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YouTube Transcript Summarizer With ChatGPT. Save Lots Of Time.

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YouTube videos can be too long.

Sometimes, you don’t know if you want to spend that 20 minutes to get an idea of what the video is about.

I found a way where you can get a quick summary of the most important points of a video.

It helps me decide if I really want to spend 20 minutes to watch the video.

Let’s see how you can save time from watching a complete video.

Table of Contents

What video will I summarize with ChatGPT?

I watched this video from MKBHD entitled iPhone vs Android.

Yes, I spent 18 minutes watching it. Then another 10 to write the summary below.

Before I put it through ChatGPT, here’s a manual summary by me. I am doing this so that I can check the comprehensiveness and veracity of the summaries by ChatGPT.

  • Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) rated the iPhone and Android based on seven factors.
  • The iPhone won for ease of use, updates/support/apps and ecosystem
  • Android won for customization, features and excitement
  • But MKBHD says you should self-rank these factors on a 1-5 scale, rather than use the 4-to-3 score to decide which is better. If you give something a five, then it will boost the score of the iPhone/Android accordingly.

OK, that last point is a bit hard to explain. I am wondering if ChatGPT will be able to explain it better than me.

Let’s see…

ChatGPT Plus can summarize YouTube video

My preferred way is to use ChatGPT Plus, which allows you access to GPT-4 and plugins.

The only downside to this involves the $20 you’d have to pay to ChatGPT. Or else, you are going to have to use ChatGPT 3.5.

Enable plugins in ChatGPT

If you haven’t already, enable Plugins.

Go to the bottom left of your screen, and click on the three dots -> Settings & Beta -> Beta features -> Plugins.

enabling plugins in chatgpt

Next, hover over GPT-4 and click “Plugins”.

gpt-4 enable plugins

Hover over “No plugins enabled” and go to the Plugin store at the bottom.

I am using the Video Summary plugin, and this guide will be based on this plugin.

Things change quickly in the ChatGPT world. In case the plugin I am using isn’t available, try another one. Search for “YouTube” in ChatGPT’s plugin store and try something else.

Make sure to enable the plugin you’ve chosen.

Get YouTube video URL and get a summary

Copy the video’s URL and then type this prompt:

Summarize: [YouTube URL]

Here is the output:

Here’s a summarized breakdown of the video titled “iPhone vs. Android: The Definitive Guide”:

  • Introduction:
    • The video aims to settle the age-old debate between iPhone and Android users.
    • The presenter breaks down the comparison into seven meaningful categories to determine a winner.
  • Category 1: Customization:
    • Android offers more freedom in customization compared to iOS.
    • While iOS 17 has introduced new features, Android still allows users to change more aspects of their device.
    • Winner: Android.
  • Category 2: Features:
    • Both platforms have evolved over the years, copying features from each other.
    • Android offers more tweakable OS-level features and hardware options.
    • Winner: Android.
  • Category 3: Ease of Use:
    • iPhones have maintained consistent design and user experience over the years.
    • Apple focuses on user continuity, making it easier for the average person.
    • Winner: iPhone.
  • Category 4: Support (Updates):
    • Software and security updates are crucial for device longevity.
    • iPhones tend to receive longer and more consistent software support.
    • Winner: iPhone.
  • Category 5: Apps:
    • Both platforms have millions of apps, but developers often prioritize iOS due to its uniformity.
    • iPhone apps tend to get updates faster and are more optimized.
    • Winner: iPhone.
  • Category 6: Excitement:
    • Android offers a wider variety of innovative features and designs.
    • The excitement around iPhones often revolves around adopting features already present in Android devices.
    • Winner: Android.
  • Category 7: Ecosystem:
    • Apple has a strong, seamless ecosystem, especially with features like iMessage and FaceTime.
    • Samsung and other Android manufacturers also offer ecosystems, but Apple’s is more integrated.
    • Winner: iPhone.
  • Conclusion:
    • Tallying the categories, iPhone wins in 4 out of 7.
    • However, the presenter emphasizes that the best choice is subjective and depends on individual preferences.
    • He suggests a system where viewers can rank categories based on their importance and choose accordingly.
    • The real winner is the consumer, as competition between the two platforms leads to better products.

The video concludes with a call to action to subscribe and a note of appreciation for watching.

Did I detect some fake news?

Or is it just a question of interpretation?

Having watched the video, I can say the summary is mostly true, except for this debatable aspect:

“The excitement around iPhones often revolves around adopting features already present in Android devices.”

