YouTube TV review 2024: Everything to know before subscribing

YouTube TV is still relatively new in the field of live TV streamers. After launching in limited markets in 2017, it went wide in 2019 and has been growing ever since, though it still runs on a simplified platform that gives customers what they need without overcomplicating things. YouTube TV offers over 100 channels in one easy plan, and it’s a great live TV streaming service for anyone — sports fans, families, movie-lovers, etc. In our YouTube TV review ahead, we’ll get into the YouTube TV cost, what you’ll find on YouTube TV, how to subscribe, and more.

YouTube TV experience

YouTube TV is actually just so simple that it’s nearly foolproof. The homepage is direct and straightforward — with all the on-demand content laid out neatly. Toggle one page over, and you have your live channels, and toggle one page back, and you have your recordings (if you’ve recorded anything). 

It was interesting logging in for the first time and seeing what YouTube TV recommended as Top Picks, considering it was our first time together, but the streaming service took a stab at it. It also laid out several categories of movies and TV shows (and put premium options up high to try to entice customers to spend a little more money). The details pages for shows and movies are neatly organized and easy to read, making it simple to find a season of a show if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s not the most attractive or buzzy homepage, but it gets the job done.

YouTube TV content

YouTube TV has just one plan on offer, making it straightforward to sign up and get going with the content. The on-demand homepage is organized by category, starting with recommendations for you. It’s then broken down by category, showing sports (with a schedule) and news, followed by genres. It’s a quick way to navigate to the genre of movie or TV show you’re looking for. Plus, there are navigation bars with genres in a couple of different places, so you can refer back to them as you’re browsing. 

Sports get top billing on YouTube TV since they’re one of the top draws for the streaming service, and the addition of an active schedule on the homepage are a nice touch that you don’t often see in a streaming service. The live TV tab shows you an easy-to-follow guide of what’s airing currently, so you can pick what you want to watch right now if that’s easier to navigate. 

You can also add premium channels, like STARZ or SHOWTIME, for an additional fee, but you don’t lose anything by not having them. They’re not standard with any streaming service, so you won’t feel like you’re missing out here. YouTube TV channels include local channels like ABC, CBS, and NBC, plus popular stations like TNT, ESPN and Cartoon Network.

YouTube TV DVR

YouTube TV offers an unlimited amount of storage space for DVR. Better yet, there are no extra fees anywhere for the DVR (like some other streamers). Each user profile in your YouTube TV account gets its own unlimited DVR space (it’s truly unlimited), so everyone’s shows and movies will stay contained in their own DVR. You can also set up recurring recordings for shows very easily when you record the show you’re watching, and when you hit record on something when you turn it on, YouTube TV will record it from the beginning if you want it to. Recordings are saved for nine months.

YouTube TV viewing experience and video quality

YouTube TV’s viewing experience had no issues, though that can vary based on your internet connection. On a fiber connection, it runs well and provides a clear picture. It’s largely 720p, which may not be high enough resolution for some customers (and, in fact, plenty of customers are not thrilled with the picture quality), but if you have a smaller screen and don’t care as much, it’s fine. Some channels and shows are higher-res (1080p). You can also upgrade to a 4K plan for $9.99 per month to view select content in 4K. 

YouTube TV user profiles

YouTube TV allows you to create up to six user profiles to share within your household. You have the capability to set parental controls on user profiles for minors if you choose by turning on the “Allow TV-Y, TV-G, G and PG only” setting. This will make it so the profile under parental control will only be able to watch TV shows and movies with those child-friendly ratings. Titles that don’t meet the guidelines will not be visible on the homepage, in the library or in the search results for those user profiles. You can set up parental controls on your computer, on the TV or on your phone.

YouTube TV for sports fans

There are so many channels for sports fans on YouTube TV. Not only will you find the usual offerings like ESPN, ESPN2 and FS1, but you’ll also find the Big Ten Network, NBA TV, NFL Network and CBS Sports Network. If that’s not enough, you can also add on even more sports channels with the Sports Plus add-on for $10.99 per month.

How does YouTube TV compare?

YouTube TV is on par with many competitors, offering a similar price point, as well as similar DVR and simultaneous streams. It’s on the simple side when it comes to package options (considering it only has one), but it hangs in there with the rest of the streamers.

When you look at what you’re getting for the price you’re paying, YouTube TV is actually a great deal. For $72.99, you get over 100 live channels, unlimited DVR, six user profiles to use in your house and three simultaneous streams. The only other streaming service that is on par with that is DIRECTV STREAM, but DIRECTV STREAM is better suited for its higher-tiered packages that have more bells and whistles. At this price point, YouTube TV is a winner.

How to subscribe to YouTube TV

Signing up for YouTube TV is easy — it’s just a couple steps. 

1. Go to tv.youtube.com/welcome
2. Click on Try It Free to start the free trial
3. Log into your Google account
4. Follow the prompts to confirm your location and payment method

Keep in mind that your credit card will automatically be charged each month for your service, so if you decide you want to cancel, try to do so before you get charged for a whole other month. You’ll still have to pay out the month even if you cancel your subscription, so keep an eye on the date you’ve subscribed in case you change your mind.