YouTube TV Price Increasing to $40 for New Subscribers Starting Tomorrow

I just don't see the value proposition here. You're only getting very basic channels for $35 and then $40 tomorrow.

I think Netflix, Hulu and HBO which in total would cost about the same as YouTube and you'd get far better content. The only thing missing is sports I guess but for me that's not an issue.

YTTV is an amazing value for sports. Many of their channels are never offered in the lower tiers from cable companies.

The FS2, ESPNU, SEC, BIG type of networks I mean.

Very hard to get a pack with this unique set of sports offerings for $35

So if it's now $40 for 40 channels from Youtube... what does a similar channel lineup cost from the cable company?

Since you're probably getting your internet from the cable company anyway... they might offer more channels for the same $40 portion of your bill (or a smaller cheaper channel package)

Granted... you'll have a monthly fee for each DVR box from the cable company. So there's that to consider.

Look into beating those box fees with HDHomeRun boxes from Silicon Dust. Then the set-top boxes can be :apple:TVs (or dirt-cheap Amazon Fire) and the content can all be merged into a single on-screen guide with the $25 Channels App ('https://getchannels.com'). For $8/month add the Channels App DVR ('https://getchannels.com/dvr/') with whatever amount of storage you want to assign to it. It's a real DVR, meaning you control the content you record and don't have to deal with any 30-day time limits... or having to watch the commercials... or having to wait a day or so before you can watch a first-run show, etc.

HDHomeRun Prime ('https://www.silicondust.com/product/hdhomerun-prime/') works with Cablecard. Other HDHomeRun boxes ('https://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/') work with OTA signals. Channels weaves both cable & OTA together in a SINGLE, on-screen guide. Their DVR works with ALL of the channels- select programming is not able to block DVR recording here.

Since you have actual cable (just no cable boxes), you don't burn one byte against your broadband cap. Since you can "double play" the combo of Internet & Cable in one bill, you can get a better price than buying Internet alone and paying someone else for some cable channels. Since you link directly to locals, you get all of your locals- not just some shows from some of the networks. Local news & sports. The local "Regional" sports channel(s) rather than just doing without.

HD is HD, not downgrading or stuttering during busy broadband times. Audio is 5.1 Dolby Digital, not just stereo or mono on these streaming services.

Should something knock out your broadband & cable, you can catch up on your DVR'd shows and/or watch your local OTA networks.

No cable box fees. Add as many TVs as you have- just need :apple:TVs or Amazon Fire. While I have Comcast and use the Xfniity app ('https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/xfinity-tv-remote/id401629893?platform=ipad&preserveScrollPosition=true#platform/ipad') on the mobile devices in my home, if there wasn't a good cable company app, the Channels App people also offer a Channels app for mobile ('https://getchannels.com/ios/') too.

Then, it's just a matter of staying on top of the cable company so you can work them to re-up the promotional rates for the "double play" to keep the TV + Internet costs low. I'm at about $63 in total including the $8/month DVR service and I get all of my favored programming, feeding 3 TVs and various mobile devices and enjoy a full-function DVR without the shenanigans. Yes, I might be able to squeeze this outlay down a little lower, but all of the other streaming service options sacrifice audio (I didn't build a home theater setup to then fake the surround sound) and generally leave off at least a few desirable channels from their bundles. I also don't have to hop app-to-app or box-to-box for programming, nor run seminars with the FAM on how to watch "the future" television (teaching them to hop app-to-app and box-to-box, change to this input and that input, etc).

:apple:TVs + HDHomeRun boxes + Channels App + Channels DVR can be a great option for those wanting too save some monthly cost but don't want to make what can be significant compromises.

After some thought... this whole "cord cutting" thing might not be about saving money at all. It might be about control.

That's definitely one of the factors for me. I like using my own devices, that are smaller, faster, updated more regularly, and more integrated with other home electronics. I like that I can click-and-bail on services in seconds, and for some programming that's very seasonal, easily add, watch, cancel over like a 30 day period without once having to talk to a customer service rep. I find debugging issues better when you don't have to wade through multiple types of overlapping services from the same company (i.e., do I have connectivity? Yes, then it's the programming provider's issue).


All things equal in terms of monthly pricing, I'd still prefer to CC (and for us, it was cheaper, 4+ years without cable/sat service :) )

I just don't see the value proposition here. You're only getting very basic channels for $35 and then $40 tomorrow.

I think Netflix, Hulu and HBO which in total would cost about the same as YouTube and you'd get far better content. The only thing missing is sports I guess but for me that's not an issue.

Maybe it's for some people, but for me, I don't see the appeal of YTTV or any of these online cable bundles (DirectTV Now, Hulu Live, Sling, Vue, etc.) It's just old fashioned cable, but now over internet.

From my perspective, the reason cable tv is bad isn't because it requires a cable box and wasn't available through app. If anything, having it be over a dedicated line is a benefit. The reason cable tv was bad was because the cost was high relative to the amount and quality of original content, balanced against the amount of commercials. In other words, I hated paying for mostly crap content that was 40% advertisements anyway.

These online cable bundles aren't any better. They're still $20-$40 per month for mostly crap content among way too many commercials. Except now, you also deal with the finickiness of an app and internet streaming.

YTTV is an amazing value for sports. Many of thier channels are never offered in the lower tiers from cable companies.

The FS2, ESPNU, SEC, BIG type of networks I mean.

Very hard to get a pack with this unique set of sports offerings for $35

Yep, it is a huge value. For example with Comcast, they put the following sports channels on the highest plan: FS2 (think about how many World Cup games will be on it this summer), SEC, MLB Network, ESPN U.
[doublepost=1520888462][/doublepost]

Maybe it's for some people, but for me, I don't see the appeal of YTTV or any of these online cable bundles (DirectTV Now, Hulu Live, Sling, Vue, etc.) It's just old fashioned cable, but now over internet.

From my perspective, the reason cable tv is bad isn't because it requires a cable box and wasn't available through app. If anything, having it be over a dedicated line is a benefit. The reason cable tv was bad was because the cost was high relative to the amount and quality of original content, balanced against the amount of commercials. In other words, I hated paying for mostly crap content that was 40% advertisements anyway.

These online cable bundles aren't any better. They're still $20-$40 per month for mostly crap content among way too many commercials. Except now, you also deal with the finickiness of an app and internet streaming.

The streaming providers do cut out a lot of the BS fees. For Comcast for example there is a DVR fee, HD fee!, Regional Sports fee, Broadcast TV fee, plus additional outlet fees if you use more than one TV. Those fees could end up totaling to over $40-50 alone!