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YouTube TV apps for Apple TV and Roku are coming in early 2018
If you were hoping for the dedicated YouTube TV app to show up on your Roku or Apple TV this year, you will need to wait just a little longer. When announced back in October, we were told that apps were headed to the Xbox One, Apple TV and Roku "in the coming weeks." When reached for comment, a Google spokesperson claimed that there is no delay, and that the roll out is happening as planned.
YouTube TV is available in 34 new markets
YouTube TV is the streaming service's live TV subscription service, which debuted in a limited number of markets. However, yesterday, YouTube TV tweeted that the service is now available in 34 new metro areas. That is a drastic increase over the 49 available previously (for a grand total of 83 markets).
YouTube TV now has a picture-in-picture mode on Android phones
If you're going to watch YouTube TV on your phone, there will probably be a point when you'll want to do something else. But how will you keep watching? If you have Android Oreo, it's now relatively easy. An update is rolling out that adds picture-in-picture support on Oreo devices. All you have to do is tap the home button and your show will float on top of whatever app you're running. You can turn it off if you'd rather not have a broadcast grab your attention.
YouTube TV app arrives for newer Samsung smart TVs
YouTube TV arrived in April of this year, making it Google's de facto live television service. It's available in over half of the homes in the US, and we've been waiting patiently for the rumored big screen TV app so we could stop sending live TV from our phones to our Chromecasts and Apple TVs. The Xbox and Android TV versions of the app have been out for a few weeks, now, while Google tweeted out the availability of the YouTube TV app specifically for owners of newer model Samsung sets.
YouTube TV finally has an app built for your living room screen
When YouTube TV arrived earlier this year, it was focused on phones. Sure, you could send video to your TV via Chromecast or AirPlay, but thus far there haven't been apps for the big video platforms like Roku, Apple TV or even Google's own Android TV. That's changing today, as YouTube TV will start rolling out to screens running Android TV. And in the coming weeks, it'll be in plenty more places, including Xbox One, Apple TV and Roku, as well as Samsung, Sony and LG TVs.
Control YouTube's live TV service with Google Home
You can already use a Google Home speaker to control regular YouTube videos if you have a Chromecast device, but what about YouTube TV? You're set from now on. Google has enabled voice control over its cord-cutting television service from Home speakers, making it possible to change channels without touching your remote. You can ask Google Assistant to play a specific channel or show, and it's smart enough to recognize fuzzier requests. Tell it to "play the MLB game" and it'll switch to baseball without needing a specific channel or team, for instance.
Disney merges its kid-friendly streaming options into a single app
Disney has combined four of its kid-friendly streaming apps into one all-encompassing one called DisneyNOW. It has everything that the separate Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior and Radio Disney apps had, but all of the content is now consolidated under a single main app.
YouTube’s live TV service is available in half of all US homes
While other services, including Hulu, PlayStation Vue and SlingTV, have been available for a while now, YouTube TV is catching up fast. Launched in April to five basic metropolitan areas, the company added 11 new markets this July. Now, the live TV service has just announced 14 more markets, making its "skinny bundle" available to half the homes in the US. Subscribers to the YouTube service will also get two new networks, Newsy and the Tennis Channel for no extra charge, starting now. Customers in Boston will be able to stream the Red Sox's pennant race on sports network NESN for free, too. The company is also planning to expand to 17 more markets in the coming weeks and months.
YouTube TV expands to ten more US metropolitan markets (updated)
YouTube TV seemed an adequate addition to the increasingly crowded streaming television market, but it launched back in April with a modest area footprint, operating in only five US cities for its first few months. Today, the company announced it's expanding availability to anyone in ten secondary metropolitan areas in the country.
YouTube TV now works on Apple TV over AirPlay
If you're the rare YouTube TV subscriber who finds yourself stuck in an Apple household, there's good news for you. The streaming TV service's iOS app just got upgraded with AirPlay support, giving you a quick way to shoot whatever you're watching over to an Apple TV. Sure, an actual Apple TV app (or really, any streaming box app) would be nice, but it'll likely be awhile before Google gets those out. That's a shame, since competing TV services from Sling, DirecTV and Hulu all have apps of their own. At least Youtube TV subscribers aren't just stuck using Chromecasts to get their big screen fix.
YouTube TV adds AMC, BBC America and more
YouTube's streaming TV service launched just over a month ago and its limited 39-channel range was a clear drawback compared to its more established competitors. But the company is following up on its promises to add more by including seven more cable networks, including AMC, BBC America and Telemundo to its basic $35-per-month package.
CBS deal makes it easier to get local TV via streaming
The rapid decline in cable subscribers is killing local TV stations that provide regional news and other programming to viewers in small markets. Now, CBS has struck a deal with its affiliate board that will get live streams from stations like WCBS-TV in New York on digital platforms like Hulu, YouTube TV and CBS All Access. That'll allow subscribers who want to do "skinny bundles" of select channels to see local programming on top of CBS shows like NCIS and 60 Minutes.
