Add Category
Looking to watch live TV without a cable bill? YouTube TV is now available for $35 per month.
Unlike the free YouTube you know so well, populated by cat videos, how-tos and myriad independent channels and shows, YouTube TV is a direct competitor to cable TV -- and you'll have to pay for it. In return you get live local TV channels like ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC as well as cable stalwarts like ESPN, the Disney Channel, Fox News and Bravo. (Disclosure: CBS is the parent company of CNET and Showtime.)
One catch? It's only available in five US metropolitan areas for now: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and the San Francisco Bay Area. YouTube says more cities will be added in the coming months.
I've been playing with a demo account on a phone for the last couple days and it's mostly worked well. Unfortunately the experience on an actual TV is less satisfying. Unless you have a PC connected to your TV, you'll have to use a Chromecast or other cast-compatible device to get YouTube TV on the big screen, and until Google develops actual apps for devices like Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV -- like its competitors already have -- it feels half-baked for living-room use.
And then there's the channel issue. Compared to cable, and even to other live streaming TV services like Sling TV and PlayStation Vue, the selection has some obvious holes. There's no CNN or TNT, no Comedy Central or HGTV, no Lifetime or MTV. YouTube gets credit for local channels, sports and Bravo, but for many people that's just not enough for the price.
YouTube TV has some promising advantages, including a great cloud DVR and tight integration with YouTube itself, but it needs to add cities, channels and TV devices before it can compete against cable or other live TV services, particularly PlayStation Vue, my current favorite.
Hey, don't take my word for it -- try it for yourself. There's a free 30-day trial before you'll have to pony up, and Google is throwing in a free Chromecast (worth $35) after the first month's payment, "while supplies last."
How YouTube TV's features compare
If you've never had cable TV service, you've already cut the cord or you're on the fence considering whether to do so, YouTube TV offers yet another way to stream live TV channels over the internet. Here's the basics:
- It's a subscription service, separate from regular YouTube, with more than 40 live TV channels
- $35 per month, seven-day free trial, cancel anytime
- Available only in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and the San Francisco Bay Area
- Available only on iPhones, Android phones, tablets and computers
- To watch it on an actual TV, you'll need to use Chromecast, another cast-compatible device, or a PC connected to the TV.
- Cloud DVR with unlimited free storage (shows expire after 9 months)
- Up to six accounts included per household, with up to three simultaneous streams
Three similar services exist already, namely Sling TV, PlayStation Vue and DirecTV Now, and Hulu has said it will debut yet another entry in this field before the end of the year, too. All offer various channel packages and features for a range of prices, starting at $20 per month for Sling TV, $30 for Vue and $35 for DirecTV Now. YouTube TV, conversely, has one set price and channel lineup.
Unlike YouTube TV, each of its competitors is available nationwide, although channel lineups (and with Vue, pricing) vary per city, and you only get access to local channels in a few major cities. Each service also supports more TV devices than just YouTube, which is restricted to the Chromecast family of streamers for big-screen watching.
PlayStation Vue also has a cloud DVR, however, but it's more limited than YouTube's (Vue's DVR shows expire after 28 days). Sling TV also offers a cloud DVR for Roku (beta only) and Amazon Fire TV (for an extra fee). Here's the full features breakdown between the four.
YouTube TV vs. the competition
| YouTube TV | Sling TV | PlayStation Vue | DirecTV Now | |
| Base price | $35/month for 44 channels | $20/month for 20+ channels | $30/month for 55+ channels | $35/month for 60+ channels |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Availability | Select major cities (5 so far) | Nationwide | Nationwide* | Nationwide |
| Live local ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC channels | Select cities only | ABC only in select cities for an extra $5/month | Select cities only (for an extra $10/month) | Select cities only for ABC, Fox and NBC (no CBS) |
| Step-up packages | No | PLUS $5/month each (5 or more Sports, LifeStyle, Movie, News, etc. channels per package) | PLUS $10/month (some regional sports), $20/month (26 additional channels) | $70/month for 120+ channels |
| Simultaneous streams per account | 3 | 1 or 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Family member/user profiles | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Video on demand from local channels | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible authentication/TV Everywhere apps | Yes (number TBD) | 7 | 60 | 8 |
| Pause, rewind, fast-forward | Yes | Only select channels | Yes | Pause only |
| Record shows for later (cloud DVR) | Yes (keep for 9 months) | Select devices (Roku and Amazon Fire) | Yes (keep for 28 days) | No |
| 3 day replay | Select channels and shows | Select channels and shows | Select channels and shows | Select channels and shows |
| Video on demand | Select channels and shows | Select channels and shows | Select channels and shows | Select channels and shows |
| Parental controls | No | Yes | No | No |
| Bandwidth limiter | No | Yes | No | No |
| Audio format | 2-channel stereo | 2-channel stereo | 2-channel stereo; 5.1 surround for some on-demand content | 2-channel stereo; 5.1 surround for some on-demand content |
Currently you can only watch YouTube TV on an actual TV with Chromecast or an Android TV device like Nvidia Shield.
Sarah Tew/CNETCompatible devices compared
| YouTube TV | Sling TV | PlayStation Vue | DirecTV Now | |
| Android | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mac | Yes | View More