Google is the latest company to launch a live-TV streaming service, debuting YouTube TV last week with plenty of fanfare, as the internet giant tries to bring in younger viewers who have largely opted out of linear television — ironically, in favor of services like YouTube, in many cases.
YouTube TV costs $35/month (the first month is free), and includes six accounts to prevent family members with different tastes’ recommendations from cross-contaminating. It offers 40 channels to start, focused on the four major broadcast networks, with more on the way, including “The Walking Dead” home AMC Networks. The service is currently available in five markets: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and the San Francisco Bay Area, and there are no long-term contracts.
TheWrap has been playing with YouTube TV for a few days now, using the service on a phone, tablet, desktop computer and television. And while it’s not yet a replacement for cable (as it’s still missing some of the most popular channels like CNN), YouTube TV gets high marks for its user experience and reliability.
Awesome and convenient interface YouTube TV’s control center might be the most user-friendly one developed yet and has three basic views: “Library,” “Home” and “Live.” Library is pretty self-explanatory, being a place for recorded shows (YouTube’s cloud DVR is easy enough to use — select a show and click a “+” button and all upcoming episodes are recorded and added to the library — and has an effectively limitless capacity).
Home is a Netflix or Hulu-like dashboard that shows popular live programs and suggestions to watch and record, while Live is essentially a much better version of the traditional spreadsheet-like channel guide. It overlays a live feed of the selected channel when toggling through the guide (the Home screen also shows live video in its dashboard), meaning that disappointing feeling of finding something good on and clicking over just in time for a commercial is a thing of the past. The guide is also just plain fun to scroll through
Technology appears ready for prime time AT&T launched its own streaming service, DirecTV Now, late last year, offering a whopping 100-plus channels for an introductory rate of $35 a month (which seems to be the price many of these services are converging around). And while DirecTV Now came to market with an expansive suite of channels and support across multiple devices, its early rollout was plagued by issues connecting and loading channels — which TheWrap also experienced.
People watch 1 billion hours of video on YouTube every day, so the company has some expertise in building a reliable backend, but the service’s smoothness was still impressive. Watching YouTube TV on an iPhone, iPad, MacBook Air and HDTV via Google’s Chromecast dongle, TheWrap experienced nothing but quick and smooth loading when changing channels and moving between devices, and a crisp picture that looked no different from a cable or satellite feed.
Easy to follow your favorite teams — as long as their games are on the right channels TheWrap immediately set YouTube TV to record all televised games from the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Dodgers. The problem with that is the Lakers’ and Dodgers’ main local TV channels aren’t available (yet) on YouTube TV, but fans of teams that have local broadcast partners in the Fox Sports family, for example, would find this incredibly convenient.
Reliable content recommendations, especially with multiple accounts TheWrap has only been using YouTube TV for a few days, but YouTube’s incisive video recommendation engine is already making suggestions that have led to exploring — and enjoying — new shows. It has also seemed to figure out which sports TheWrap likes better than others. And with other users having the option to have their own accounts under the same master account, those individualized recommendations should continue to improve.
Time Warner channels are sorely missed The lack of Time Warner channels is a gaping hole — especially given the fact that the service launched on the eve of the NBA playoffs, which promise to be as exciting a tournament as ever. YouTube TV doesn’t have CNN — a significant void in the Trump era — but cable news junkies have alternatives like MSNBC and Fox News. However, passionate basketball fans wouldn’t have been able to catch much of March Madness without TNT, TBS and TruTV — and they’ll miss dozens of NBA playoff games, including all first-round matchups not on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays (and half of the weekend games).
Good sports, but not good enough YouTube TV was built around the major broadcast networks and includes the regional sports networks owned by the big four. TheWrap was able to watch the Los Angeles Kings v. Anaheim Ducks hockey game Saturday on Fox Sports West or Fox Sports Prime Ticket, but Spectrum SportsNet — the home of the Lakers and Galaxy — and Spectrum SportsNet LA, which televises Los Angeles Dodgers games, are not available on YouTube TV.
There’s also no league-affiliated networks, which televise numerous games and highlight shows. The NFL Network, NBA TV, MLB Network and NHL Networks are nowhere to be found YouTube TV.
Limited device support for smart TVs At this point, YouTube TV can only be watched on an actual TV using a Chromecast device, which worked well enough when TheWrap tried it, but requires a smartphone or tablet to “cast” it. There isn’t a standalone Apple TV or Roku app available yet, despite those being among the most popular smart TV hubs. YouTube TVdoesn’t even have an app on Google’s own Android TV at this point.