I don’t think MKBHD said this as directly as the summary makes it out to be. However, it’s possible to interpret it as such.

Ultimately, I am very satisfied with the quality of the summary.

Ask ChatGPT to summarize YouTube video further

You can ask ChatGPT to further elaborate on a specific point.

The summary caught a point that I wasn’t able to explain too well. It said,

  • However, the presenter emphasizes that the best choice is subjective and depends on individual preferences.
  • He suggests a system where viewers can rank categories based on their importance and choose accordingly.

Let’s type a prompt in and ask for elaboration.

You said "However, the presenter emphasizes that the best choice is subjective and depends on individual preferences. He suggests a system where viewers can rank categories based on their importance and choose accordingly."

Can you elaborate on this?

As you can see, I just copied and pasted the text which I wanted more elaboration.

If I wanted more elaboration on the numbered points, I could just say “Can you elaborate on [NUMBER]?”. So if I wanted elaboration on point 6, I would say “Can you elaborate on 6?”.

This is the elaborated output:

The presenter acknowledges that while he has broken down the comparison into seven categories and declared winners for each, the “best” choice between iPhone and Android is highly personal and varies from individual to individual.

To help viewers determine which platform might be best for them, he proposes a system:

  1. Ranking Categories: Viewers should rank the seven categories (Customization, Features, Ease of Use, Support, Apps, Excitement, Ecosystem) in order of importance to them personally. For instance, one person might prioritize “Customization” above all else, while another might value “Ecosystem” the most.
  2. Assigning Points: Once the categories are ranked, viewers should assign a point value to each category based on its importance. For example, on a scale of 1 to 5, they might give “Customization” a 5 if it’s of utmost importance to them, and “Ecosystem” a 2 if it’s less crucial.
  3. Tallying Points for Each Platform: After assigning points, viewers can then allocate the points to either iPhone or Android based on which platform “won” in each category for them.
  4. Decision Based on Points: By the end of this exercise, viewers will have a point total for both iPhone and Android. The platform with the higher point total would be the one that aligns more closely with their personal preferences and priorities.

The presenter’s main point is that while objective comparisons can be made in specific categories, the overall “best” choice is subjective. This system allows viewers to make a decision based on what matters most to them, rather than relying solely on a general comparison.

Not bad!

I felt that in order for me to explain this self-ranking system, I would have to go back and watch the video. ChatGPT understood it from the start, and it really saved me time.

What if you don’t have ChatGPT Plus (GPT-4)?

Let’s look under the hood of how these plugins work.

These plugins are conveyers of the transcript. You give the plugin a URL, it fetches the transcript and feeds it into ChatGPT.

chatgpt video summary plugin request response

Could you do that manually and get the same results?

Probably. So let’s see what happens when we put this transcript into GPT-3.5.

First thing we need is the transcript. I went to youtubetranscript.com and pasted the URL in.

Then, copied the entire transcript with the button on the bottom left.

Paste that wall of text into your GPT input box.

And this is what I get:

The YouTube video discusses the iPhone versus Android debate and breaks it down into seven meaningful categories for comparison: customization, features, ease of use, updates/support, apps, excitement, and ecosystem. The video emphasizes that there is no one-size-fits-all winner in this debate, as individual preferences play a significant role in choosing the right device.

  1. Customization: Android wins in terms of customization due to its flexibility in tweaking the home screen, icon packs, and widget sizes. While iOS has added customization features, it still remains more limited compared to Android.
  2. Features: Android offers more features, including battery management, file management, and various customization options. Both platforms have matured and offer comprehensive features, but Android takes the edge due to its wider range of tweakable settings.
  3. Ease of Use: iPhones excel in ease of use, providing a simple and consistent user experience. Apple’s approach to user interface design and minimalistic approach appeals to those who value straightforward functionality.
  4. Updates/Support: iPhones have an advantage in this category, with Apple providing extended software updates for older devices. Android updates vary by manufacturer, with Apple having a more streamlined approach to software updates.
  5. Apps: While both platforms offer a wide range of apps, the video suggests that iOS tends to receive updates and new features from developers more promptly, making the app experience smoother on iPhones.
  6. Excitement: Android wins the excitement category due to the constant innovation and variety in the Android ecosystem. It introduces a wider range of new features, designs, and devices, while Apple’s iPhone often catches up with features already present in the Android world.
  7. Ecosystem: Both ecosystems (Apple’s and Samsung’s) have their strengths. Apple offers a seamless and integrated ecosystem with strong continuity features, while Samsung provides a wide range of devices that are compatible within its own ecosystem.

