YouTube TV Just Added 7 New Networks – Here’s How They Stack Up
YouTube is a newcomer to streaming TV, but the company is already adding seven new networks – AMC, BBC America, Sundance TV, Telemundo, Universo, We TV, and IFC – to their $ 35 / month base package. So you can now get more for your money by subscribing to YouTube TV, but there are some limitations to be aware of before deciding if this service is right for you.
This is not yet available to everyone
The biggest disadvantage of the YouTube TV service is that it is not available to all users in the country.
YouTube TV is currently launched in five metropolitan areas: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Although there are plans to expand, so far only people living in these five areas can sign up for the service. If you are near these centers, you can always check your location to see if you meet the criteria.
Beyond the initial geographic restrictions, once you sign up, YouTube TV will be available from anywhere in the country thanks to a remote DVR (more on that below). You can view local area networks in the regions where this service is launched – so you can get local coverage from New York or Chicago, but you cannot view local networks in real time from a city where the service has not yet debuted.
You will still have to subscribe to some content separately
With platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime producing high-quality fan-favorite original content, you’ll still have to subscribe to these streaming services separately to access the relevant content. The same goes for premium cable content like HBO and Showtime – the latter can be added to YouTube TV for $ 11 a month. These are additional costs to consider when choosing the right combination of entertainment packages.
Channels included in the basic YouTube TV package
YouTube TV subscriptions include the following channels in addition to the seven new aforementioned networks:
BROADCASTING the ABC the CBS of The the CW (live or on demand, depending on the region) FOX the NBC SPORTS Network Big Ten the CBS Sports the Network Comcast the RSN ESPN’s ESPN2’s ESPNews ESPNU Fox | the RSN FS1 FS2 Golf Channel NBCSN NECN Network SEC ENTERTAINMENT AND STYLE OF LIFE the AMC the BBC America Bravo Chiller E! Esquire Freeform FX FXM FXX Nat Geo IFCNat Geo Wild Oxygen Sundance SyFy Universal HD USA WE tvYouTube Red Originals NEWS CNBC Fox Business Fox News MSNBC KIDS Disney Channel Disney Jr Disney XD Sprout SPANISH Telemundo Universo
How does this compare to other à la carte services?
YouTube TV can be compared to streaming TV services like Sling and DirecTV Now. When it comes to price, YouTube TV falls somewhere in between – more expensive than Sling, but less expensive than DirecTV.
Sling – The basic Sling package ( Sling Orange ) is $ 20 per month. But Sling only has 30 channels, 16 fewer than YouTube TV currently offers. Some of the channels offered by Sling that are not available on YouTube TV are Viceland, Bloomberg Television, Travel Channel, AXS TV, Flama, Cartoon Network and Comedy Central.
DirecTV – The cheapest DirecTV package ( DirecTV Select ) costs $ 50 per month plus taxes. The higher the price, the more channels: the service offers 150 channels that can pay off for a family with higher TV consumption and diverse preferences.
If you weigh the cost of each channel the same, then the “channel cost” for Sling, DirecTV, and YouTube TV is roughly $ 0.66, $ 0.33 and $ 0.73, respectively. A simplified breakdown suggests DirecTV is the best option for your investment.
Ultimately, the value of each channel depends on what you want to watch. Plus, YouTube TV offers what its competitors don’t, which can be worth the money, depending on your viewing habits.
YouTube TV offers unlimited downloads
What really sets YouTube TV apart from the competition is the unlimited storage of cloud DVRs. This means that you can record any program that is broadcast on YouTube TV without any data limits – live recordings can be stored for up to nine months – and at no additional cost. YouTube TV also allows simultaneous recording, so multiple channels can be recorded at the same time.
Other services have data transfer restrictions, and some even charge additional fees in excess of the monthly fee. Sling TV, for example, offers 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage to subscribers who use certain gadgets supported by Sling TV. DirecTV is compatible with 8 receivers and charges a $ 6 / month DVR maintenance fee for 50 hours of HD programming or up to 200 hours of SD programming.
And if you are traveling across the country, you can watch any content saved in your YouTube TV DVR account.
What’s the best option?
Ultimately it’s up to you: budget, channel and content preferences, and DVR habits are all variables to consider when choosing the right plan. If you are not using DVR services, YouTube TV unlimited download function may not be needed. If you watch two cable channels diligently, you might be better off subscribing to those channels independently if available – for example, AMC is planning to release its own subscription plan.
But if you’re the type of person looking to record shows and movies for later viewing, YouTube TV offers the ultimate in flexibility. This option is not only included in the basic package – at no extra cost! – but an all-you-can-download approach can make your life easier by letting you save all the media you intend to view and use at your leisure. …