A few years ago, YouTube offered a new service that was named YouTube Red.
It was a subscription service where people could watch YouTube videos ad-free if they paid a monthly fee.
But in 2018, Google who owns YouTube got rid of that name and relaunched the service under the name YouTube Premium.
This streaming service also has a paid membership that offers ad-free content and off-line viewing.
However, now users get Google video, Kids YouTube, YouTube Gaming and music services as well.
A good range of streaming services at a good price.
YouTube TV Premium
While anyone can watch general videos on YouTube, YouTube TV Premium is about enjoying live TV streaming that goes way beyond videos.
It is fast, works on most devices and will support up to 6 separate user profiles.
Its Cloud DVR offers unlimited storage and has amazing cable packages that make sure you get all major TV markets including PBS.
YouTube TV Premium is not YouTube. It is a TV experience that works through various devices to offer a cable styled experience.
You get a detailed program guide, DVR, and a large number of desirable channels.
It is easy to use to find whatever online content you are looking for.
Its DVR lets you rewind, fast forward for easy viewing of recorded material and lets you keep the content for up to 9 months.
Cost & Benefits
While YouTube TV Premium seems a little pricey at $50 per month, it is cheaper than cable as there are no extra fees for equipment rental, hookups or downloads.
There is also no contract so you aren’t locked into a long term commitment and can go month to month as you like.
Another added bonus over cable is that it can be streamed on any device rather than just a TV.
Channels Available
YouTube TV Premium lets you access 70+ channels that cover new, sports and lots of entertainment.
You can get ABC, CBS, CNN, ESPN along with NBA TV, NFL and MLB.
Your entertainment content will be Discovery, AMC, National Geographic plus many more.
Navigation
You get the main tabs: Library, Home, and Live.
Library sorts all your recorded content into areas for easy access.
The Home section is the place to find what you want to watch.
You get content that is recommended from things you have already watched or looked for, there are categories to peruse as well.
The Live tab lets you see all the channels you have access to and what they currently have on.
If you go on the Now Playing screen you can do regular playback, fast forward and rewind.
You can also get closed captioning, pick the quality of streaming and audio along with playback speed.
You can also get details of whatever you are watching.
A great example of this is if you are watching an NHL game or NBA game.
Clicking on the info button will even bring up the starting lineups, standings of the teams and other pertinent info of the game you are watching.
Watching YouTube TV Premium
There is no point in having a streaming service if you don’t get good performance from it.
YouTube TV Premium rarely lags, or stutters and the audio is great if you have the needed internet speed.
It even streams well on mobile devices as well with good video and audio.
This content quality can be affected by the source if where the program is coming from isn’t sending a high-quality signal on their streams.
If you use the DVR, you will have no storage limit and it allows you to add as many shows or movies as you like to your library.
These recordings are saved for 9 months or deletable if you want to.
When you want to watch just hit + and go.
Removing content is done with a simple remove button click.
The cool thing is you can have your DVR record specific teams that you follow.
YouTube can record future games as they come online.
Many of the channels have closed captioning which is accurate and allows optimization of the underlying text.
You can change font, color and background as well.
Unfortunately, they don’t have an audio description that describes what is happening on screen for those who are visually impaired.
Another feature you will find with YouTube TV Premium is that you can filter shows by rating.
So, you can set G&PG or TV-Y or TV-Y7 etc.
as you need to.
However, be aware that each device used has to be set separately rather than from the main account menu.
You can limit content based on a particular show and movie ratings, then you can set with a PIN.
App Use
YouTube TV Premium looks similar on a mobile app as if on a desktop or TV.
It is easy to use, smart looking and has clear tabs for user accessibility.
You get access to all the search, library tools along with the three main tabs.
You can set all the streaming characteristics you want just as you would on your non-mobile device as well as see what’s coming up online and use recommended content.
You can actually use picture in picture as well on a mobile device which isn’t usually the norm.
You can use other apps and leave whatever you are watching playing in the corner of the screen.