Sling TV's $5 Cloud DVR arrives on Android and Roku
Sling TV's Cloud DVR feature is slowly becoming available for more subscribers. Now folks who use Android and Roku devices to stream live TV can pay $5 extra a month to store 50 hours of video on Sling's servers for anywhere/anytime viewing -- half as many hours that beta testers had access to in November. Of course, the Cloud DVR tools (like rewinding and skipping commercials) aren't available across every channel, which puts a damper on having them in the first place. And it even calls the entire feature's name into question, to be honest.
YouTube TV made this baseball fan finally cut the cord
I don't watch a lot of TV. I don't watch Game of Thrones or Walking Dead or many of the TV shows that are usually at the top of the popular zeitgeist. Instead, my daily entertainment is usually filled with YouTube videos and on-demand shows from Hulu or Netflix. In almost all respects, I am the perfect candidate to cut the cord. There was only one thing holding me back: baseball. I am a huge San Francisco Giants fan and I have a deep desire to watch games live. With the arrival of YouTube TV (and a few other services) I am now, at long last, finally free.
YouTube TV needs more channels, but it gets the basics right
YouTube TV launched earlier this week, bringing another option to the quickly growing online TV subscription space. It's basically the cord-cutting dream; being able to watch shows, news or sports as they happen instead of waiting for your favorite sitcom to show up on Hulu the next day. Of course, YouTube TV and its competitors (which include Sony's PlayStation Vue, Sling TV and DirecTV Now) all have their flaws. There isn't a perfect option out there yet, but after spending the better part of the week watching YouTube TV I can say it definitely has some things going for it over the competition -- but it's also pretty clearly a service in its infancy.
YouTube's live TV service is here
Google announced YouTube TV at the end of February, and now the live TV streaming service is ready to launch. It's available today on your phone and computer in five markets: New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia. If you hadn't heard yet, the $35 monthly service offers live streams from all four major broadcast networks (CBS, Fox, NBC and ABC) and a host of other networks like ESPN, FX, the CW and many others. All told, YouTube TV is launching with 39 stations, but 10 more (including AMC, IFC and BBC America) will arrive soon.
The Engadget Podcast Ep 30: I Can Change
After surviving The Great AWS Outage of 2017, managing editor Dana Wollman and senior editor Devindra Hardawar rejoin host Terrence O'Brien to debate some of the biggest tech stories of the week. First they'll pit YouTube's live TV offering against its competitors, then talk through Twitter's new tools for fighting online harassment. Plus they'll address the latest controversy surrounding Uber CEO Travis Kalanick and discuss whether or not it's time for him to resign. Then they'll turn their attention to Nintendo's Switch, Zelda and where the console still needs to improve. They'll also briefly recount their own history with Nintendo's machines and gaming in general. Plus Terrence threatens to fight Devindra for his Switch
YouTube's app for the big screen is being updated today
YouTube may have originated on the desktop (more than a decade ago!), but now mobile and the living room are two of its most important platforms. The latter is receiving an update today: Game consoles, streaming devices like Roku, smart TVs and of course the Chromecast will all get a small but important change. Now, when you load up YouTube, you'll be presented with a variety of different content tabs right at the top of the interface. It's now much easier to flip through topics like sports, news, comedy, music, entertainment and so forth.
YouTube for Android update brings preloading to Froyo and Gingerbread, YouTube TV queuing
Just because your Android hardware hasn't been upgraded to the most recent (or, next to the most recent) version of the OS doesn't mean you have to miss new features. Google has shipped a new version of its YouTube app that brings the preloading feature we saw arrive on ICS and above devices back in June to Gingerbread and Froyo. You'll still have to be online to watch preloaded videos from your subscriptions or watch later list, but they precache while you're on WiFi and plugged in so you don't have to wait through buffering to show someone Gangnam Style at the bus stop. Otherwise, the initial Watch page has changed slightly, there are more channels in the Channel Store and you can also queue up videos to play later on any YouTube-enabled TV (Google TV, PS3 etc.) device you've paired with your mobile.
Google gets ready to play traditional TV, preps original YouTube channels
From rumors to reality: YouTube is taking a crack at original programing. Sources close to the Wall Street Journal say that the streaming outfit is partnering with a broad mix of media firms, production companies, and savvy content creators to launch 100 channels, generating over 25 hours of original content each day. Most of these channels aren't slated to launch until next year, but when they do they are said to be backed by names like Ashton Kutcher, Tony Hawk, Jay-Z, and Madonna. YouTube is reportedly paying content partners over $100 million to jump-start this project, and hopes to create quality that can be sold to Advertisers. YouTube's blog confirmed that the first of these premium channels is set to launch next month, with subsequent channels coming in waves over the next year. Hit the source link below so see YouTube's official announcement and an early list of channels and content providers. We know you'll join us in giddy anticipation of Shaquille O'Neal's Comedy Shaq Network .