black screen mystery bug

[ImprovedTube]

hopefully they tell us their settings.

[NGTagger]

I'm the dude in the top picture.
In the "My active features", this is what's shown:
https://i.imgur.com/1Ck9vdt.png

My console when this happens:
https://i.imgur.com/AZUmITx.png

Hope that helps in some way.

[ImprovedTube]

hi @NGTagger thank you so much for coming here & caring.

The console doesnt show an error from our script.
Since you are using adblocking and 7TV, both of which are popular, i have good hopes that the error only happens through the combination of your extensions. Can you try disabling the others too?

[NGTagger]

Just tried disabling both uBlock Origin, SponsorBlock, PrivacyBadger and 7TV (just to be on the safe side - and restarting the browser on another attempt, just to be sure) - no difference.

Not sure it's a combination of things, as while trying your suggestion, I also tried with everything else turned off, so only your extension was turned on - the issue was still there.

The only thing that stops/removes the issue, is disabling your extension. As soon as I turn it on; the issue comes back.
I can turn it on during a YouTube clip and it'll have no impact, and then on the next one; I get a black YouTube player with just the audio and no way to interact with it.

[ImprovedTube]

thank you @NGTagger!

• Can you log out? (or use incognito window) (maybe YouTube is testing a new version while you are logged in)

• Did you open the console when/before the player was black? (then hopefully we'd see an error. Btw, maybe i should have said already, you can also run ImprovedTube alone, in an incognito window. Can activate it at chrome://extensions details chrome://extensions/?id=bnomihfieiccainjcjblhegjgglakjdd#allow-incognito )

• Can you export your ImprovedTube setttings? (ImprovedTube -> Settings -> Backup & reset -> Export settings. Can delete the video lists in it if any)

• Maybe users getting this bug will have something else in common that is not very common. (All i can guess yet is, that it might increase uninstallations a bit)

[howlingc]

Also encountered this problem today. For me the fix was toggling the "Forced theather mode" off from "Apprerance -> Player" setting list.
Interestingly, I tried toggling the "Forced theather mode" back on, and the problem didn't instantly repeat itself, and all Youtube videos are still working again.

[ImprovedTube]

Does this happen witth Theatermode only? @NGTagger #1771.

[NGTagger]

-- Can you log out? (or use incognito window) (maybe YouTube is testing a new version while you are logged in)

Tried that. No difference.

-- Did you open the console when/before the player was black? (then hopefully we'd see an error. Btw, maybe i should have said already, you can also run ImprovedTube alone, in an incognito window. Can activate it at chrome://extensions details chrome://extensions/?id=bnomihfieiccainjcjblhegjgglakjdd#allow-incognito )

I opened up the console when the player turned out to be black/empty/void.

-- Can you export your ImprovedTube setttings? (ImprovedTube -> Settings -> Backup & reset -> Export settings. Can delete the video lists in it if any)

Added my export.
improvedtube.zip
(Wouldn't let me upload the JSON, so I just zipped it up)

-- Does this happen witth Theatermode only?

It reliably happens with "Forced Theater Mode", sure - but turning it off, doesn't guarantee that it doesn't happen again. Just makes it a bit more "random".
I could easily replicate the error, with "Forced Theater Mode" enabled, at least 8-9 times out of 10.
..but with it turned off; it goes down to maybe 2-3 times out of 10.
My steps of replicating it, is just simply (fully) closing Chrome and opening it again - then visiting a YouTube video.
Same thing with only your extension enabled - with or without being logged into my Google account.

I've found a little "workaround" though.
If I disable the extension - then go to YouTube and watch some video - then enable the extension - everything works as intended.

[ImprovedTube]

thanks! @NGTagger

couldn't reproduce it yet

interesting:

If I disable the extension - then go to YouTube and watch some video - then enable the extension - everything works as intended.

(

My steps of replicating it, is just simply (fully) closing Chrome and opening it again

yet i assume it it happens in existing sessions, too? (#1750 hints that, when restoring a browser session, then our extension might not be able to access the data tags at the start of the DOM. )

)

[ImprovedTube]

can you try if the bug happens with these previous versions? @howlingc @NGTagger @merlin555

SEP-2

AUG-29

(load unpacked at chrome://extensions)

---

maybe try disabling your other player features, one at a time, just to make sure @NGTagger

[ImprovedTube]

hi guys! Please help fixing this bug soon through testing the previous two versions linked above
@howlingc @NGTagger @merlin555

we especially still need to know if it really sometimes happens without "force theater mode" (like @NGTagger said) (which migh be another reason) and since when this one happens

[anasiandeude]

I'm having this problem too it happens on all 3 pcs chrome and edge and for me it's really consistent.

The steps I'm able to replicate the bug:
Have the force theater mode on and open a video set the player to default view first,
open any video and has to be open in a new tab
With all the other extensions I have, on one of my pc the extension doesn't what to load at all in a new normal tab, even with quite a few refreshes
Open in incognito window with only improvedYT can make it happen on that pc

No ads popped up whether I'm logged in or not while I was testing so don't know if ads will affect it
Tested with settings reset the bug still happens

[ImprovedTube]

ok, should've fixed this earlier.
Unfortunately been sick these weeks.
Thanks