I use Vimeo for posting videos.
Viewing Youtube videos doesn't require logging into a Google account, so that's acceptable to me. I block Google scripts (running behind the scenes on a huge number of websites -- even on some shopping cart check-outs) and all the other similar spam info collectors, like doubleclick, etc.
Running the NoScript add-on for Firefox is a real eye-opener. It's amazing the number of scripts that run on your computer by just visiting ordinary websites these days.
My wife's computer was recently slowing down so much on Youtube that the video wouldn't run, the fan would go into high speed mode, and the panel showed a tremendous use of resources, and the computer would nearly lock up.
I checked NoScript and it showed 16 different tracking scripts running from different outfits on that one YouTube page. She had inadvertently allowed those scripts to run (NoScript normally does not, but allows you to run scripts temporarily, or permanently. She'd hit permanently by accident).
Once I disallowed those scripts, Youtube videos ran well again and the computer stopped locking up.