5 causes YouTube TV did not work for me (and what ...

Ah, YouTube TV. In case you’ve been interested by cord-cutting or maintaining with stay tv with out the effort of cable, you’ve got in all probability heard of it. For the final yr, my household gave it a go. In case you’re unfamiliar, YouTube TV is a streaming service that mimics conventional cable by providing stay TV channels, sports activities, and DVR capabilities — all for $83 a month.

To present you some background: I have not had cable in 20 years. The final time I paid for cable was after I lived at my dad and mom’ home. I am additionally a die-hard early adopter of streaming — I keep in mind when Netflix despatched out DVDs, and I would eagerly watch no matter arrived in that little crimson envelope. At the moment, I am subscribed to Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, Paramount+, Max, and Prime Video. I like on-demand streaming, which is sensible since I am a working mother with a full plate. My husband, although? He is a sports activities fanatic.

That is how we ended up with YouTube TV. In 2024, my husband satisfied me to subscribe so he might watch faculty soccer, particularly Miami Hurricanes video games. It gave the impression of a win-win: he will get live sports, and I get to revisit the nostalgia of flipping by means of stay channels like I did rising up. However after the soccer season resulted in December, I canceled YouTube TV.

Right here’s why — and what I discovered from the expertise.

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1 Stay TV simply isn’t my factor

Except it’s for sports activities, I don’t watch stay TV. Interval.

My household solely actually opened the YouTube TV app throughout faculty soccer season. However, earlier than subscribing, my husband had all the time discovered methods to look at the Miami Hurricanes, whether or not by means of ESPN, community apps, or some streaming hack. Whereas YouTube TV consolidated all the things in a single place, I couldn’t assist however really feel prefer it wasn’t value the associated fee.

My takeaway? If we’re going to subscribe to YouTube TV, it’s a seasonal factor. We’ll join in August for soccer season, then cancel come December. Fortunately, YouTube TV is versatile, in contrast to conventional cable contracts.

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2 DVR is a characteristic I by no means use

Does anybody?

I believed I’d love YouTube TV’s limitless DVR. As a substitute, I didn’t contact it. Initially, I imagined recording exhibits or motion pictures to look at later. In actuality, I simply turned to Hulu or one of many many different companies I already subscribe to for on-demand viewing. My husband’s not huge on DVR both. Sports activities spoilers from social media make recorded video games pointless for him — he’ll solely watch stay or skip them completely.

DVR could be a promoting level for others, but it surely not for us. It looks like an outdated characteristic — one thing from a bygone period.

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3 Making an attempt new streaming companies is extra enjoyable

Shudder, AMC+, oh my!

Pocket-lint / Erik Mclean / Unsplash

At $83 a month, YouTube TV is pricey. For that value, I might take a look at out different area of interest streaming companies I’ve been eyeing, like Shudder for $5 or AMC+ for $7. Truthfully, I might subscribe to 10 completely different companies for the price of one month of YouTube TV — and all of them would provide content material on-demand, which is how I want to look at. For me, stay TV looks like a chore. I don’t have the time (or persistence) to schedule my life round a present or occasion. I’d fairly stream what I need, after I need.

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4 I have already got entry to stay information

Thanks, Roku.

YouTube TV provides native channels like ABC, FOX, and NBC. However guess what? So does my Roku. As a Roku person, I get a built-in Stay TV channel information that features ABC Information Stay, NBC Information Now, Fox Stay Now, and extra. If I ever really feel nostalgic for that traditional “channel browsing” expertise, I simply fireplace up the Roku. It’s free, straightforward, and scratches that cable-like itch with out the associated fee.

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5 YouTube TV is simply too costly

It went up $10 in December

Pocket-lint / Glenn Carstens-Peters / unsplash

At $83 a month, YouTube TV prices greater than all my different streaming subscriptions mixed. That’s a tricky capsule to swallow in as we speak’s economic system. Outdoors of soccer season, the service simply didn’t maintain sufficient worth for my household.

Whereas YouTube TV has its perks — flexiblility to cancel at any time, stay sports activities, and a well-recognized TV expertise — it in the end wasn’t the correct match for us year-round. It taught me to suppose critically about what I worth most in my streaming companies: affordability, on-demand content material, and the liberty to look at on my schedule.

In case you’re somebody who’s hooked on stay TV or loves having sports activities and cable channels multi functional place, YouTube TV could be value it. However for us, it’s now a fall-only affair. When soccer season rolls round, we could be again. Perhaps.

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