You can’t fast-forward shows recorded on the DVR if they’re also available on demand YouTube TV’s DVR works like most others in that it allows users to fast-forward through commercials when watching recorded shows. But there’s one exception: they can’t do that when there’s an on-demand version of the same program available on the service, and are instead re-directed to that version, which has ads. The company attributed this policy to deals with its programming partners, but it’s an unusual feature. Even traditional pay-TV companies, which aren’t exactly known for being consumer friendly, allow customers to watch recorded shows when there are also available versions on demand.
The verdict: YouTube TV offers an interface that borders on delightful and a decent selection of channels for $35 a month. The six included accounts and cloud DVR are nice bonuses, and most importantly, unlike plenty of other streaming services marred by buggy debuts, YouTube TV works really well.
But without the Turner channels, Viacom networks (including MTV and Comedy Central) and the most popular prestige channel, Time Warner’s HBO (although Showtime can be added for $11/month), it’s simply not a replacement for the standard suite of channels Americans are used to. Its channel offerings are more along the lines of what one would find in a decent hotel (minus the ubiquitous CNN).
Like the other live-TV streaming services, including DirecTV Now, Dish Network’s Sling TV and Hulu’s upcoming offering, YouTube TV isn’t going to convince people who value — and can afford — the hundreds of channels they get in a traditional cable or satellite package to downsize. But it should attract cord-cutters — although maybe not ones who are huge NBA fans — and its smart interface and recommendations make it seem like there’s always interesting stuff on even with a limited array of channels. At a time when linear TV has never seemed less cool, maybe that’s its true genius.
35 Streaming TV Shows You Can Binge Watch in a Weekend (Photos)
Stuck at home for the weekend? It's a perfect time to binge some great TV, thanks to streaming services like Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu and Amazon Prime. But sometimes you don't want something short, rather than to get sucked into a seasons-long TV show. Here's a list of binge worthy shows you can finish in just a couple days.
"Ozark" (Netflix)
"Ozark" follows a financial planner who launders money for a drug cartel. To avoid getting himself and his whole family murdered, he concocts a scheme to head to Missouri to launder a huge amount of money as fast as he can. If you're craving the sort of dark, crime-ridden drama you need to check out Netflix's "Ozark" -- it's like "Breaking Bad" if the whole family was involved.
Netflix
"Glow" (Netflix)
Jump back to the 1980s to follow the creation of the "Gorgeous Women of Wrestling" in Netflix's latest comedy. Alison Brie of "Mad Men" and Betty Gilpin of "Nurse Jackie" lead a hilarious cast of inexperienced women trying to figure how to wrestle, under the leadership of an extremely unrefined Marc Maron. It's a quick and funny run at 10 episodes.
Netflix
“Stranger Things” (Netflix)
Season 2 of Netflix’s 1980s-inspired horror series isn’t due till October, which means you’ve got plenty of time to burn through the first eight episodes -- which tells a complete story on its own. The series takes a page from ’80s movies like “The Goonies” and “ET,” and its great cast plays well with the show’s many takes on supernatural horror.
Netflix
“Westworld” (HBO Go, HBO Now)
HBO kicked off its robots coming to life series last year with a bang. With mind-bending plots focused on artificial intelligence, sentience, and morality — plus lots of confusing timelines to work through — “Westworld” offers a lot to dig into. If you haven’t started the show yet, you can still get lost in its mysteries on HBO Go and HBO Now.
HBO
“Jessica Jones” (Netflix)
The second of Netflix’s Marvel shows is a slow-burn story of a moderately superpowered Jessica trying to convince the world there’s a guy out there who can control minds. Her personal battle with Kilgrave and the damage it does to everyone around her make “Jessica Jones” easy to get lost in through Season 1’s 13 episodes.
Netflix
“Luke Cage” (Netflix)
Spinning off from “Jessica Jones,” Luke Cage takes superheroes to Harlem with a different tone from Netflix’s other Marvel series. There will eventually be more of Luke Cage, but for now the complete first season is a contained story that expands the Marvel universe with perspective that’s especially poignant in the current American political climate.
Netflix
“Travelers” (Netflix)
Time travelers are popping up in 2017, hoping to stop an apocalyptic future. Netflix grounds the show in the personal struggles of a dedicated team of temporally displaced scientists who are completely out of their elements. “Travelers” also does a great job of giving just enough information to build a fascinating world that leaves a lot of mysteries to solve later on.
Netflix
“The Night Of” (HBO Go, HBO Now)
HBO’s short miniseries starts with an accusation and a murder, and spirals from there. Naz is a Muslim kid arrested for a murder he can’t remember if he committed, and even before his trial, the situation ripples out to affect everyone even remotely related to him or the crime. It’s a dark and dramatic look into the criminal justice system that goes beyond the usual police procedural.
