If you're thinking of cancelling your cable TV service and signing up with YouTube TV
then this is the guide you're looking for.
I've been on YouTube TV for several years and I'll show you everything you need to know
before you leave your cable provider!
YouTube TV is available on a number of platforms like computers, smartphones, smart TVs, streaming
devices and more.
Which means you're not limited to the number of DVRs you have to rent.
So you can watch YouTube TV on almost every screen in your home at no extra cost!
But let's talk about the features you're probably most interested about.
First of all you can watch and pause live TV just like you do on cable.
Shows come on at their scheduled times and there's a channel list that should look very
similar to what you see on cable TV.
And no matter where you live, your local channels are also available on YouTube TV.
Just enter your zip code and your local network channels will show up at the top of the list.
One of the absolute best features is the unlimited DVR called the Library.
There are zero space limitations so you can record as much as you want and as many shows
that you want all at the same time!
This means I can record things like entire tennis tournaments that are typically 8 to
9 hours a day for 2 weeks.
And I'll still be able to record everything else!
Scheduling a recording is super easy.
Just find the show you want to record.
And on the description page just click on the plus icon and it will be added to your
library.
When you add a series to the library, every episode will be recorded at its scheduled
air time.
And these recordings will be stored for up to 9 months.
However, there are many shows that really don't need to be added to your library.
This is because YouTube TV automatically includes every season and episode on demand.
This is really nice because you literally have every episode available to watch at any
time!
And there's not just TV shows!
YouTube TV has a ton of movies available on demand as well!
Pretty much any movie currently on cable or broadcast channels can be found in the movies
section.
These are modified for TV versions but you can watch a lot of popular movies that aren't
available on Netflix or Amazon Prime.
And like regular shows, movies can also be added to the library for viewing later and
saved for up to 9 months.
One thing you do need to know is that YouTube TV is not ad free.
Some programs don't have ads, some have ads you can skip and others will have non-skippable
commercial breaks that have a countdown timer until the ad break is over.
I find that non-skippable ads usually appear on recently released TV episodes and some
movies.
And while I can scrub through show segments it's easy to see the yellow markers where
the ads are placed in a show.
One thing I kinda have some reservations about is the pricing.
I signed up for YouTube TV in September 2018 and it was $40 a month.
And on May 2019 they added more channels which bumped the price up to $50 a month.
And in July 2020 more channels were added which increased the price to $65 a month.
So in the beginning, I thought I was saving money by cancelling cable and going with YouTube
TV.
Now with the price increases, it isn't quite the savings as I thought it would be.
And who knows if they'll bump the price up again?
But I still enjoy YouTube TV and there's nothing else like it except for cable which I don't
want to go back to.
But before having to pay the monthly fee, there is a free 7 day trial where you have
all-access to test out the complete features.
And while YouTube TV includes sports networks like ESPN, Fox Sports, NBA TV, MLB networks
plus others in the monthly price, you can also spend more by subscribing to premium
channels like HBO Max, Showtime and other pay channels.
But these are completely optional.
One thing that helps with the pricing is that you can share your YouTube TV account with
up to 5 different people.
And the really cool thing about this is that each of those people whether they're family
or friends will have their own independent DVR library and viewing history completely
separate from yours.
This feature can really help your family save money since they're not having to sign up
and pay for their own accounts.
They'll have every feature available to them as if they had their own YouTube TV account.
And if you're on the go a lot, the YouTube TV app is really handy!
You'll find everything there just like you would on home devices.
You can browse and watch all available movies on TV, or find something to watch on the live
channel line up.
With the app, you'll never miss a show when you're away from your house.
Plus all your recordings in the DVR are just a tap away.
In the YouTube TV app you can also easily schedule a recording.
It's all super convenient!
And as mentioned before, anyone you've shared your account with has their own DVR and history
available on the go.
A few final notes here.
Every YouTube TV account can stream simultaneously on 3 separate devices.
The same goes for anyone you've shared your account with.
For example, anyone can have more than 3 devices signed into YouTube TV but only 3 of them
can stream at the same time.
Another important note is that all accounts whether it's the main or shared has to have
a Gmail address.
And there's no getting around that because it's definitely a requirement.
And finally, to use YouTube TV you have to have an internet connection.
If your internet goes down you'll lose access until you reconnect.
Everything is in the cloud and there's nothing stored on your devices.
I hope this gives you a good overview of YouTube TV so you can decide whether you want to switch
from cable TV to this.
I've been on YouTube TV almost since almost the beginning and it led me to drop cable
years ago.
I really don't miss cable TV at all and I think this is much better for all the reasons
I mentioned earlier in this video.
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