YouTube TV review: A reasonably priced cable TV alternative

Our Verdict

YouTube Idiot box offers a robust channel lineup for a reasonable toll.

For

Unlimited DVR
Local channels
Piece of cake to utilise

Confronting

Lackluster originals
No HBO add-on
Channel and platform bug

Tom'south Guide Verdict

YouTube TV offers a robust channel lineup for a reasonable price.

Pros

+
Unlimited DVR
+
Local channels
+
Easy to use

Cons

-
Lackluster originals
-
No HBO add-on
-
Aqueduct and platform issues

Cord cutters accept never had it easier, thanks to an increasing number of live TV streaming services like YouTube TV. It is ane of the about robust options, delivering over 70 channels including local broadcast networks (depending on your region). Because of that latitude of content, it's likewise i of the more than expensive live Television set services at $64.99 a month.

Recently, YouTube TV'south lineup became even more than complete with the addition of Viacom channels similar MTV and VH1. And it'due south going to become an excellent choice for sports fans, since the service added NFL Network for all subscribers and a Sports Plus bundle with NFL RedZone, Fox Higher Sports, GOLTV, MAVTV, Stadium, and TVG.

Recently, YouTube TV lost Disney-owned channels, including as ESPN and ABC, for about a lilliputian less than a whole weekend. Users may have been left looking for the best cable Television set alternatives for those channels, but the networks were restored.

How to download YouTube videos on iPhone, Android, Mac and PC

YouTube Telly has an easy-to-use, intuitive interface and is available on every major platform, including iOS, Android, Xbox, Playstation 4 and select smart TVs. The YouTube TV iPhone app is about to leapfrog YouTube's app. What actually sets it apart from competitors is unlimited DVR storage — in that location are no caps on simultaneous recordings and you can keep recordings for nine months.

The subscription likewise includes admission to YouTube Originals, such every bit the Karate Kid serial Cobra Kai, also as the option to add premium channels, including Get-go. In that category, YouTube Goggle box falls behind its biggest competitor, Hulu with Live Television, which comes with award-winning shows like The Handmaid'southward Tale and Ramy.

But if all y'all're looking for is access to local channels and tiptop cable networks, plus unlimited DVR storage, and so YouTube Tv is a great cablevision Telly alternative.

More: Unblock region-restricted content with the best YouTube VPN

YouTube Idiot box pricing and availability

To sign up for YouTube TV, you need a Google account. The streaming service offers a costless 2-week trial. After that, YouTube TV costs $64.99 per month for access to upwards to lxx-plus channels. That's the new price as of June 30, 2020 (it was previously $49).

That's in line with its chief competitors. Hulu with Live Telly also costs $65, every bit does FuboTV's Family Plan. Sling Television set is $45 per month for 53 channels, but to get all the broadcast networks, you demand an antenna (they throw one in with the $99 Cord Cutter Bundle, which also comes with Air Television set devices to integrate the channels into the Sling Goggle box app). Philo TV is very low-cost live TV streaming service at $20 per month, but the channel lineup is somewhat lackluster.

Its cost went down to $50 temporarily during the Disney / YouTube Goggle box dispute, which was since resolved.

Your exact channel line-up on YouTube TV will depend on where you live, so enter your ZIP code to see which local networks you get. YouTube Telly also offers premium add-on channels and packages, which you can read more about below.

Best cable TV alternatives

YouTube TV is bachelor to stream to your Goggle box with Chromecast devices (or on a Chromecast TV), via Apple AirPlay or Google Smart Brandish. Y'all tin can also sentry on a web browser on Mac and Windows computers.

Every subscription comes with upward to six accounts and three simultaneous streams, so different family unit members tin customize their libraries.

YouTube TV interface

YouTube TV'south interface volition be familiar to anyone who's e'er used YouTube. The utilitarian pattern is simple, intuitive and extremely easy to utilise. It's not pretty (the Philo streaming service's interface is much slicker) only information technology does what it needs to do. Finding shows and movies is a breeze, as is navigating what's airing live at the moment.

The interface toggles betwixt 3 screens: Home, Library and Live. At the elevation of Home is a top picks selection, essentially a mix of shows you've saved, shows you've watched and related shows based on your favorites. Below that is a section filled with recommendations to add together to your library, serving every bit a helpful reminder of upcoming shows and movies y'all may desire to record.

