I guess Nebula is better for video watching, but without recommendations and video comments, it feels dead. I did pay for it for a year and then gave up. Is the problem me?

I think that's totally fair, it's just different people come to youtube for different things. Nebula is just a different value proposition.

I log on once a day and can see everything that was uploaded in less than two minutes. No need for recommendations. Considering how cheap it is I'm happy if I only find one or two videos a week worth watching.

Yes, but no.

Different tools work better for different people, if you want/need yt features that aren't found in the alternative then it is the right choice for you.