Google’s video site has unveiled YouTube TV, an upcoming streaming TV service to compete with Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV Now, and others. YouTube TV will launch this Spring “in the largest U.S. markets” with a base package of 44 channels for $35 per month.
YouTube TV is separate from YouTube Red and will use its own standalone app. The service is said to be “mobile first,” which means it will likely rely solely on Google’s Chromecast to view the service on traditional TVs. There has been no mention of a YouTube TV app being made for Android TV or any other streaming media platform, like the Amazon Fire TV.
While the service does include all four major US broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX), the channel lineup is missing many notable networks. YouTube is hoping its service and features will make up for the slim lineup, but isn’t ruling out working with missing networks down the line.
One of the differentiating features that YouTube TV hopes will make it stand out among competitors is a cloud DVR with no storage limits included in the base package. YouTube is also touting “six accounts, one price” which means six individual accounts will be able to stream through the same plan, each with their own unique recommendations and personal DVR. However, the service allows only three concurrent streams at a time.
Based on what is known about YouTube TV, and Amazon’s relationship with Google in the past, it’s unlikely the new streaming service will be made available on the Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick. At least not initially.
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We’ll definitely have to wait and see if this is worth the money. Mobile, Chromecast and major markets only is very limited. It sounds like a soft launch and will limit most parts of the country.
The biggest surprise that we have found since cutting the cord is how much we do not miss any of the cable channels. So YouTube TV, Sling, Playstation Vue, DirecTV Now, etc. all miss the point as far as we’re concerned. We don’t want all of those cable/satellite channels in a different form, we just don’t want them!
Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO Now, Showtime app and a few other apps, along with some OTA programming, constitute nearly all of our current viewing. There are just a few shows on cable channels that we do enjoy so we wait for them to appear on a streaming service or buy the shows when available.
You hit the nail on the head. Exactly how our family feels. All that other stuff is just not that important to us anymore. We cut the cord over 2 years ago and there is NOTHING we feel like “oh, we wish we had…”
Ditto. Except I don’t even bother with OTA.
Network news is political crap and weather porn.
It helps that I got the MLB.TV streaming subscription. That is all the sport I need and I get all of it.
Hulu, Netflix, Prime, and CW app covers all the shows I care about.
Saves me $50 a month I have better uses for than paying for channels I don’t watch.
I wonder if you get access to like the FX app same as if you had a cable provider- have to have my “Every Simpsons, Ever.” But realistically until I can pick and choose exactly what networks I want these are still as useless as cable.
Agreed – useless – they are trying to push the old cable model into the internet age. Until I can pick ala-carte only the channels i want no sale here…
If you want ala cart, I’m sure a company would love to charge you 20-50 per month and 5-20 USD a month per channel.
And that would fail as well because it would miss the point, just as you seem to be.
What point? That he doesn’t understand why things are in packages? And that he thinks he can just ask for 1 channel and they’ll just eat the cost?
Hi Joe D, some Internet subscription TV services are listed as providers. DIRECTV Now provides access to Disney channels including the WatchESPN app, and Sling TV is listed as a provider for several apps including Fox, FX, USA, Syfy and others.
Are there going to be blackouts when the major networks show sporting events?
NFL rights usually have to be negotioated separatley so I doubt we will know about that until close to football season.
While it’s always nice to have more options I’m not sure what this offers over Playstation Vue at the same starting price.
For me Sling does internet based cable TV best for cordcutters since they offer the lowest starting price for their plans. I like having the live channels to supplement netflix and amazon prime video but if it got too expensive I’d get rid of it.
For a new entry in the market you have to either win on price or features and this doesn’t seem to win in either. Vue is the best choice for amount of channels and features while Sling is the best choice for people who care about cost.
I’m thinking their best hope of making this work and stand out is offering Youtube Red service free to people who subscribe.
I wish they’d open this up to anyone with an internet connection, and not just limit this to those that already have the Major Nets open to then via OTA. I would be quite willing to pay 35$ a month for access to US TV with unlimited DVR. And decent integration with my Shield TV.
To clarify I wish they’d allow NON-US/CAN/MEX Citizens access to these Services.
