YouTube TV: What We Know so Far

YouTube TV: What we know so far

 YouTube TV is Google's new live TV streaming service

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.


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.

One big weakness for services like this is access to local sports channels. YouTube might have an advantage there. It says "YouTube TV includes major sports networks like ESPN and regional sports networks like Fox Sports Networks and Comcast SportsNet, so you can watch your favorite NBA or MLB teams. We've also partnered with local TV stations, so you'll also get sports and local news based on where you live." You'll still have to wait for YouTube TV's full channel (and locality) lineup to see whether your favorite team's channel is carried.

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 (for 9 months)
• 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. Unlike a traditional DVR it has unlimited storage space, although shows expire after 9 months. PlayStation Vue's cloud DVR also has unlimited storage, but it automatically erases your shows after 28 days. Sling TV's cloud DVR is only available on Roku (with a beta invite) and Amazon Fire TV, 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.

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 "TBD" have yet to be announced by YouTube.

YouTube TV vs. the competition

	YouTube TV	DirecTV Now	Sling TV	PlayStation Vue
Base price	$35/month for 44 channels (so far)	$35/month for 60+ channels	$20/month for 20+ channels	$30/month for 55+ channels*
Free trial	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Availability	Select major cities (TBD)	Nationwide	Nationwide	Nationwide*
Live local ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC channels	Yes	Select cities only** for ABC, Fox and NBC (no CBS)	ABC only in select cities*** for an extra $5/month	Select cities only**
Step-up packages	TBD	$70/month for 120+ channels	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)
Video on demand from local channels	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Simultaneous streams per account	3	2	1 or 3	5
Family member/user profiles	Yes	No	No	Yes
Compatible authentication/TV Everywhere apps	Yes (number TBD)	8	7	60
No contract, cancel anytime	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pause, rewind, fast-forward	Yes	Pause only	Only select channels	Yes (all channels)
Record shows for later (cloud DVR)	Yes (keep for up to 9 months)	No	Select devices only	Yes (keep for up to 28 days)
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
Search	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Browse	Personalized recommendations and "what's on live now"	Guide, filters and personalized recommendations	Guide, filters and personalized recommendations	Guide, filters and personalized recommendations
Parental controls	No	No	Yes	Yes
Bandwidth limiter	No	No	Yes	No
Audio format	2-channel stereo	2-channel stereo; 5.1 surround for some on-demand content	2-channel stereo	2-channel stereo; 5.1 surround for some on- demand content

*Vue cities with higher prices/local channels are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco and Miami
**DirecTV cities with all three local channels (ABC, Fox and NBC) are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Jose. More info.
***Sling offers ABC via its $5/month "Broadcast Extra" pack in Chicago, Fresno-Visalia, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, and San Francisco