YouTube screensaver bug is interrupting playback on LG Smart TVs

TL;DR Recent YouTube and YouTube TV updates on LG webOS appear to trigger the TV’s screensaver during active playback. The bug mainly affects non-16:9 YouTube videos and YouTube TV multiview, with audio continuing in the background. LG support has reportedly shared a power-drain workaround, although users report mixed results.

Watching YouTube is frustrating enough when you’re constantly reaching for the remote to skip ads . Now, some LG TV owners are finding themselves reaching for it every couple of minutes for a completely different reason. Recent updates to the YouTube and YouTube TV apps appear to be triggering the webOS screensaver during active playback on some LG TVs, interrupting videos even though they never actually stop playing.