All Sections

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

YouTube TV has been announced. Here is everything you need to know about the TV streaming service, including how it works, where you can get it from and how much it will cost per month.

YouTube, and therefore Google, has big plans to upset the existing cable TV providers because it just announced a live TV streaming service at an event in Los Angeles. It is called YouTube TV ─ here are all the important bits you should know.

How can I get YouTube TV?

You will simply need to download the YouTube TV app, which will be a standalone app for smartphones, tablets and smart TVs. That means it appears the existing YouTube app won’t provide access although this could change at a later date.

What is the YouTube TV launch date?

The launch date is currently unknown. The official line is “coming soon”, which is suitably vague, but within the next several months appears to be the unofficial word. You can head here to receive warning when it is arriving.

What TV shows can I watch on YouTube TV?

The million-dollar question. At launch, YouTube TV includes ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN. Beyond that, we are unsure. So that means SportsCenter, NCIS, The Fosters, WWE Smackdown and many other shows will be watchable live.

What we do know is that there will be some big gaps in the programming list, with HBO, CNN and AMC excluded from YouTube TV. All streaming services have gaps and YouTube TV, it seems, will be no different.

What about YouTube Red?

A subscription to YouTube TV will also include free access to YouTube Red, its original programming service. Just don’t expect to see PewDiePie ─ the most popular YouTuber on the planet was recently removed from it.

Can I cancel YouTube TV anytime?

YouTube says you can. We would assume cancelling mid-month will give you the rest of the month to watch YouTube TV then your access will be lost, saving Google the need to refund anyone. Likewise it means picking the service back up again should be easy.

How much does YouTube TV cost?

US$35 a month. For that, you get six accounts so that means you can potentially share it out with various users in your family, although if other streaming services are anything to go by we can expect this number to drop.

What else do I get with YouTube TV?

You also get unlimited DVR storage space in the cloud, which means you can record and rewatch shows as you see fit. Quite how long this will remain unlimited remains to be seen ─ we expect the storage space limit to become capped as the popularity of YouTube TV increases.

Can YouTube TV compete with existing cable services?

In the streaming world, there is so much leap-frogging in terms of who has the greatest number of channels and the current must-see show that it seems a lot of people subscribe to multiple on-demand streaming providers such as Netflix.

When it comes to cable TV packages though, it is a different ballgame because the price is much higher. AT&T, for instance, offers more than 120 channels but it costs US$70 per month, which is double that of YouTube TV. And that is one of the cheaper packages.

Some viewers who want to keep their monthly out-goings down will, therefore, appreciate YouTube TV’s lower price, particularly as you can cancel anytime you want. But if a preferred channel is missing, HBO for instance, then it will be of less, if any, interest.

Success is hardly assured but it seems like a logical step for YouTube and a way to make it even more mainstream. The battle for control of the living room continues.

Whether it proves popular enough to be shipped worldwide is anyone’s guess, which means we may never see a UK launch. Not that it matters for now because YouTube has no plans for a similar service outside of the US.

Recombu will update this very article as more details emerge so be sure to check back soon. Thanks for reading, folks.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *