YouTube TV: Everything you need to know about the TV streaming service

YouTube TV: Everything you need to know about the TV streaming service

YouTube TV is on the market currently to everybody within the u. s., from la to big apple town, Associate in Nursingd it’s a brought an absolute reckoning for thought cable suppliers – you recognize, those guys WHO hose North American nation with instrumentation rental fees and HD service once those things ought to simply be freed from charge.

For far too long, cable contracts have punished North American nation if we have a tendency to such a lot as have a look at another cable choice whereas bundles pack in things we don’t use (cough, home phones) and channels we have a tendency to don’t watch all therefore cable firms will maintain their bottom line.

Well, unhealthy news cable companies: Those days are over.

YouTube TV could be a cable replacement, full stop, providing live TV to your phone, pill and streaming device while not a pricey cable subscription and contract

    Want something cheaper? Sling TV starts at just $25 per month

It’s a deal that feels too good to be true for those of us and while it has some problems of its own, it could one day put cable companies out of business.

While cable-cutters are definitely on YouTube’s radar, it’s the so-called cord-nevers out there – those of us who have never paid for cable, and likely never will – that YouTube TV really speaks to. It’s all the channels we’ve come to expect from our parent’s house, but at a price we can actually afford.

Are you ready to cancel cable once and for all? Are you ready for dozens of channels streaming live wherever you are without the need for a cable box? If so, then pull up a seat and we’ll give you the 411 on this game-changing new service.
Cut to the chase

    What is YouTube TV? A live TV streaming service like Sling TV
    When is it coming out? It’s available right now!
    How much will it cost? $40 per month, unless you get an add-on package
    Where can you watch it? Almost anywhere in the US

  
How to watch YouTube TV on your TV

First thing’s first, you’ll need to sign up for a free trial of the service. Once that’s done, you can either tune in on your browser (tv.youtube.com) or find the YouTube TV app on your iOS and Android phone or tablet.

If you’re looking for the old-school sit back experience, YouTube TV is available on Chromecast and Apple TV compatible by casting from your aforementioned phone and tablet or, if you’re the proud owner of an Android TV and/or Roku device, you can find a dedicated app for YouTube TV on their respective channel stores.

Now, it’s also worth pointing out that to access YouTube TV, not only are you going to need a subscription to the service but also an internet service plan from one of your local ISPs (for most folks, that’s AT&T, Spectrum, Verizon).

This is something most folks pay for already and therefore hasn’t been figured into the cost of YouTube TV – but it’s worth noting nonetheless.
Why YouTube TV is new, but important

Why is YouTube TV visiting be big? Well, whereas PlayStation Vue and Sling TV had to carve out a brand new audience for his or her product, YouTube TV already has one – one billion users that sleep in eighty eight countries and speak seventy six totally different languages.

So far, that huge user base, combined with the YouTube complete – and the supply of a contract-free cable expertise – has attracted plenty of shoppers, some 800,000 eventually count in July 2018.

While YouTube TV isn’t the foremost widespread live TV streaming service within the country – Associate in Nursing honor that belongs to Sling TV with its two.4 million subscribers and followed closely by DirecTV currently – it’s growing quickly because of its higher DVR support.

And, ought to the service ever build its thanks to the united kingdom wherever people watch around 180m hours each day – variety that, per The Guardian, is growing forty five year on year – it may spell huge hassle for ancient service suppliers.

OK, therefore YouTube TV goes to be huge, you get that. however what precisely is YouTube TV and why do you have to care? Let’s speak about it.

So how is YouTube TV different?

YouTube TV may be a US-exclusive live TV streaming service – suppose Netflix however rather than on-demand TV shows and flicks you’ll see cable channels like alphabet, NBC, FOX, ESPN and Disney among several, many more. It’s like cable within the sense that everything is split by channel and, yes, you’ll should pay a monthly fee for it, however the distinction here is that you’ll be ready to take shows whenever and where you go.

Loading up the service for the primary time, we have a tendency to were suggested shows like Archer, the massive Bang Theory, The Simpsons and lots of additional. we have a tendency to simply found enough content to stay U.S. pleased for the time-being, and can have lots to look at next time we have a tendency to log-on due to YouTube TV’s stellar Cloud DVR.

Cloud DVR, if you’ve ne’er detected that term before, permits you to record your favorite shows as they air and save them, well, to the cloud in order that you’ll watch them later. It’s TiVo, however everything’s on-line.

YouTube TV guarantees unlimited storage for shows for up to 9 months – a heavy advantage over the competition that typically solely supply twenty eight days of storage.

If you think that you’re visiting simply jump past the advertisements, though, check. Like ancient cable, YouTube TV and its line-up of channels still want revenue on the far side your month-to-month subscription fee – and advertisements, the maximum amount as we have a tendency to disdain them, are YouTube’s method of keeping the lights on.

