I've been helping people cut the cable TV cord since 2016. and in today's video I'm breaking
down the pros and the cons of the major live TV services starting with YouTube TV if you haven't
watched my YouTube TV review video here is why I like the service especially for new cord cutters
a well-rounded channel lineup unlimited Cloud DVR storage no contracts or hidden fees and a good
overall user experience like the other premium live TV services that I'll be talking about today
YouTube TV is pretty expensive over 70 bucks a month more than double its 2017 launch price so if
you're okay with that price and the channel lineup you may be able to look past some of YouTube TV's
downsides most notably you cannot record or delete single episodes in a series when you
add something to your DVR all episodes are going to be recorded whether they are new or reruns a
lot of users tell me this makes managing the DVR more difficult YouTube TV has a lot of features
and also opportunities for personalization but the service has a habit of announcing product updates
and then making users wait months and months to receive them this happened with the live guide
library and multi-view when you take all that into account YouTube TV is still a strong Contender so
keep this list of pros and cons in mind as we continue with the rest of the live TV services
and next up I want to talk about Hulu Plus live TV for a lot of people looking for an alternative to
YouTube TV Hulu live is worth considering and I say that for a couple reasons the monthly price
it's about the same and the channel lineups are also very similar not identical though Hulu Live's
biggest differentiator is that it includes the entire Disney bundle so that's Hulu basic Disney
plus and ESPN plus like YouTube TV Hulu live includes unlimited Cloud DVR storage but with
Hulu live you do have options to record a single episode or only new episodes when it's a series
Hulu live does not offer a free trial anymore so it's important that you review the channel
lineup on Hulu Live's website make sure it's got all your must-have channels because this service
as well as YouTube TV does not offer a lot of regional Sports networks and another thing to
consider Hulu Live's multiple streams limit you can only stream on two devices at the same time
with that base plan however there is an unlimited screens upgrade you just gotta pay more for that
every month Hulu Live's user experience well it's not great especially the live guide and
that is one reason why a lot of people stick with YouTube TV or try Hulu live and end up back with
YouTube TV now some people don't find all their must-have Channels with either YouTube TV or Hulu
live and that's where the next service comes into play it's DirecTV stream this service offers four
plans and all but the base plan include Valley Regional Sports networks in the advertised price
for example the choice plan normally 99 bucks a month a lot of times there is an introductory
offer that discounts that price I also hear from people who say they're missing a few entertainment
networks with either YouTube TV or Hulu live and it turns out in many cases DirecTV stream has them
even in the base plan DirecTV stream may also be the best option for larger households and people
who travel a lot that's because of the service is very loose streaming limits watch on unlimited
streams at home and up to three devices away from home DirecTV stream has a cable-like look
and feel a lot of people really like that but it's business practices they're also very cable-like
there are no contracts or long-term commitments that's the good news but when I've tested this
service DirecTV stream makes you chat or call to cancel your subscription so it is not just a few
easy clicks of the mouse I want to talk briefly now about fubo another live TV service that
offers those Regional Sports networks fubo added value Regional Sports networks in 2023 but unlike
DirecTV stream fubo has a regional Sports fee and that is not included in the advertised price so
you're going to pay more than ten dollars a month in addition to these plan prices the problems
some people have with fubo is that it is missing some key channels ones that you would expect from
a premium live TV service Turner networks like TBS TNT and CNN not included at recording time
with the addition of that Regional Sports fee I wouldn't recommend fubo unless you are really
into those Regional Sports networks and if you are you can narrow it down to fubo and DirecTV
stream so far I've talked about premium live TV services that really try to replicate cable but
if you want a little less live TV but still some sling TV may be a really good option to consider
and save you money sling TV has two base plans instead of one and they're priced cheaper than
services like YouTube TV for for example sling Orange includes ESPN and sling blue has the major
cable news networks people who watch only a few cable channels may be okay with just one of these
plans but for people who want more channels you can always combine sing orange and sing blue and
still pay less than YouTube TV so why is that well the main reason why sling TV is cheaper is that it
doesn't offer complete local coverage it's got ABC Fox and NBC stations but only in cities with owned
and operated stations for that reason sling TV is primarily best for people who don't watch locals
or can pick them up with an antenna like the mohu leaf that I use so when people tell me they'd sign
up for sling TV if it had their locals I usually recommend YouTube TV because if sling TV offered
all the local stations it would cost 15 or 20 dollars a month more other factors to consider
sling TV doesn't offer unlimited Cloud DVR storage and the sling orange plan is limited to
only one stream so there is a potential for savings but there are some compromises to
consider the next service I want to talk about today is even cheaper than sling TV but Philo
it gets further away from the traditional cable TV bundle Philo is 25 a month at recording time this
live TV service features more than 70 channels primarily entertainment and lifestyle networks
a good service for reality TV fans it is not for news and sports junkies or people who want locals
with their live TV service for the most part Philo leaves those networks out of its bundle and that's
to control costs many Philo users see this as a pro Others May view it as a con also worth
noting that with Philo you get unlimited Cloud DVR storage and you can save those recordings for up
to a year the most affordable live TV Service is called Frndly TV and this one it's kind of
similar to Philo Frndly tv offers three plans the channel lineup is the same for all three but the
features are different and and this service starts at less than ten dollars a month it doesn't have a
lot of bells and whistles but friendly tv offers more than 40 live TV channels including some that
are left out of the base plans for services like YouTube TV some of my subscribers use frndly TV as
an add-on for another live TV service but Frndly TV also has its own loyal fans and it is worth
considering if you want a lot of entertainment for a very low price without the sports news
and locals I typically recommend frndly TV's Classic Plan that's the least expensive plan
that still includes Cloud DVR storage so that you can watch TV on your terms and Skip through the
ads in addition to monthly plans Frndly TV also has an annual payment option if you want to take a
closer look at the pros and cons of these Services I'll link below to an article on michaelsaves.com
and you can also email me for free personal recommendations thanks a lot for watching