Send them an email. If enough people ask, maybe they’ll work out something where you can get it by paying more(20-100 USD more per month) to cover the cost of paying for licences in your countries.
They won’t. Why would you expect every country to have the same entertainment tastes? Despite rumors to the contrary there are diverse cultures on earth and not everyone prefers the US one.
Which explains why other countries are always complaining about it being so hard to watch out TV channels, and Netflix/Amazon/Etc exclusive shows, right?
Which explains why other countries are always complaining about it being so hard to watch US TV channels, and Netflix/Amazon/Etc exclusive shows, right?
That’s why you make it available on the Internet durr… As the Gods of Baseball were marked to have once said.. If you build it they will come….
As with all streaming packages, the cost is the cost of the package plus the cost of an ISP product that will stream it well. In reality, this package is $85/month for most people. The broadcast networks do not include sub-channels. Have to see how the local ‘deals’ work out as any sports I might be interested in were blacked out on Vue and DTV Now. Cloud DVR is subject to network availability and quality. Amazon had another outage yesterday that impacted services along the east coast.
Six accounts but only three concurrent users.
There are 44 channels in the bundle. [At least] Two are not english. Yo hablo Espanol. Ten are sports channels. Conspicuously missing from the bundle…
Cable: Viacom, Discovery, A&E, AMC, Turner (including TBS and TNT) and CNN.
OTA: PBS (Prime, Create, Explore, World), Decades, MeTV, This TV, Escape, LAFF, MyTV, Heroes and Icons, Antenna TV, Grit, BUZZER, The Works, Comet, BounceTV, GetTV, Escape, ION, Qubo, and ION Life.
So this is not exactly a replacement for OTA due to the cost and lack of local programming and not really a good supplement to OTA considering what is left after you remove the local/broadcast programming unless you are a sports/news enthusiast (assuming sports are not blacked out).
Broadcast (5): ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CW
Cable Entertainment (19): Bravo, Chiller, Disney, Disney Jr., Disney XD, E!, Free Form, FX, FXX, FXM, Disney, E!, National Geographic, National Geographic Wild, Oxygen, Sprout, Syfy, Universal HD, USA
Cable News (4): CNBC, Fox Business, Fox News, MSNBC
Cable Sports (13): Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, CSN, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN News, ESPN U, ESPN SEC, Fox Sports, Fox Sports 2, Golf, NBC Sports Network
Spanish (2): Telemundo, Universo
YouTube (1): RedTube Originals
I agree. Xfinity, frontier etc sell bundled packages that are sometimes less expensive than just internet service alone. My monthly total is $85 which includes almost all channels offered on Sling plus locals. My download speed is up to 75mbps. I share the cost of Netflix, use Hulu and have cable network apps on Roku.
The cost of Internet is not tied to any service you use it with it. It is a utility just like electricity.
It costs more to buy the tier with speed that allows you to stream video reliably.
NO AMC no COMEDY Central… i think sling is way better choice for now and a lot cheaper if you just go with an antenna
I don’t see how it’s a good deal, unless you think YouTube Red is well priced at $9.99…but even then.
Comcast just offered me 2 years with Starz, Cinemax, for $139.99 That includes high speed blast plus and $150 visa gift card.
Im still not interested but maybe its a sign their next step will be more of a a la carte service…
You can get Blast internet, basic cable and HBO for $49.99. I only have comcast for internet but was tired of paying $100 a month just for blast, when I called to see what they could do for me I was offered that package.
How is this any different than what cable offer? I can actually get more channels through basic cable for a similar price. The point is people don’t want all these channels. We want to pick the channels we want for a fair price per channel. Youtube’s lineup is worse than basic cable and the same price. I cut the cord over 7 years ago and seeing that nothing has really changed I don’t regret that at all.
YouTube TV announced available for Android. App for Fire coming soon? I hope.
Now a year later the price has gone up to $40/mo! I counted SIXTEEN channels in that lineup I DO NOT even want to see even once, and don’t see paying for them. Let me ditch all the sports networks and Fox News and I’d consider paying maybe $20/mo. Until then, OTA (antenna), Chromecast, Firestick, and Neflix will do me just fine.
The incredible amount of choices we have are awesome aren’t they.