HBO
“The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (Netflix)
Looking back into the American zeitgeist of 1994, FX’s drama adaptation of the trial of the century is an enthralling 10 episodes. It’s brilliantly cast and captures the moment, with all its bizarre and upsetting ins and outs, extremely well.
Netflix
“Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” (Netflix)
The book series of the same name contains 13 volumes, but for the moment it’s possible to get through the first four in one binge sitting. Netflix’s adaptation has an amazing cast and is funny throughout for kids and adults. Even though the story isn’t finished by the end of Season 1, it’s worth digging into the plight of the Baudelaire children in one go.
Netflix
“Shut Eye” (Hulu)
An organized crime drama that’s kinda funny and a bit supernatural. “Shut Eye” is about grifters posing as psychics in Los Angeles, until Jeffrey Donovan (FX’s “Fargo”) hits his head and starts to see the future. Family drama gets out of control, as do murderous crime bosses.
Hulu
“3%” (Netflix)
The first Brazilian Netflix original imagines a post-apocalyptic world where people compete for a chance to go somewhere better. Only 3 percent of candidates make the cut, and they often have to do so by screwing each other over. The possibility of entering utopia pushes the characters to their brinks and beyond, especially as they decide what they're willing to do to get there.
Netflix
“The OA” (Netflix)
Diving deep into the "strange and mysterious serialized show" category is "The OA," about a kidnapped blind woman who returns to her hometown with the ability to see. The series gets even weirder after that, constantly posing mysterious questions about the woman's powers and her kidnapping. The strangeness only escalates, so binge now for a mystery to solve ahead of the show's second season.
Netflix
“Black Mirror” (Netflix)
There are actually four seasons' worth of episodes of “Black Mirror” available on Netflix, but at only six episodes each, the series is just contained enough that you can get through the whole thing in a couple of days. It’s worth it, too, as “Black Mirror” puts a “Twilight Zone” twist on modern technology and human relationships.
Netflix
“Fleabag” (Amazon Prime)
British comedy “Fleabag” is only six episodes long, which makes it perfect for a snowy Saturday or a lazy Sunday. Following Fleabag, a cynical, apathetic, perverted woman fighting to deal with modern life in London, the show gives a different take on modern comedies and dealing with issues like depression.
Amazon
“The Jinx” (HBO Go and HBO Now)
The story of Robert Durst is a strange one, filled with disappearances, murder, dismemberment, and bad disguises. The six-episode documentary miniseries goes through the story of Durst's early life and the disappearance of his wife, through two other deaths, and ends with a possible bombshell break in the case. It's the kind of binge watch material that's hard to pull away from.
HBO
“The Fall” (Netflix)
This British police procedural about a detective hunting a serial killer stars Gillian Anderson of “X-Files” fame and Jamie Dornan of “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Though it covers three total seasons, the shorter series of BBC shows means the grand total is just 17 episodes.
Netflix
“Band of Brothers” (HBO Go and HBO Now)
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks produced this drama that follows the 101st Airborne through the European Theater in World War II. Intense, personal and powerful, the 10-part series tells the story of the war in a way that few other movies or series have captured.
HBO
“The Crown” (Netflix)
Delving into the story of the English royal family, “The Crown” finds all sorts of drama as Queen Elizabeth II struggles to bear the weight of royal succession. Despite covering the queen’s life over more than 60 years, you’ll still be able to make it through its 10 episodes in a couple days.
Netflix
“Making a Murderer” (Netflix)
This intensive documentary series covers the story of Steven Avery, who was exonerated of a rape accusation before being arrested for murder. The documentary covers the sorted story of the crime, the investigation, and the prosecution over 10 episodes, raising plenty of questions about whether Avery is guilty along the way.
Netflix
“Lady Dynamite” (Netflix)
“Lady Dynamite” teams comedian Maria Bamford and “Arrested Development” creator Mitchell Hurwitz to bring a version of Bamford’s comedy to Netflix. The surreal series follows a version of Bamford after she tries to rebuild her life and comedy career after getting treated for bipolar disorder, and with more episodes on the way, it’s a good one to spend a weekend on.
Netflix
“Crazy Head” (Netflix)
British horror-comedy “Crazy Head” is about two women who can see demons. At first they think they’re crazy — but then they realize the demons are real. Over six episodes, Amy and Raquel battle the forces of evil, making it a funny experience that’s easy to knock out in a hurry.
