory shot of a cheeseburger which you know looks like shit when you actually go and order it, but in this instance it's with the recommendation of the sponsored at least, and he actually uses it so it's not too bad.

 

All in all, when it comes to youtube you kind of have to be unique, yet it appears that all the people who are unique become big and popular, lose out their unique qualities and become a bit more generic and "palatable" to a wider audience which alienates their prior audience.

[Almercenary]

Needs to offer something more sill i reckon. Why not do mining and folding benchmarks on GPU's, CPU's too? Just stuff like that. That is the reason I still read hard copy mag of Custom PC. They do things that youtubers overlook, yet adds a lot. Do whole system over-views ect. Just read an issue of Custom PC from this year and you'll see what I mean. Like, they do a mince pie test before christmas...why not?

[MooseParade]

I stopped watching Linus' videos after Christmas. They are impersonal and feel like he's trying to push the product on the viewers instead of giving his $.02 about it. 

 

His earlier videos had character and had personal touches, everything now, well, seems like a commercial like others have said.

[axbu89]

I do miss some of the old style unboxings and the volume of content. While he's getting more professional with the set and style, maybe something has been lost but then again maybe we'd hate change just because it's change. I think he gets all of the info into a much shorter video than he used to or other reviewers do. It's a matter of taste for the most part I suppose.

[virtualTune]

I somewhat agree with the OP. I have only been watching LTT for 1.5 years. But I agree, the PC related content that is intresting to me, has become less and less. Now I am sure that my personal taste has to do with that as well, but I remember a time when phone reviews were not a thing. Clearly the market has been shifting increasingly towards mobile devices, so it is only reasonable to include phones into the reviews. One thing that I think is unneccessary though, is that the products seemed to have become more premium than before. Much of the Gear that is being reviewed is honestly rather expensive, be it phones, headphones, keyboards or monitors. Most of the builds these days are also far from budget focused. It is more about "Hey look we packed all this high-end hardware into a tiny case!", when most people who buy an mATX case will probably have a midrange build.

Besides the WAN Show (which was a lot better when it had guests btw.) I watch a LTT video once a month at best. Not because I don't have time to watch more, but simply because I could care less about ultrawide and ultraexpensive monitors, Linus' opinion on anything audio, or new phones (I'd sooner buy a new PC than a new phone).

I have definately migrated towards other channels like OC3D for PC Hardware reviews. The only reason I still support LTT is because of this very forum, which I find much more useful for general troubleshooting and Tech News than Tom's Hardware or the OC3D community.

[m33r]

That's some small text you've got there...

 

Hello Linus!

 

All I have to say is that do what you think is best for yourself and your viewers. I myself have been a longtime fan and subscriber, from the beginning of the NCIX YouTube days, and it always brings a big smile to my face to see you where you are today. I know for a fact, that you have worked incredibly hard for it all. Keep up the good work!

 

I have met countless people in random computer stores discussing your videos and your recommendations, and I quickly pounce on the opportunity to join in and flag up various points in the videos of the product people are discussing (And I live in SAUDIA ARABIA of all places, the friggin desert!). We LOVE you, not just the information you present us with, but your personality as well.

 

I understand how with time, you have to change aswell, how this isn’t just a hobby of yours anymore, it’s a business, and I appreciate everything you’re doing to keep everyone happy. IT IS NOT EASY! J

Having said that, ofcourse there will always be people who complain, and fuss about how you handle your channel now as compared to the past, but this shows how much we love you, and for you to reply back to all of this feedback? Shows that you love us too.. (No homo).

 

Just saying, sometimes I miss those ole’ unscripted videos of Linus fumbling with boxes, but that’s just natural I guess, and with time, I have learned to adapt to different stuff you do, and appreciate it. Remember, this goes to show how much we love you! Heck, there is even a video compilation of you hitting yourself with internal PC fans! Look at this forum and community! There would be no Linustechtips.com without Linus! J We love and appreciate everything you’ve done, thank you.

 

Best of luck for everything in the future, you will always have my subscription and like J

[-iSynthesis]

I feel like hes going away from actual PC Hardware a bit, and more into phones and such. I dont mind it too much but then again, phones are boring as fuck to me lol. His reviews got a lot better in my opinion, at least some. For example the review of the htc one m8.

[-Liquidman-]

I think that unscripted videos are more fun to watch but I also understand why you go more professional with the videos. If I was a guy who is just started looking a review for something I would defently go with the more professional video but as a long time fan I like more casual videos because I watch them for fun.

I think that the original audience would really appreciate the WAN show afterparty comeback so theres some casual stuff aswell.

[McKimS]

While I've only been viewing LTT/NCIX Tech Tips (when Linus was on) for a couple of years now, I unfortunately have to somewhat agree with OP. While I still try to watch some videos, I'm finding myself going elsewhere to watch anything at all related to computer hardware since most of what LTT does is, like what the OP said, consumer electronics. While I firmly believe that we can, and should, enjoy a jolly match of "Hide the Sausage", unless you can do videos like that all of the time I won't be viewing them.

No matter what happens I'm sure you guys will have a great future, it just really sucks that some of us can't be a part of it.