Certainly more competition is a good thing, although it sounds like
youtube will need to offer more channels in order to compete with the
other services, at this point, the channel list is rather lacking.
Original message:
Hello Everyone,
Here is an article that I thought you may find interesting.
Enjoy,
Mark
YouTube TV Release Date, Price and Specs - CNET
CNET Reviews - Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at 11:52 AM
Cable TV just got its biggest competitor yet.
YouTube, the most popular video service on the web that recently announced
it streamed one billion hours per day, is now launching a live TV service
called YouTube TV.
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 you'll have to pay for. It will deliver 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.)
The cost? $35 per month. YouTube hasn't yet set a release date, saying only
that YouTube TV will appear "in the next few months."
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
basically risk-free service to consider. Risk-free because you can cancel
anytime and you're only out $35. Try that with your cable company.
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.
Here's a closer look.
How does YouTube TV's channels compare?
This is the big unknown, mainly because it could add more channels between
now and when it launches.
YouTube TV claims it's still negotiating with a few program providers to add
channels. It says that the price won't go up if and when that happens.
In the meantime, here are all of the channels it has announced so far:
The networks included in YouTube TV are mostly the major broadcast networks
and the cable channels owned by their parent companies.
YouTube
If it launches with only the channels above, its total number of channels
will fall short of the base packages offered by DirecTV Now ($35/month) and
PlayStation Vue ($30 or $40). The selection above is more than Sling offers
in its base package ($20/month), however.
Major channels missing from YouTube TV's lineup, yet available on other
services, include AMC, CNN, Comedy Central, Discovery, Food Network, MTV and
TNT, among many others. HBO is also a no-show, but you can sign up for HBO
Now separately.
If you're curious, here's a tally of all of the channels available on the
other three.
YouTube TV will include YouTube Red original shows and movies. It also says
that all of YouTube's trademark user-generated and online-native content
would be folded into YouTube TV's searches.
Beyond channels, what else should I know?
The features included with a YouTube TV subscription are similar to what is
offered on other devices, with some major differences.
. Cloud DVR with unlimited storage
. 3 simultaneous streams per account
. 6 user profiles with separate log-ins per account
. Works with Chromecast, Google Home, computers, iOS and Android
phones and tablets
. Launching in select major US cities only
The cloud DVR lets you "record" shows to watch later, just like a
traditional cable DVR, and sounds superior to what's offered on competitors.
PlayStation Vue's cloud DVR erases your shows after 28 days. Sling TV's
cloud DVR is still in beta and only available with certain devices, while
DirecTV's has been promised but hasn't launched yet.
The multiple simultaneous streams is similar to a "family plan" on a service
like Spotify, allowing you to stream to more than one TV or device at the
same time. Competitors (beyond Sling's base plan) also offer it. Only
YouTube TV and Vue allows user profiles (similar to Netflix and Hulu),
however, and only YouTube TV lets you log in with different credentials
(email and password) to the same account. That makes it the most "shareable"
of the bunch.
So far, Chromecast is the only TV device Google says will work with YouTube
TV.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Device support is spotty so far, however, with only Chromecast able to
connect to a TV (Google Home owners can also command it via voice). If you
have a TV with "Chromecast built-in," like Vizio SmartCast models or Sony
sets running Android TV, it will work with those too. Like its competitors,
YouTube TV is also available on mobile phones, tablets and computers.
YouTube says support for "many other connected streaming devices and smart
TVs is coming in 2017." That means it could add other TV platforms before
launch, such as Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Apple TV -- all of which
offer the standard YouTube app.
Unike the others, YouTube TV won't be available nationwide. It will launch
in select major cities only at first, and YouTube has yet to specify which
ones. That's because the local channels it offers (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC)
have to be negotiated separately with local network stations, a process
that's still ongoing. Local channels on the other three services are
similarly restricted by region.
Here's a quick look at how YouTube TV compares to the other three, in table
form. Entries marked
Original URL Updated March 2 with additional information from YouTube.
https://www.cnet.com/products/youtube-tv/#ftag=CADe9e329a
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