Netflix
“11.22.63” (Hulu)
Adapting Stephen King’s novel of the same name, “11.22.63” sends James Franco back in time from 2016 to the 1960s. The plan: stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy and rewrite the entire future of America for the better. The entire story is perfect weekend material, covered in just eight episodes.
Hulu
“Iron Fist” (Netflix)
The fourth of Netflix’s Marvel superhero shows is out now, and it’s the last story before the streaming service’s three heroes come together for “The Defenders,” the release of which is imminent. That makes it essential backstory for fans of “Daredevil,” “Luke Cage” and “Jessica Jones,” and you can get through all 13 kung-fu-filled episodes pretty quickly.
Netflix
“Top of the Lake” (Netflix)
Mix up your police procedurals with a New Zealand perspective with “Top of the Lake.” Its two seasons star Elizabeth Moss of “Mad Men,” with some heavy hitters including Holly Hunter and Nicole Kidman. The two seasons are relatively short, with the whole series totaling 13 episodes.
Netflix
“Santa Clarita Diet” (Netflix)
Drew Barrymore finds herself sliding toward being an undead cannibal in this Netflix comedy. Killing and eating people shouldn’t be so funny, but her uptight but supportive suburban family make the enterprise of trying to live as a zombie a pretty good time.
Netflix
"The Young Pope" (HBO Go, HBO Now)
Jude Law is the first American pope in a dark comedy about religion, authority, politics and backstabbing. "The Young Pope" has its surreal moments as Law's Pius XIII tries to deflect the machinations of the cardinals around him and figure out what to handle being His Holiness.
HBO
"13 Reasons Why" (Netflix)
High school drama "13 Reasons Why" tells the story of a girl who commits suicide, and the tapes she leaves behind for the various people in her life that drove her to that decision. Delivered like a mystery, the show is great weekend binge-watch material as it drags you from episode to episode to find out what happened to Hannah Baker.
Netflix
"Big Little Lies" (HBO Go, HBO Now)
HBO's scandal- and rumor-fueled dark comedy "Big Little Lies" also became a whodunit as its drama unfolded. With a star-studded cast that includes Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgard and Laura Dern, and clocking in at only seven episodes, "Big Little Lies" is a quick, high-quality watch.
HBO
"Designated Survivor" (Hulu)
Kiefer Sutherland's spin as a cabinet member who rises to the presidency after a terrorist bombing wipes out the government mixes a lot of conspiracy theory action with some political drama. The result is a mix of "24" and "The West Wing" that's exciting and optimistic, especially when scandals swirl in the real-life government.
ABC
"Dear White People" (Netflix)
Exploring the realities of navigating race and being Black in America, "Dear White People" delves into the lives of student activists at an Ivy League college that thinks it's successfully become post-racial. In addition to digging into some tough subjects, the show is also constantly hilarious as each episode focuses on specific characters' lives and relationships to race.
Netflix
"The Confession Tapes" (Netflix)
The latest true crime documentary series on Netflix focuses on several cases in which people confessed to crimes they claim they didn't actually commit. Each case will leave viewers wondering if the people in question really are the perpetrators, or if police misconduct, psychological probing and other factors are really to blame for creating false confessions. There are no easy answers, but the questions "The Confession Tapes" raises about the American justice system are definitely interesting ones.
Netflix
"Timeless" (Hulu)
NBC's history-rewriting time travel show adventure show has been rescued from cancellation, securing a second season thanks to fan demand. That means it's a great time to catch up on "Timeless" while there's still one season, which is available on Hulu.
NBC
"The Handmaid's Tale" (Hulu)
Set in a dystopian future in which women are subjugated in America and treated as breeding stock, Hulu's powerful series can be hard to watch. With an incredible cast that includes Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski and Joseph Fiennes, "The Handmaid's Tale" provides a glimpse into a near-future that sometimes feels a little too po
Hulu
"The Keepers" (Netflix)
Netflix's latest lengthy true crime documentary sets out to try to find the killer of Sister Cathy Cesnick, a Catholic nun and teacher who died in 1969. The show quickly uncovers a sprawling, horrific tale of sexual abuse at a Baltimore Catholic school that might have led to Sister Cathy's murder, and possibly a cover up.
Stay home, get cozy and settle in with these great streaming shows you can wrap up over the course of a few easy-going days
Stuck at home for the weekend? It's a perfect time to binge some great TV, thanks to streaming services like Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu and Amazon Prime. But sometimes you don't want something short, rather than to get sucked into a seasons-long TV show. Here's a list of binge worthy shows you can finish in just a couple days.
Netflix
