YouTube TV is YouTube and Google’s live TV streaming service. It must not be confused with Youtube because Google operates them separately. There may be areas where the two cross over but a user needs two different apps to access them on their streaming devices.
YouTube TV Features & More
YouTube TV is a great alternative for those who wish to cut the cord. This is because it lets the users enjoy live news, entertainment, and sports content with unlimited DVR caps. However, if you’re a fan of regional sports, then you should probably stick to services like Spectrum cable (because many of them are unavailable on YouTube). Having said that, the channel lineup of YouTube is growing rapidly because of its expansion in terms of region and viewership. When it was launched in 2017, YouTube TV was available in only five US markets – Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia. Today over 99% of the households in the USA have access to this streaming service.
YouTube TV Channels
YouTube TV provides access to over 85 live channels along with the Youtube Originals channel. The channel lineup users get however varies from region to region. For example, the subscribers in New York get 59 networks which include local network affiliates.
Earlier the difference in channel lineup between YouTube Tv and ViacomCBS was huge. But that changed in 2020 when many prominent ViacomCBS channels were added to YouTube TV. Among these are MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Nickelodeon, TV Land, BET, VH1, and CMT. Furthermore, in March 2021 more channels including NickToons, TeenNick and MTV2 became part of the YouTube channel list. Among its most popular channels are Bravo, USA, AMC, and FX. Besides, the service also offers 24-hour news networks such as CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News, and BBC World News.
When it comes to live sports, YouTube TV covers NFL Network, NBA TV, MLB Network, and plenty of other soccer and collegiate baseball games. However, it does not have NHL Network at the moment and has recently dropped regional sports networks by FOX as well as NESN and YES. To check which networks are available in your region, you will have to sign up for YouTube TV. Before entering your credit card details, the website will show you the channels available in your area.
Which Devices Are YouTube TV Compatible?
You can watch Youtube TV on Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, and Fire TV. It also works on Samsung and LG smart TVs that came out in either 2016 or later. However, the streaming service is compatible with all models of Android, iOS, and Xbox One.
Owing to a dispute between Roku and Google, the YouTube app is no longer available on the Roku app store. However, Roku users who were already using the app can continue to use it.
How Much Does It Cost?
As a YouTube TV subscriber, you need to pay monthly charges of $64.99. Choosing YouTube TV over cable or satellite is a cost-effective solution in 2021 because the streaming service gives you access to more than 85 channels without any contract and unlimited DVR storage.
YouTube TV Features
Besides its channel variety, YouTube Tv offers plenty of other exciting and useful features to its subscribers. Here are a few of them.
#1. Multiple Users
As with most streaming services, YouTube TV provides its customers the option to stream on multiple screens at the same time. This means that you can make up to six sub-accounts for family members, three of which can be used for simultaneous streaming.
The service does not group multiple profiles within one account (like Hulu); it uses your Google accounts instead. So since each user would sign in from their own Google credentials you don’t need to share/use one password among all family members. Also, each Google account that is associated with the subscription gets its own unique YouTube TV experience.
#2. Unlimited Cloud DVR
This is unarguably one of the biggest plus points of YouTube TV. While most TV streaming services do offer DVR storage, Google offers a more natural experience as compared to others. It allows the user to record unlimited content which they can store for nine months. So there are no storage limits like most other services impose.
It is important to mention here that even if streaming services allow additionals storage, they charge you extra for it. So if you are a habitual recorder, YouTube is the recommended choice. The service has updated its DVR feature to include rewind, fast forward, and pause options regardless of which show or network you’ve recorded from.
#3. On-Demand
Apart from the plethora of live TV channels YouTube TV offers, it has an ever-growing library of on-demand content which includes movies as well as TV shows.
The majority of the channels available in a Youtube TV subscription allow the user to watch content (TV shows, movies) on-demand after it is initially aired. It is a useful feature because it lets you catch up on older seasons or episodes that were aired before you started streaming or using the DVR function.
#4. Minimized Version for Mobile
Android users can watch a minimized YouTube TV version on their tablet or mobile phones while they do other tasks. This feature does not work on iOS unless you have an iOS14. However, you can enjoy the mini version if you have an iPad that allows multitasking.
#5. Voice Control
If you watch YouTube TV on a Chromecast device or a Google Home speaker, you can use the rather cool Youtube TV feature of voice control. This means that you can use your voice to control functions such as selecting a channel, recording a show, or pausing, rewinding, or resuming certain content.
