YouTube TV has promise, but needs to grow before it's worth $35 (hands-on)

[Guest Nicole]

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. Only PlayStation Vue also has a cloud DVR, however, and it's more limited than YouTube's (Vue's DVR shows expire after 28 days). Here's the full features breakdown between the four.

Continue reading