Okay, so there are many ways to watch movies and TV shows with your friends online. So, you’re probably wondering how this video is any different.

Well, while most of the online services and extensions support popular sites like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc. In this video, I will use a new service called Metastream. The cool thing about Metastream is that it supports pretty much all video streaming services. As you can see, you need an URL of the video. As long as you have a video link, you can watch it with anyone online.

Let me show you how.

Download the extension for Firefox or Chrome - you can find the link of both in the description of the video.

The extension will be able to read and change data on websites you visit. Metastream is completely free.

Once installed, navigate to the Metastream website or click on the Metastream Chrome extension logo and then open the Metastream’s portal.

Type in a display name and click “Get Started”.

Click “Start Session” on the next screen.

Next, you need to invite your friends. To do so, click the “Invite” button on the left to get a link to share; click “Copy” and send it to your friends. 

In the same window, you can also make the session public, private, or offline, and change the number of users allowed (you can have an unlimited number of users but Metastream works best with maximum of 50 users). Once done, close this window.

Now, ask your friend to click on the link you shared.

When they join, you’ll see a box on the left with your name and theirs; you’ll have to click the green checkmark by their name to let them in. 

To grant them permission to add videos and change playback, click on the three dots next to their name and then click “Toggle DJ.” If you see a headphone symbol next to their name, it means they have access to a remote. 

Next, you need to add a video that you and your friend want to watch together. It can be any video on the internet as long as you have the URL, you can watch it. For this example, I will take Crunchyroll video, since it’s relatively smaller compared to Netflix or Prime and it’s bit difficult to watch with friend online. 

Click the “Add Media” button in the center of the main screen and then you can either paste the URL for the video in the bar either at the top or the bottom of the screen and then click “Add to Session.” 

You can also click on the “+” button to add movies and shows in a queue., so you can set up a list of things you want to watch.

Now, play the video, and it should play on both devices at the same time. 

If you want to watch the video in full screen, then click on the 3 vertical dots on Metastream player at the bottom right and choose “Open in popup”, the 3rd option from the top. You have to tap on open-in popup again. 

That’s it, now you can watch video in full screen without any distractions.

That said, nothing is perfect and Metastream also has a few cons.

For example, the app is still in beta, so user may experience a bit of lag or delay, I personally use it and it mostly works fine.

It also does not support webcam and audio chat, which others do, so maybe devs can add that in the future. The same goes for the support for smartphone. It also doesn’t work on Android and iOS.

Either way, the option to play any video is a great plus. If you know you know.

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See you in the next one!