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YouTube Unveils YouTube TV, Its Live TV Streaming Service (techcrunch.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: After a year of rumors, YouTube is finally drawing back the curtain on its latest play for entertainment industry domination -- a live TV service. Distinct from YouTube Red, the new service YouTube TV, which has been in the works for years at Google's internet video behemoth, has quietly been inking contracts with media companies to distribute their content on its TV service. The service is fairly low-cost, with a family of six accounts available for $35 per month, and no long-term contract required. Earlier reports from the Wall Street Journal set pricing for the service somewhere between $25 and $40 per month. However, it will only launch in markets where it can offer full, live local broadcast feeds. That's planned for the months ahead, but YouTube didn't offer an exact date. "We decided to create an offering that would give them all of these can't miss live moments," said YouTube exec Robert Kinsel of YouTube TV's offering. He explained that YouTube has partnered with all of the broadcast networks, in order to offer "comprehensive national coverage with ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox all included." In addition, the service is getting USA, FX, FreeForm, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News, and Fox Business. ShowTime is available for an additional fee. Missing, however, is HBO. For sports fans, the service includes national coverage from ESPN, FoxSports, and NBC SportsNet. Also offered are regional sports networks from Fox and Comcast, SEC Network, Big Ten and ESPNU. Fox Soccer Plus is available as an add-on. In addition, YouTube TV includes YouTube Red's 28 original series. Some other features of the service include a DVR that will never run out of space and that's cable of simultaneous recordings, a visual TV guide, search feature, and voice support integration via Google Home.
Cable is usually limited to the home--I can watch TV on my phone while sitting in my house, but I lose pretty much all the worthwhile live channels if I'm using WiFi or Cellular service.
So if I have unlimited cellular, I can still get my local channels. I can conceivably shop around for the best/cheapest dumb-pipe Internet service and then pay $35 for YouTube TV. That might be less expensive than "Basic Cable TV" from the local Cable company.
One question I have: Will I get local channels depending on where I am (i.e., KCBS in LA but WCAX in Burlington, VT)? Can I choose what affiliate I want regardless of where I am? Time zones? Can I watch "Agents of SHIELD" at 7:00PM Pacific Time rather than waiting until 10:00PM when it would air on my local ABC affiliate?