Summary
- YouTube TV is a US-exclusive over-the-top streaming service that’s owned and operated by Google.
- YouTube TV offers access to both on-demand video content and live channel feeds.
- Here are five pro tips for getting the most out of your YouTube TV subscription right from the get-go.
Google’s YouTube TV streaming service is one of the very best over-the-top (OTT) alternatives to traditional cable and satellite available in the United States. The streamer is home to on-demand content from over one hundred TV networks, while also offering access to live linear channels, original programming, cloud DVR storage, and several other perks.
Even without paying extra for bundled add-on content, the basic YouTube TV subscription plan is surprisingly flexible in its capabilities. Here are five pro tips and tricks that’ll have you making the most of your paid membership the very moment you hit the subscribe button.
- Simultaneous streams
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3
- # of profiles
-
6
- Live TV
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Yes
- Price
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Starts at $83 /month
- Free trial
-
Yes, length varies
Guide customization
Sort your live channel guide to suit your preference
Within YouTube TV’s live channel guide, which serves up a steady stream of linear-style programming from across a range of television networks, there lies the underappreciated ability to customize the layout to match your preference. Unlike most traditional cable or satellite channel guides, on YouTube TV you can organize channels alphabetically, reverse-alphabetically, or by most watched — a huge time saver when you want to jump back into a channel you frequent.
If you’re looking to make sweeping changes to the channel guide, you can also select the custom sorting option, which lets you not only rearrange channels themselves, but also hide the ones you aren’t interested in.
Live event alerts
Get notified when a livestream is about to kick off
Just like within standard YouTube, you can toggle on live event alerts on YouTube TV. By doing so, you can ensure that you stay on top of upcoming sporting events, new episode or season premiers, or any live airing slated for arrival on the service. To get notifications set up on YouTube TV, launch the app and then tap the Notify button on any content you stumble across. Notifications are pushed out to you via your mobile devices — in other words, you’ll be notified via your smartphone or tablet, so long as you have the app installed.
Unlimited cloud DVR space
The sky’s the limit, and clouds are to thank
These days, DVR is nearly ubiquitous when it comes to home television. The ability to store live linear channel programming to watch at a later time is undoubtedly useful, and quickly fast forwarding through commercial breaks feels like a superpower. Oftentimes, however, services place a cap on the amount of DVR space you’re able to use at any given time, with older content being automatically deleted as new content is saved.
Not so with YouTube TV: even in its most basic subscription tier, the streamer allows you to store an unlimited number of programs within its cloud-based DVR system at any given time. Of course, as with everything in life, there’s one small caveat to be aware of — recordings are permanently deleted after nine months, and this time frame is non-negotiable.
Broadcast latency reduction
Reduce streaming delay for a smoother A/V experience
Possibly the most useful option within the entire YouTube TV suite is its Broadcast Delay controller. Accessible within live channel streaming via the ellipsis (triple dot) menu, you can set Broadcast Delay to its Decrease setting to reduce streaming lag. If you’re watching a live sporting event, you’ll want to turn this feature on, as it can reduce lag by several seconds (assuming you have a solidly stable internet connection).
For its part, Google cites 3 Mbps as the minimum requirement for the Decrease Broadcast Delay setting, though you’ll likely benefit from less buffering and smoother video if your Mbps connection is firmly in the double digits.
Algorithmic training
Teach YouTube TV which content it should serve you automatically
If anyone knows algorithms, it’s Google, being the parent company of YouTube. As with other streaming services, YouTube TV analyses such things as your watch history, search queries, and show recordings to suggest similar content it thinks you might like.
To an extent, you can train your algorithm to surface you more relevant content by interacting more with content you enjoy, while avoiding media you find less compelling. Over time, your algorithm will adjust itself, and you’ll be better served with more accurate recommendations, as well as with easier discovery of content you’re more likely to be a fan of.
