There are many options these days for cutting your ties to the cable and satellite companies. SlingTV paved the way for companies to hop on the bandwagon and offer live TV for a fraction of the cost. These days we have SlingTV, DirecTV Now, Playstation Vue, Hulu Live, YouTube TV and more. With all of these options, it can be hard to decide which one is the right choice for you.
Today that choice will become even harder as Roku just announced the availability of YouTube TV on most of its devices including Roku TV’s and their streaming sticks. This is great news for those who were wanting to use the platform to stream YouTube TV and were previously limited to using Chromecast or an Android TV.
However, the announcement was released this morning, yet the channel is still nowhere to be found on Roku Channel store through the device itself and through their website. Using the direct link to the channel from Roku’s press release will redirect you to the main channel store, and the only YouTube app found from the Roku interface on your TV is the regular YouTube channel. ** UPDATE** The channel is now available to download!***
I imagine it won’t be long before it finally hits the Roku store. When it does the channel should offer:
- Cloud DVR with no storage limits
- “Library” tab that includes easy access to the shows you’ve recorded. Browse movies, shows, and events by new, most watched, and more to find the perfect thing to watch
- “Home” tab with personalized recommendations, including top picks, resume watching (easily pick up where you left off on another device when you get home!) and more
- “Live” tab with a full program guide to see what’s on now and what’s airing soon
- Background playback experience so you never miss the action while you browse the app
- Ability to share with up to 5 other roommates or family members in your household. Each family member gets their own login, DVR, and personalized recommendations
YouTube TV is definitely one of my favorite user interfaces of the bunch, but the service is missing one key channel for me. The Hallmark channel, as you know, is a deal breaker for me. The service is also missing A&E and Lifetime, which are also on my “must have” list. Your list might be different, and if YouTube TV hits all of the channels on your list, it’s definitely worth a shot, especially now that you can watch through a Roku device (or in theory you should be able to watch through your Roku device)
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