But your monthly subscription isn’t while not its edges – YouTube says that its service will permit up to 6 individuals within the family to access the service and can allow up to a few of them tune into the service at the same time on the identical account – an enormous advantage once you’re wanting to exchange cable and you’ve got a big family.

The other factor you wish to understand concerning YouTube TV is its price: $40 a month. For comparison, that’s slightly dearer than Sling TV’s basic $20-per-month package and some bucks but PlayStation Vue’s basic $45 package that has native stations like CBS, NBC, etc…
What channels are available on YouTube TV?

At last count, YouTube TV offers over 60 networks, including popular cable networks and on-demand programming available for viewing. That includes ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and more (which means every NFL game up to and including the Super Bowl, are yours to watch every Sunday) plus all the channels that fall under the umbrella of those companies – i.e. ESPN, CSN, FOX Sports, USA, FX, Disney, E!, Bravo, SyFy, FXX, National Geographic, MSNBC, FOX News, CNBC and more.

Here’s the complete picture of every channel so far.

On top of all those channels shown above, you’ll also get access to YouTube’s own network of shows, YouTube Red Originals. Shows on this ‘network’ (a term we use very lightly here) include Scare PewDiePie and exclusive films that you’ve probably never heard of. This really isn’t a huge draw for most people, but hey, maybe the money that comes in from YouTube TV can be used to crank up the quality of this content to near-Netflix levels.

Now, like Amazon Video, you can actually tack on additional premium stations for an extra fee. Right now the list of premium offerings include FOX Soccer Plus and Showtime, which cost around $10 extra per month.
YouTube TV vs. Sling TV vs. Hulu with Live TV

If you’re here reading abreast of YouTube TV, it’s conjointly price knowing concerning the opposite live TV streaming services on the market: Sling TV, Hulu with Live TV, DirecTV currently and PlayStation Vue, among others.

While YouTube TV supplys lots at an affordable price – creating it one in every of the higher values of the bunch – the opposite choices offer a small amount less and price less, or supply a small amount additional at a better monthly value.

The cheapest service out of all is Sling TV, that starts at simply $25 per month. It doesn’t supply as several channels and has restricted DVR capabilities, however if you’re wanting to travel for a barebones replacement, it’s the one to induce. (As of immediately, it’s conjointly the foremost standard live TV streaming service in America.)

If you’re searching for an on the spot contestant to YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV offers lots of the identical DVR choices and live TV channels that YouTube offers and Hulu’s entire catalog of streaming shows and flicks. Plus, it’s solely $5 additional per month.

Last however not least, there’s DirecTV currently and PlayStation Vue. These services are a small amount additional premium than Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV, and a small amount less standard, too. They’re smart choices to seem into if all the remainder don’t see.

How is it different than YouTube Premium?

This can be sort of confusing, so listen up. YouTube Premium (what used to be called YouTube Red) is an ad-free version of YouTube that has a few fun features like allowing you to keep a video playing even when your phone is turned off.

What YouTube Premium won’t allow you to do is watch live TV or cable TV content. For that you’ll need YouTube TV.

Is there some crossover potential here between these two services? Absolutely. Maybe a subscription to YouTube TV also nets you a free subscription to Premium or Google Play Music or Google Play Movies & TV. Unfortunately, none of those services link together right now, but that could change down the road.

Is YouTube TV a better deal than cable?

That’s a good question. The answer here is ‘maybe’. Depending on how your cable service provider packages its internet and cable bundles. If you’re already paying for internet service, you can tack on an extra $40 for YouTube TV and maybe a $10-per-month subscription to Netflix and have just as much content as you’d have from a cable TV service that can cost upwards of $120 to $150 a month.

That being said, if you’re paying for one of those bundles that allows you to package cable, internet and phone service together for a lower price, YouTube TV might not come out to be significantly less.

The benefits of going for a streaming service over a cable service are the ability to watch shows wherever you go, the potential to use Cloud DVR to save shows for later and the no-obligations contract that allows you to cancel your account without a termination fee. On top of everything else, you don’t need to rent a cable box from companies like Comcast, Spectrum or AT&T, because the streaming service comes in through whatever device you’re using.

In short, YouTube TV can offer as many channels as basic cable does, without the need for a cable box and 12-month contract, which is why we consider it a win. It does all that and offers Cloud DVR, is available a plethora of apps for devices like Apple TV and the Xbox One family of consoles and does video-on-demand, making it one of the best streaming services on the planet.

It’d be nice if there were even more channels thrown in there, but as it stands, this is probably the best TV streaming service in the US right now, and well-worth its monthly fee for the majority of folks out there.