YouTube TV Review: Channel lineup, DVR, Local channels, and More

With rising cable and satellite TV prices, many users turn to cord cutting. While getting rid of cable is pretty easy for most TV shows and movies, live television does have its merits. For keeping current with many TV shows, and for live sports, cable replacement streaming services prove popular. Arguably the best of these over-the-top (OTT) streaming services is YouTube TV. With a robust DVR, a reasonable price, and a thriving channel lineup, it might be the best cable replacement streaming service you can subscribe to. Learn why in this YouTube TV review!

What is YouTube TV?

YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service. Unlike streaming video options such as Netflix or Hulu, YouTube TV aims to replace a traditional cable or satellite television package. For $65 a month, YouTube TV provides over 70 channels, including all four major local affiliates in CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox. While pricing began at sub-$50, a bevy of new channels including acquisitions from ViacomCBS caused a YouTube price hike to $65, effective in August 2020. There’s a solid cloud DVR, and the ability to fast forward through or skip commercials with DVRed content.

YouTube TV Channel List – YouTube TV Local Channels and More

Which specific channels you’ll get varies based on your location. However, most channels are pretty standard regardless of region. Notably, YouTube TV local channels lineup includes all local affiliates in ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox. In my area, I also get The CW, WRAL, MyRDCTV, and Telemundo.

You’ll also find AMC, Bravo, Discovery Channel, E!, Food Network, FX, FXM, FXX, SyFy, TBS, TNT, TCM, Cartoon Network, USA, and the Disney Channel plus its affiliates on the YouTube TV channel list. In 2020, YouTube TV added networks such as Nickelodeon, BET, CMT, MTV, Paramount Network, TV Land, VH1, Comedy Central, and the Hallmark Channel. With a YouTube TV subscription, you’ll gain access to YouTube Originals such as “Cobra Kai.” Considering its wealth of video content, YouTube TV offers phenomenal value. A strong YouTube TV channel list makes this cable replacement service an enticing pick over the likes of Sling TV, PS Vue, or Hulu + Live TV.

Streaming Sports with YouTube TV

One of the many reasons cord cutters sign up for OTT cable alternatives is the ability to live stream sports such as NFL football, NCAA football and basketball, NBA basketball, and Premier League soccer. YouTube TV carries a bevy of sports streaming channels including ESPN and its affiliates in ESPN2, ESPNews, and ESPNU, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, NBA TV, NBCSN, Olympic Channel, MLB TV, SEC Network, the Tennis Channel, and BTN. In my area, I’ve also got ACC Network. YouTube TV lets me stream most college basketball games, Premier League matches, and loads of NFL games. You also get access to NFL Network and the ACC Network.

While they’re not included in the base plan, MLB TV, NBA League Pass, Billard TV, Fox Soccer Plus, Fan Duel TV, Fight Network, Impact Wrestling, Motorsports Network, NFL Red Zone, Outside TV, Players TV, Poker Go, SPorts Grid, Stadium, BeIn Sports, and VSiN are all available as paid add-ons. And for 2023, YouTube TV is adding NFL Sunday Ticket as a premium add-on package.

• ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU
• Fox Sports, FS1, FS2
• Golf Channel
• BTN – Big Ten Network
• CBS Sports Network
• Motortrend
• SEC Network
• Tennis Channel
• NBCSN
• NBA TV
• ACC Network
• NFL Network
• NBA TV

Premium Channels with YouTube TV

Like many live TV streaming services, YouTube TV includes a slew of premium add-on channels. Acorn TV, Epix, Showtime, Shudder, Starz, Sundance Now, Fox Soccer Plus, CurosityStream, AMC Premiere, UMC, and NBA League Pass are all available for an additional monthly fee. Unfortunately, there’s no option to bundle an HBO or Cinemax subscription, but there is HBO NOW for standalone HBO streaming. Cinemax is available with Amazon Prime Video, and a number of other streaming services such as DirecTV Now, Hulu with Live TV, and PS Vue.

YouTube TV DVR

Its robust DVR sets YouTube TV apart from many of its competitors. YouTube TV features an unlimited cloud DVR that saves recordings for up to nine months. You can record entire seasons of shows, or individual episodes. However, there’s a bit of a catch. When an on-demand version of a show is available, YouTube TV replaces your recording with that. So YouTube TV’s ability to skip commercials is a tad hampered sometimes. As such, you’ll lose the ability to fast forward commercials. But for recorded content, you can fast forward and rewind freely, even for an in-progress recording. DVR is cloud-based, so you can access recording across your entire collection of devices such as phones, tablets, PCs, and set-top boxes. While it’s unlimited, recording are only saved for nine months. Still, that far outstrips the majority of streaming services that delete recordings after 30 days.

YouTube TV Interface and Hands-on Use

Among the best reasons to sign up for YouTube TV is its simplicity. The user interface is comprised of three sections: Library, Home, and Live. In the Library tab, you’ll find your DVRed content and view scheduled recordings. Under Home, you’ll find featured content and a handful of live channels. Live is your standard channel list which is akin to a traditional cable channel grid of current and upcoming movies, shows, and sports.

Selecting “Add to Library” saves a movie or show to your library. From top of any tab, Library, Home, or Live, you can select the YouTube TV search feature. Clicking here gives you a search box, as well as a smattering of options to view content by type such as shows, movies, news, family, and sports, by network, or peruse trending and popular content. Searches may be broad, such as “movies” or specific like “NCIS: New Orleans.” Like with a traditional cable TV offering, you’ll have on-demand content. This ranges from television shows to movies.

YouTube TV Compatible Devices – Best YouTube TV Streaming Devices

With spectacular device support, YouTube TV runs on a bevy of hardware options. It’s available in-browser for use on PCs, macOS devices, and Linux computers. There are also Android, Android TV, iOS, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation, and smart TV apps. I run YouTube TV on my Samsung Galaxy S9+, Nvidia Shield TV Android TV box, and Roku Ultra.

YouTube TV compatible devices:

• Android TV
• Apple TV
• Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Vizio, Hisense, Sharp)
• Roku
• Chromecast
• Fire TV
• Xbox One
• Browser streaming

Should You Get YouTube TV – Is YouTube TV Good?

I’ve tried most cable replacement streaming services on the market, and settled on YouTube TV. Its cloud-based DVR, respectable channel lineup with all local channels, and device compatibility checks the boxes I seek on an OTT streaming service. YouTube Originals sweeten the deal. You can run three simultaneous streams, and create up to five accounts, each of which benefits from separate logins and individual DVRs.

The price, at $65 USD per month, is a bit high. It’s likely less than an existing cable or satellite package, but not as budget-conscious as streaming services such as Sling TV. Money aside, YouTube TV strikes a fantastic balance with its beefy channel lineup, user-friendliness, unlimited cloud DVR, and device support. There are less expensive cable replacement streaming services such as Sling, and OTT options with more channels like PS Vue. But YouTube TV affords an unrivaled blend of streaming channels, features such as DVR and multiple user profiles, all wrapped up in an incredibly polished interface. Provided that price isn’t an issue, YouTube TV is arguably the best cable replacement streaming service on the market for cutting the cord.