YouTube's Streaming TV Service Is Here with 40 Channels, Unlimited DVR for $35

Cord-cutters rejoice. YouTube TV, Google’s answer to live TV streaming platforms like Playstation Vue, DirecTV Now and Sling TV has officially launched in five American cities, and you can subscribe to the newly minted platform for just $35 a month.

Announced in February, YouTube TV will initially offer subscribers in New York, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, and Philadelphia the ability to stream major network programming from 40 channels, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, Fox Sports Networks, Comcast and SportsNet. A glut of other networks, such as Telemundo and BBC America, are expected to join the service as it "quickly" rolls out across the nation, according to YouTube

YouTube TV offers an array of perks, including unlimited cloud storage, so you can binge-record any number of shows DVR-style. And there’ll be no need to steal your neighbor’s login credentials, because up to six users can have their own account under the $35 membership plan.

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This might sound like the cord-cutting ideal, but as we warned in February, YouTube TV doesn’t quite promise the holy grail of entertainment packages. The meager price point is supposed to match the basic membership packages of its competitors, all of which offer a much more comprehensive slate of programming when membership-tiers increase. You won’t find any Turner cable networks cropping up on your YouTube TV account: CNN, TBS, Cartoon Network and TNT are all absent, as are essentials like Comedy Central and AMC.

And let’s not forget that this is a Google product. The only way to use it on your TV will be streaming through Chromecast, or on a TV with Chromecast capabilities built-in. The service clearly caters to Google hardware -- which isn’t the only option on the market, the last time we checked. Fortunately, most tablets and mobile devices should be fair game, though, as there’s an app available for Android and iOS.

That aside, we're still talking about $35 a month for an unlimited "cloud DVR" potentially split by six people. That shouldn’t register on your credit card bill with any alarming effect. So what do you have to lose?

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Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist. He's also a martial arts and music nerd who appreciates a fine sandwich and cute dogs. Find his clips in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club and Vice. He's on Twitter @Blumnessmonster.