Further down the Home page are categories for sports, news and movies besides as 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 cablevision-tv-like filigree on some devices (similar web browsers, gaming stations and smart TVs). On smaller devices, such as phones, Alive presents a list of what's airing on all the channels you get.

Every platform also has a Search tool in the navigation bar, which takes you lot to an intuitive search page. YouTube Boob tube shines here — not surprising since it'southward endemic by Google. Yous can search for a testify or film title, a person or even themes and genres (for example, "Oscar winning movies"). The search is lightning fast, and results brainstorm populating as you type. They're broken downwardly 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 case of Friends, those include clips of Jennifer Aniston on tardily-night programs. In that location'south also a department touting similar shows.

YouTube TV content and channels

YouTube TV's aqueduct lineup is great and on a par with what's available on competitors like Hulu with Live Television and Sling TV. YouTube TV recently added the Viacom family of cable channels, including BET, Comedy Cardinal, MTV and Nickelodeon, as well equally the premium network First. And football fans will be happy that the service is calculation NFL Network. The new additions have made YouTube Tv's aqueduct lineup one of the most complete among cable TV 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 alive TV services that have those networks are FuboTV and Philo.

YouTube Television receiver offers local broadcasts of ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, depending on your region. The service says information technology has consummate local network coverage in over 98% of U.Southward. TV households.

But, as mentioned to a higher place, ESPN and ABC disappeared briefly during Disney and YouTube Goggle box's current dispute. Those channels were restored in less than two days.

There are a number of premium add together-on channels you can include in your program, too, each with a divide monthly fee. YouTube TV is also adding a new Sports Plus addition 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 advertising is preprogrammed by the networks.

Hulu Live vs. YouTube Telly vs. Sling vs. AT&T TV At present
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As far every bit content, information technology'due south prissy to accept access to YouTube Originals merely the offerings are fairly meager. YouTube isn't trying to compete with the likes of Hulu or Netflix in original programming. Also, YouTube Television set is cheaper than Hulu with Live Tv set, then you lot're paying less for less content.

YouTube Tv set DVR

YouTube TV's best feature is its unlimited DVR. You lot tin relieve all the recordings yous desire for nine months. At that place's no cap on simultaneous recordings.

That's better than Hulu with Live TV, which caps yous at 50 hours of recordings unless y'all pay $15 more a month to get 200 hours with the Enhanced Deject DVR add together-on. Sling offers even less DVR storage, just 10 hours in the Deject DVR with an option to get l hours for $v more.

Saving shows and movies is extremely like shooting fish in a barrel — just click the plus sign on a bear witness page or side by side to the title when you're watching. YouTube Tv set will then record every episode on any channel (or just in one case for movies).

Since the DVR is unlimited, all recordings are saved for ix months, so you tin can't delete a recording after y'all've watched it. This is fairly standard for streaming services; only Sling gives you lot the option to delete saved recordings.

YouTube Boob tube video quality

YouTube Goggle box supports up to 1080p, depending on the aqueduct and programme. 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 Telly but but started streaming some channels at 1080p. Sling doesn't take detailed data virtually its streaming resolution, while Philo streams live TV at 720p and on-demand at 1080p.

Regarding how speedily programs achieved Hd resolution, it was quick — commonly around 5 seconds. That's standard for livestreaming services.

On a fast home connection, programs held steady later stabilizing, but on slower networks, there was some fluctuation in Hard disk quality while playing.

Bottom line

YouTube Goggle box is one of the best options for string-cutters looking for a live Tv set streaming service to supercede their cablevision television package. For $49.99 a month, you get quite a lot — a potent aqueduct lineup, unlimited DVR and an easy-to-use app available on every major platform. The service doesn't take everything, but none of them do. You lot can get Sling for less than YouTube Television receiver, just receive a smaller aqueduct lineup. Y'all can pay even less than that, merely $20, for Philo, but you won't get local channels or top cable networks.

If you desire alive Television receiver at a reasonable cost, YouTube TV may be your best bet.

Kelly is a senior writer roofing streaming media for Tom's Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, Television set Guide and other outlets. When she's not watching TV and movies for work, she'south watching them for fun, seeing alive music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.