YouTube TV review: A reasonably priced cable TV alternative
Our Verdict
YouTube TV offers a robust channel lineup for a reasonable toll.
For
- Unlimited DVR
- Local channels
- Easy to utilize
Against
- Lackluster originals
- No HBO improver
- Aqueduct and platform problems
Tom's Guide Verdict
YouTube TV offers a robust aqueduct lineup for a reasonable price.
Pros
- +
Unlimited DVR
- +
Local channels
- +
Easy to employ
Cons
- -
Lackluster originals
- -
No HBO add-on
- -
Channel and platform issues
String cutters have never had it easier, thanks to an increasing number of live TV streaming services similar YouTube Television receiver. It is one of the near robust options, delivering over lxx channels including local circulate networks (depending on your region). Considering of that breadth of content, information technology's also one of the more expensive alive TV services at $64.99 a month.
Recently, YouTube TV's lineup became even more than consummate with the addition of Viacom channels like MTV and VH1. And information technology's going to become an excellent selection for sports fans, since the service added NFL Network for all subscribers and a Sports Plus package with NFL RedZone, Fox Higher Sports, GOLTV, MAVTV, Stadium, and TVG.
Recently, YouTube TV lost Disney-owned channels, including equally ESPN and ABC, for about a little less than a whole weekend. Users may take been left looking for the all-time cable TV alternatives for those channels, just the networks were restored.
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YouTube Tv has an easy-to-use, intuitive interface and is bachelor on every major platform, including iOS, Android, Xbox, Playstation four and select smart TVs. What really sets it apart from competitors is unlimited DVR storage — there are no caps on simultaneous recordings and you can keep recordings for nine months.
The subscription also includes access to YouTube Originals, such as the Karate Kid series Cobra Kai, as well as the option to add premium channels, including Start. In that category, YouTube Television falls behind its biggest competitor, Hulu with Alive Television, which comes with honor-winning shows like The Handmaid's Tale and Ramy.
But if all you lot're looking for is access to local channels and pinnacle cablevision networks, plus unlimited DVR storage, and then YouTube TV is a great cable Tv alternative.
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YouTube TV pricing and availability
To sign upwards for YouTube Television, yous need a Google account. The streaming service offers a free two-week trial. After that, YouTube Tv costs $64.99 per month for access to upwardly to 70-plus channels. That's the new price as of June thirty, 2020 (it was previously $49).
That's in line with its main competitors. Hulu with Alive TV besides costs $65, every bit does FuboTV'due south Family Plan. Sling Idiot box is $45 per calendar month for 53 channels, but to get all the circulate networks, you lot need an antenna (they throw one in with the $99 Cord Cutter Packet, which also comes with Air Idiot box devices to integrate the channels into the Sling TV app). Philo Goggle box is very depression-cost live TV streaming service at $20 per month, merely the channel lineup is somewhat lackluster.
Its price went down to $fifty temporarily during the Disney / YouTube TV dispute, which was since resolved.
Your exact aqueduct line-up on YouTube Idiot box will depend on where you lot live, so enter your Aught code to see which local networks yous become. YouTube TV also offers premium add-on channels and packages, which you tin can read more nigh below.
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YouTube Tv is available to stream to your TV with Chromecast devices (or on a Chromecast Television), via Apple AirPlay or Google Smart Display. You tin also watch on a web browser on Mac and Windows computers.
Every subscription comes with upward to six accounts and iii simultaneous streams, so different family members can customize their libraries.
YouTube Goggle box interface
YouTube TV'south interface volition be familiar to anyone who's ever used YouTube. The utilitarian pattern is elementary, intuitive and extremely easy to utilise. It'southward non pretty (the Philo streaming service'due south interface is much slicker) but it does what information technology needs to do. Finding shows and movies is a breeze, as is navigating what'south airing live at the moment.
The interface toggles between iii screens: Home, Library and Live. At the top of Home is a meridian picks selection, essentially a mix of shows yous've saved, shows you've watched and related shows based on your favorites. Below that is a department filled with recommendations to add to your library, serving as a helpful reminder of upcoming shows and movies you may want to record.
Further downwards the Home page are categories for sports, news and movies too every bit YouTube Originals.
Library is the home for your DVR, displaying your saved shows, movies and other programming and upcoming recordings.
The Live screen is a cable-television-similar grid on some devices (similar web browsers, gaming stations and smart TVs). On smaller devices, such as phones, Live presents a list of what's airing on all the channels you become.
Every platform also has a Search tool in the navigation bar, which takes you to an intuitive search page. YouTube TV shines hither — not surprising since it'south owned past Google. You can search for a show or movie championship, a person or even themes and genres (for example, "Oscar winning movies"). The search is lightning fast, and results brainstorm populating equally you blazon. They're broken down by live and upcoming airings, recordings from your library and what's on demand.
The show and movie profile pages are well-designed and extremely robust. A show profile page displays available and upcoming episodes, cast members and related videos from YouTube. In the example of Friends, those include clips of Jennifer Aniston on late-dark programs. There's also a section touting similar shows.
YouTube TV content and channels
YouTube Television receiver's channel lineup is great and on a par with what'south available on competitors like Hulu with Live TV and Sling Idiot box. YouTube TV recently added the Viacom family of cable channels, including BET, One-act Central, MTV and Nickelodeon, equally well as the premium network Starting time. And football fans will be happy that the service is adding NFL Network. The new additions take fabricated YouTube Television's channel lineup one of the most complete amongst cablevision Television set alternatives.
The cable networks include ESPN, CNN, AMC, HGTV, TBS, TNT, the Disney Channel and USA. But the lineup is missing Viacom networks like MTV, Comedy Fundamental and Nickelodeon. The just live Telly services that have those 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 complete local network coverage in over 98% of U.S. Boob tube households.
But, equally mentioned above, ESPN and ABC disappeared briefly during Disney and YouTube Boob tube'due south current dispute. Those channels were restored in less than 2 days.
There are a number of premium add-on channels you can include in your programme, too, each with a divide monthly fee. YouTube TV is too adding a new Sports Plus add-on with NFL RedZone, Fox College Sports, GOLTV, MAVTV, Stadium, and TVG.
Be warned that there are a lot of ads, though that isn't YouTube'southward fault since advert is preprogrammed by the networks.
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As far as content, it's nice to have admission to YouTube Originals but the offerings are fairly meager. YouTube isn't trying to compete with the likes of Hulu or Netflix in original programming. Likewise, YouTube TV is cheaper than Hulu with Live TV, and then you're paying less for less content.
YouTube TV DVR
YouTube TV'south best feature is its unlimited DVR. You can save all the recordings you want for nine months. There'southward no cap on simultaneous recordings.
That's better than Hulu with Live TV, which caps y'all at 50 hours of recordings unless you pay $fifteen more a calendar month to get 200 hours with the Enhanced Deject DVR add-on. Sling offers fifty-fifty less DVR storage, just 10 hours in the Cloud DVR with an option to get fifty hours for $5 more.
Saving shows and movies is extremely easy — but click the plus sign on a show page or next to the title when you lot're watching. YouTube TV will then record every episode on any channel (or just once for movies).
Since the DVR is unlimited, all recordings are saved for ix months, and then you lot can't delete a recording afterwards you've watched information technology. This is fairly standard for streaming services; only Sling gives you the option to delete saved recordings.
YouTube Television video quality
YouTube Tv set supports upwardly to 1080p, depending on the channel and program. Most of the content I watched played at 720p.
However, by even offering some channels at 1080p, YouTube TV vaults over its competitors. Hulu with Live Television set but just started streaming some channels at 1080p. Sling doesn't have detailed information about its streaming resolution, while Philo streams live Television set at 720p and on-demand at 1080p.
Regarding how quickly programs achieved Hard disk resolution, it was quick — usually around 5 seconds. That's standard for livestreaming services.
On a fast home connection, programs held steady subsequently stabilizing, simply on slower networks, at that place was some fluctuation in Hd quality while playing.
Lesser line
YouTube TV is one of the best options for cord-cutters looking for a live Goggle box streaming service to replace their cable television packet. For $49.99 a calendar month, yous get quite a lot — a strong channel lineup, unlimited DVR and an easy-to-apply app bachelor on every major platform. The service doesn't take everything, merely none of them do. You can go Sling for less than YouTube Telly, only receive a smaller channel lineup. You tin pay even less than that, just $20, for Philo, only you lot won't get local channels or elevation cable networks.
If you want live Goggle box at a reasonable price, YouTube Tv set may be your best bet.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/youtube-tv
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