Wire cutting tools have never been easier, thanks to the growing number of live TV streaming services like YouTube TV. It is one of the most powerful alternatives to cable TV, offering more than 70 channels including local broadcast networks (depending on your region). Because of the breadth of content, it’s priced at $64.99.
Recently, the YouTube TV lineup has become more complete with the addition of Viacom channels such as MTV and VH1. And it will become an excellent choice for sports fans, as the service has added the NFL Network for all subscribers and the Sports Plus package with NFL RedZone, Fox College Sports, GOLTV, MAVTV, Stadium and TVG.
YouTube TV features an easy-to-use and intuitive interface that is available on every major platform, including iOS, Android, Xbox, Playstation 4 and select Smart TVs. The YouTube TV app on iPhone is about to overtake the YouTube app. What really sets it apart from the competition is the DVR’s unlimited storage – there are no limits on simultaneous recordings and you can keep recordings for nine months. However, one competitor is catching up to this.
The subscription also includes access to YouTube Originals, such as the Karate Kid Cobra Kai series, as well as the option to add premium channels, including Showtime. In this category, YouTube TV lags behind its biggest competitor, Hulu with Live TVwhich comes with award-winning shows like The Handmaid’s Tale and Ramy.
But if all you’re looking for is access to local channels and cable networks, plus unlimited DVR storage, YouTube TV is a great cable TV alternative.
YouTube TV pricing and availability
To subscribe to YouTube TV, you need a Google account. The streaming service offers a free two-week trial. After that, YouTube TV costs $64.99 per month to access up to 70 channels. This is the new price as of June 30, 2020 (previously $49).
This is in line with its main competitors. Hulu with Live TV also costs $65, as is the FuboTV Family Plan. sling tv It’s $45 per month for 53 channels, but to get all the broadcasts, you need an antenna (one is coming with the $99 Cut Cord package, which also comes with Air TV hardware for integrating channels into the Sling TV app). Philo TV is a very low-cost live TV service at $20 per month, but the channel lineup is rather lackluster.
Its price was temporarily reduced to $50 during the Disney/YouTube TV dispute, which has since been resolved.
Your exact YouTube TV streak will depend on where you live, so enter your zip code to see which local networks you get. YouTube TV also offers additional premium channels and packages, which you can read more about below.
YouTube TV is available to stream to TV using Chromecast devices (or on Chromecast TV), via Apple AirPlay or Google Smart Display. You can also watch on a web browser on Mac and Windows computers.
Each subscription comes with up to six accounts and three simultaneous streams, so different family members can customize their libraries.
YouTube TV interface
The interface of YouTube TV will be familiar to anyone who has used YouTube. The utilitarian design is simple, intuitive and extremely easy to use. It’s not pretty (Philo’s streaming service interface is much smoother) but it does what you need to do. Finding shows and movies is a breeze, as well as navigating what is being streamed live at the moment.
The interface switches between three screens: Home, Library, and Live. At the top of the homepage is a selection of the top picks, which is a mix of the shows you’ve saved, the shows you’ve watched, and related shows based on your favourites. Below is a section full of recommendations to add to your library, which serves as a handy reminder of upcoming shows and movies you might want to check out.
Below the home page are categories for sports, news, and movies, as well as YouTube Originals.
The Library is your DVR’s home, showing your saved shows, movies, other shows, and upcoming recordings.
Live Screen is a network similar to cable TV in some devices (such as web browsers, game stations, and smart TVs). On smaller devices, like phones, Live offers a list of what’s being broadcast on all the channels you get.
Each platform also has a navigation bar search tool, which takes you to a handy search page. YouTube TV shines here – it’s no surprise that it’s owned by Google. You can search for a show title, movie, person, or even themes and genres (for example, “Oscar-winning films”). Searching is super fast, and results start popping up as you type. They are broken down by live and upcoming broadcasts, recordings from your library, and what’s needed.
View and movie profile pages are well designed and very robust. The show’s profile page shows available and upcoming episodes, cast members, and related videos from YouTube. In the case of Friends, those clips include clips of Jennifer Aniston on night shows. There is also a section promoting similar offers.
YouTube TV content and channels
The lineup of YouTube TV channels is impressive and is on par with competitors like Hulu with Live TV and Sling TV. YouTube TV recently added the Viacom family of cable channels, including BET, Comedy Central, MTV, and Nickelodeon, as well as the premium network Showtime. And football fans will be delighted that the service is adding the NFL Network. New additions have made YouTube TV’s channel lineup one of the most complete among cable TV alternatives. Take a look at Hulu Live vs. YouTube TV vs. Sling vs. DirecTV Stream to see how they compare.
Cable networks include ESPN, CNN, AMC, HGTV, TBS, TNT, Disney Channel, and the USA. But the lineup is lacking for Viacom networks like MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon. The only live TV services that have these networks are FuboTV and Philo.
YouTube TV offers local broadcasts of ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC depending on your region. The service says it has full LAN coverage in more than 98% of US TV homes.
But, as mentioned above, ESPN and ABC briefly disappeared during the current dispute between Disney and YouTube TV. These channels were restored in less than two days.
There are a number of premium add-on channels that you can include in your plan as well, and each has a separate monthly fee. YouTube TV is also adding a new Sports Plus with NFL RedZone, Fox College Sports, GOLTV, MAVTV, Stadium and TVG. If you want more international sports, check out our Fubo TV review.
Be warned that there are a lot of ads, although this is not YouTube’s fault because the ads are pre-programmed by the networks.
In terms of content, it’s nice to have access to YouTube Originals but the offerings are rather meager. YouTube doesn’t try to compete with the likes of Hulu or Netflix in original programming. Also, YouTube TV is cheaper than Hulu with Live TV, so you pay less for less content.
YouTube TV DVR
The best feature of YouTube TV is the unlimited DVR. You can save all the recordings you want for nine months. There is no limit on simultaneous recordings.
This was something relatively rare in the market. But then Hulu with Live TV finally stepped in to match. Now this service has unlimited DVR as well. Both services keep your recordings for nine months before deleting them. DirecTV Stream also adds an unlimited number of DVRs, but it’s only available to new customers at the moment, and they only keep recordings for 90 days.
This is better than Sling, which includes 50 hours by default. You can jump up to 200 hours for an additional $5 per month.
Saving shows and movies is very easy – just click the plus sign on the show page or next to the title while watching. YouTube TV will then record every episode on any channel (or just once for movies).
Since the DVR is unlimited, you cannot delete the recording after watching it. This is fairly standard for streaming services; Sling only gives you the option to delete your saved recordings.
YouTube TV video quality
YouTube TV supports up to 1080p, depending on the channel and program. Most of the content I watched was played in 720p.
However, by offering some channels in 1080p resolution, YouTube TV outperforms its competitors. Hulu with Live TV has just started streaming some channels in 1080p. Sling doesn’t have detailed information on streaming resolutions, while Philo streams live TV in 720p and on-demand in 1080p.
In terms of how quickly the programs hit HD, it was fast – usually around 5 seconds. This is the standard for live streaming services.
On a fast home connection, the software remained stable after settling down, but on slower networks, there was some fluctuation in HD quality while gaming.
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YouTube TV is one of the best options for wire cutters who are looking for a live TV service to replace their cable TV package. For $49.99 per month, you get a lot more – a solid channel lineup, unlimited DVR and an easy-to-use app available on every major platform. The service doesn’t have it all, but there is none. You can get Sling for less than YouTube TV, but you can get a smaller channel list. You can pay less than that, just $20, for a Philo, but you won’t get local channels or the best cable networks.
If you want live TV at a reasonable price, YouTube TV might be your best bet.
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