The video concludes by suggesting viewers consider their priorities in these categories and assign points based on importance to determine which platform aligns better with their preferences. Ultimately, the “winner” depends on personal needs and desires, as the debate remains subjective.

Compared to the GPT-4 output, there’s no indication of who the winner is. So let’s ask GPT-3.5 to output it. I asked,

Can you tell me who the winners are for each of the 7 categories?

Yeah, that worked.

Now let’s ask ChatGPT to elaborate on the self-ranking system. I prompted,


Can you elaborate on this paragraph:
"The video concludes by suggesting viewers consider their priorities in these categories and assign points based on importance to determine which platform aligns better with their preferences. Ultimately, the "winner" depends on personal needs and desires, as the debate remains subjective."

And here’s the output:

Certainly! In the video, the presenter acknowledges that there is no definitive winner between iPhone and Android that applies universally to everyone. The decision of which platform is better depends on individual preferences and priorities. Since people value different aspects of smartphones, the video suggests a method for viewers to determine their own “winner” based on their personal needs and desires.

To do this, the presenter recommends assigning points to each of the seven categories discussed (customization, features, ease of use, updates/support, apps, excitement, ecosystem) based on how important each category is to them. For example, if someone highly values customization and features, they might assign higher points to those categories. If ease of use is a top priority for another person, they might give more points to the ease of use category.

After assigning points to each category, viewers can tally up the points to see which platform aligns better with their preferences. The idea is that this method allows individuals to weigh the pros and cons of each platform based on what matters most to them, thus helping them make a more informed decision when choosing between iPhone and Android.

In summary, the video encourages viewers to recognize that the “winner” in the iPhone vs. Android debate is ultimately a subjective choice based on individual needs and desires, and the suggested point-based method provides a structured way to approach this decision-making process.

I’ll give my subjective take on this. GPT-3.5’s elaboration on the self-ranking method is OK, but it’s more verbose. GPT-4’s answer was better.

ChatGPT’s token limits, hallucinates due to memory loss

ChatGPT has token limits which calculate the number of words and punctuation that it remembers. This is called the context window.

ChatGPT 3.5 has a context window of about 4,000 tokens. I wasn’t able to find the exact number for ChatGPT GPT-4, but it can either be about 4,000 or 8,000 tokens.

Exceeding the token limit can lead to incomplete or nonsensical responses, as ChatGPT loses vital context.

Every time you ask ChatGPT a question and it outputs something, the context window shifts. It’ll forget the content from the earlier conversations.

For example, a user might ask about the Eiffel Tower and receive a response about the Leaning Tower of Pisa because the context window shifted.

The important point here is that the YouTube summary’s reliability is great up until you ask too many questions and cause ChatGPT to forget stuff.

Remember the ChatGPT 3.5 prompt where I pasted the transcript in?

It turns out that was 4,273 tokens. Meaning the first prompt already exceeded GPT 3.5’s limit. You can calculate the tokens used by using this tool.

Traditionally, you would handle token limit issues by cutting down on the text to fit the limit, or to create a summary and start a new conversation with that summary.

In this case, you’d just cut the parts of the video’s transcript that you want analyzed. Ask questions as per normal.

Then, copy and paste your chat into the token calculator tool to get a gauge of how close you are to the limit.

Then, once you’ve hit the limit, you’ll just reset. Start with your normal “summarize:” prompt, then continue asking questions.

YouTube summary plugins reviewed

There are a ton of plugins that can summarize YouTube videos for you. I tried a few and would recommend these:

If you want to understand what the video is, in point form, then this plugin is for you.

I’d use this plugin by default. Here’s its output.

Click the image below to see the full-res image so you can decide if this is what you want.

If you need timestamps, use YT Summarizer

You know the bookmarks on YouTube?

Imagine if the bookmarks provided more information.

This is exactly what YT Summarizer does. It bookmarks certain timestamps and describes what the YouTube video is focused on at that point in time.

Click the image below to see the full-res image so you can decide if this is what you want.

Ultra-detailed: YouTube Summaries

YouTube Summaries will give you the most comprehensive summary, but not directly in ChatGPT.

YouTube Summaries will give you the most comprehensive breakdown of a video, much more than Video Summaries.

The downside is that you will have to go onto the app developer’s website in order to read the summary, whereas the previous two plugins allow you to do it all from ChatGPT.

Click the image below to see the full-res image so you can decide if this is what you want.

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