YouTube TV’s biggest advantage over other streaming TV services is familiarity. It’s close to the same YouTube interface you’ve been using for years but with a few new twists and more popular channels than other live TV streaming services. (It’s still the undisputed leader in cat videos, of course.) Show
YouTube TV has one of the fattest channel lineups in live TV streaming, as well as the easiest user interface. It’s not the cheapest live TV streaming service, but we think YouTube TV is worth it for its features and performance. Pros
Cons
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YouTube TV plans and pricingData effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. YouTube TV, depending on your area, offers 85–100+ live TV streaming channels, including cable favorites, local channels, and sports networks. It’s a streamlined plan that doesn’t feature filler channels (music channels suck TBH) like cable and satellite TV providers. YouTube TV also offers a Spanish-language plan that costs $24.99 a month for the first six months, after which the monthly price goes up to $34.99. This standalone plan doesn’t require a subscription to regular YouTube TV and features over 28 Spanish-language channels, including ESPN Deportes, Discovery en Español, and Fox Deportes.  YouTube TV home page on a smart TV. (Image credit: CableTV.com) YouTube TV vs. the competitionData effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. We gave YouTube TV our Editor’s Choice award the past two years because of its competitive channel count, reasonable price, and killer cloud DVR (no other streaming service compares in terms of DVR storage except for Philo, which offers a niche channel lineup). Like we said, we still really like Hulu + Live TV for its on-demand content, decent channel count, and reasonable price. Check out our Best Live TV Streaming Services page to read up more on the pros and cons of each service. YouTube TV channelsYouTube TV’s mix of live TV streaming entertainment, sports, and news channels doesn’t look much different than a basic cable package—until you notice the lack of filler. There’s no cable-package bloat like audio-only music or shopping networks (except for QVC), just a tight lineup of popular channels like Comedy Central, Paramount Network, MTV, AMC, Cartoon Network, ESPN, Disney Channel, FS1, FX, Syfy, TNT, USA Network, etc. YouTube TV trims the cable fat nicely. YouTube TV also features local channels carrying ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. Along with DIRECTV STREAM, it’s the only live TV streaming service that carries PBS and PBS Kids. But watch out, cord-cutters: YouTube TV’s channel lineup is impressive, but it’s missing a few favorites. Networks like Lifetime, A&E, HISTORY, and VICE aren’t on YouTube TV (but you can get them on Philo, another service we like here at CableTV.com). YouTube TV channel lineup*Availability varies by area. Data effective as of post date. Sports channels on YouTube TVWith YouTube TV, you get plenty of football (including NFL Network), basketball (including NBA TV), soccer, and college b-ball games. Overall, YouTube TV’s live sports experience is as full as most cable providers’ upper-tier packages. But sorry, baseball and hockey fans, you won’t find MLB Network or NHL Network on YouTube TV. Also, YouTube TV recently dropped all FOX regional sports networks, as well as YES and NESN. If RSNs are a must-have, we’d suggest checking out DIRECTV STREAM or fuboTV. YouTube TV sports channel lineupData effective as of post date. Local channels on YouTube TVYouTube TV features as many local channels per region as Hulu + Live TV and far more than other services like Sling TV or fuboTV. Depending on where you are, you either receive local stations carrying ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS, The CW, and Telemundo, or a combination of at least four of them. The CW is the least available broadcast channel on YouTube TV (and all live TV streaming services), but all’s not lost in Riverdale. Any CW series can be called up on-demand in most cases, and The CW also offers its programming for free through its own streaming app. Both work similarly; it just depends on how much app-jumping you want to do. YouTube TV local channel lineup*Availability varies by area. Data effective as of post date. YouTube TV channel add-onsYouTube TV’s $72.99/mo. plan can be fortified with over 25 add-on packages from premium networks, like Max, SHOWTIME, STARZ, MGM+, AMC+, NBA League Pass, and more. Most YouTube TV add-ons come with a seven-day free trial. Data effective as of post date. NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TVYouTube TV specs and featuresFor a live TV streaming service, YouTube TV really shines in terms of cloud DVR storage, simultaneous streams, and user interface, which makes it an exciting streaming option for TV fans who watch a lot of shows. Cloud DVRYouTube TV gives you unlimited—yes, unlimited—cloud DVR space. But not forever; YouTube dumps your saved recordings after nine months. Still, that’s a generous amount of space, and you can stream your recorded programming from anywhere on your mobile device. Fast-forwarding through commercials in recorded shows is quick and intuitive, but there’s no skipping ads with some of YouTube TV’s on-demand programming. Even in the brave new world of streaming TV, you still can’t escape Swiffer spots. Offline downloads are only available with YouTube TV’s 4K Plus add-on, which costs an extra $19.99 a month. It also gives you access to 4K content (if your TV device supports it) and unlimited in-network streams. Multiple streamsYouTube TV gives you three simultaneous streams across streaming TV devices, computers, tablets, and phones. Conveniently, this counts within the same home network and outside of it, even while traveling throughout the US. Unfortunately, YouTube TV can’t be accessed internationally—you’ll just have to go enjoy the beach or the museum, instead. Sorry. A useful feature of YouTube TV is the ability to set up individual Family Sharing profiles. In addition to the original profile (which is set up through a Google account), Family Sharing lets five more people establish their own customizable profiles through their own Google accounts. Viewing preferences, DVR, and watch history are unique, and visible only to each account. Those five accounts will still have to share just three streams, though. Bummer. Compatible devicesData effective as of post date. Despite the universality of YouTube, YouTube TV isn’t available on some devices—namely, Nintendo. Most other streaming devices are good to go with YouTube TV. Video and audio qualityYouTube TV live streams in 720p at 60 fps (frames per second), the same HD quality as cable/satellite providers and most of the other streaming TV services you’re accustomed to. Unlike other services, YouTube TV doesn’t currently stream any content in 4K HD or HDR (high dynamic range) quality (unless you buy the 4k Plus add-on). Don’t worry; the cat videos we talked about earlier still look as cute as ever. YouTube TV’s content streams with standard 2.0 stereo audio, but Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (the audio quality you get with Blu-ray discs) isn’t yet available with the service. YouTube TV home page on a desktop computer. Image credit: CableTV.com Here’s a cool YouTube TV customization feature: You can arrange channels however you like. What? Brace yourselves, television traditionalists: YouTube TV, like other live TV streaming services, doesn’t assign numbers to its channels. You can, however, bring order to this anarchy by stacking your preferred channels to the top of the grid for quick access. YouTube TV also comes with killer search capabilities, thanks to its association with a plucky little startup called Google. You’ve probably heard of it. YouTube TV channel guide on a desktop computer. Image credit: CableTV.com Check your Mbps: With a solid internet connection, YouTube TV streams with little buffering or dropping out. We recommend DSL, cable, or fiber internet rated at 25 Mbps (megabytes per second) or faster. Is YouTube TV worth it?With only a few shortcomings, we say YouTube TV is the service to beat in the live TV streaming wars. It doesn’t carry a handful of popular live entertainment or sports channels, but the unlimited DVR, customizable features, and smooth performance does right by first-time cord-cutters. Plus, you already know how to use it—it may be live TV, but it’s also still YouTube. CableTV.com FavoritesYouTube TV FAQWhat is the downside of YouTube TV?YouTube TV’s biggest downside is its lack of FOX regional sports networks like YES and SNY, as well as other key channels including Lifetime, HISTORY, and VICE. However, it still has a pretty impressive lineup—see our full for more information. It’s also a bummer that you can’t fast-forward through YouTube TV ads like you could on a DVR. YouTube, as always, loves its ads. How much does YouTube TV cost?YouTube TV costs $72.99/mo.. Considering you get 100+ cable and local channels with no contract and unlimited cloud DVR storage, it’s still a decent deal compared to cable or satellite TV. How does YouTube TV work?YouTube TV works by streaming live TV through your web browser, mobile device apps, or streaming devices. Even though it has a similar interface, it’s different from YouTube because it doesn’t limit your viewing to uploaded videos, and it’s a paid service (100+ live channels for $72.99/mo.). Does YouTube TV have PBS?Yes, YouTube TV has PBS and PBS Kids. It’s a big perk since PBS isn’t currently available on any other live TV streaming service besides DIRECTV STREAM. Go ahead and get the Antiques Roadshow on the road to Austin City Limits. What channels are included with YouTube TV?YouTube TV has 100+ channels including Comedy Central, Disney Channel, SyFy, and PBS. We like that it cuts down on traditional cable bloat from unnecessary music channels, although we wish it did a little better in the way of regional sports channels. (If you want music, you should probably just get YouTube Music or YouTube Premium.) For a full list of channels, head to our . MethodologyOur experts have logged thousands of hours of hands-on testing with YouTube TV, rating the streaming service on bang for your buck, reliability, features, and customer satisfaction. Then we matched up YouTube TV with other live TV streaming services head to head to give a clearer picture of its strengths and weaknesses. For more information on our methodology, check out our page. Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. *Plus $72.99/mo. recurring for YouTube TV. Compatible device and internet connection required. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Is NodeJS still relevant in 2023?Node. js demand in 2023 is still popular among developers as the need for reliable and scalable web applications rises. However, finding the best Node. js framework for your project can be challenging because so many are available. 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