streaming

Your new TV has arrived – Is YouTube TV right for you?

By Paul B. Kaiser on April 6, 2017

That’s right – YouTube TV has launched it’s Live streaming TV service that could replace your cable service. Or can it? YouTube TV officially launched April 5th in 5 cities and surrounding areas. (I was able to sign up for the 30 Day Free Trial 25 miles outside New York City.) But since then they have opened it up to about 50 cities – see list here.

NY
LA
San Francisco Bay area
Philadelphia
Chicago

Do you think you can cut the cord? There’s more involved than you think when it comes to replacing your channels, but all in all I think we are being gien a good chance at cutting the cord with the cable industry.

Personally, I’m excited for this. It may not be perfect, and there my not be an abundant amount of channels, but moving forward, this is the model in which people will watch TV/movies/shows. YouTube TV has the potential to work well for all the cord cutters who don’t want an entire cable subscription. But it is one step and cost in the mix of media you will want – see article on media strategy.

Users will have access to over 40 channels by default, but they can also add a few others for a few extra bucks, like Showtime. Anyone who wants to simply record their TV programs can do so via digital DVR, which comes with unlimited storage, so that’s cool. However, the biggest advantage that YouTube TV has over its competitors like DirectTV appears to be the reliability of the streaming, which certainly adds to its appeal.

To get started with live streaming TV:

Check out tv.youtube.com today to start your free trial.
You can also sign up on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
If you’re not in one of the initial launch markets but want to find out when YouTube TV is coming to your area, you can sign up here.

Heres the stuff you get with a YouTube TV membership, you’ll get:

Live TV streaming from ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, Fox Sports Networks, Comcast SportsNet and dozens more. YouTube TV gives you the best of live TV, from must-see shows like “Empire,” “The Voice,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “Scandal,” to the live sports you want from the NBA, MLB, NFL, and NCAA. Based on where you live, you’ll get your local broadcast TV stations covering local sports and news. You’ll also get dozens of popular cable channels, including FX, USA, Disney Channel, Bravo, MSNBC, Fox News. And you can add Showtime or Fox Soccer Plus for an additional charge. In total, YouTube TV will give you more than 50 networks, listed below.
A cloud DVR, with no storage limits. With YouTube TV, your cloud DVR can record as many shows as you want, simultaneously, without ever running out of storage. You can keep each of your recordings for nine months.
TV when it matters, where it matters. You can watch YouTube TV on your phone, tablet or computer—and you can easily stream to your TV with a Google Chromecast or Chromecast built-in TV (we’ll be supporting even more connected TV devices later this year). And your cloud DVR goes with you, so you can stream your recordings on any device, whenever you want and wherever you go in the U.S.
YouTube Red Originals. With a YouTube TV membership, you can watch all of our YouTube Red Original series and movies right in the new YouTube TV app.
Six accounts included. You can share your YouTube TV membership with your family and roommates, and each account will receive its own unique recommendations and cloud DVR with no storage limits. Your household can watch up to three streams at a time.
More networks coming soon. We’re excited to announce that AMC, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, WE tv, and BBC World News will be included soon at no additional charge. These networks will join Telemundo and others listed below as networks coming to YouTube TV soon after launch. This means you’ll be able to watch shows like “The Walking Dead,” “Doctor Who,” and your favorite telenovelas. And you’ll also be able to add Sundance Now or Shudder for an additional charge.

YouTube TV is Coming – Can You Cut the Cord with Cable?

By Paul B. Kaiser on March 9, 2017

1 Billion hours of video consumed a day. Wow.

Competition in the streaming TV market is heating up. Google announced that it will launch a new service called YouTube TV in major cities in the United States over the next few months. “YES!” S ign up here to be notified by YouTube.

“1 Billion hours a day is how much video we consume in a day.”

With an option like this, could you really “cut the cable” with cable TV? I’m thinking yes. It’s the best attempt, and next step to unraveling the cable companies that have strangled us for years. There are many critics of the new YouTube service, but in my opinion, it’s a great start. And personally, I’m damn close to cutting that cord. It’s almost not about the money anymore, it’s about being free of their silly charges.

Here is a quick combination of online services you could subscribe to that will get you what you watch. And I should note that if you watch a lot of TV channels, a lot of specialty channels, then this may not be for you. This is for the folks that watch general TV stations and movies.

Purchase the following services:

YouTube service to get network stations and other notable stations (see list below)
Netflix or Amazon for movies
Google Play, or iTunes for newer top-rated movies
Optional media:
- Might be Hulu, or HBO
- AMC app: If you’re a walking dead fan for instance, you can get older episodes on Netflix and the new ones are available for free on the AMC app.

What does it cost?

The combination would cost $60 a month (optional items not included). And any missing channels like AMC or HGTV you can download their Apps and watch for free. Average monthly costs for FIOS or Comcast is about $75 per month. But then if you add Netflix and other premium movies you’re adding another $35, making the total $110 per month. One other perk with YouTube is that you get unlimited cloud storage (like DVR) for recording.

YouTube TV will cost customers only $35 a month, which gets them 6 accounts, 3 of which can be used to stream live TV concurrently, and access to 40 different networks, including “ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, regional sports networks, and dozens of popular cable networks,” according to a recent entry on the official YouTube blog.

$35 a month
includes Youtube red
6 accounts (only 3 streams at a time)
40 channels

Each of the accounts will be personalized and utilize searching algorithms, similar to Netflix’s profile system. Users also gain access to YouTube Red original shows and an unlimited cloud DVR (1 per account) to record live TV.

Currently, other options on the market include: Dish’s Sling TV, which offers 2 basic packages for $20 and currently has around 764,000 subscribers, and Sony’s PlayStation Vue, with a monthly cost of $40 for 60 channels. Hulu is expected to launch a similar web TV offering sometime this year.

Susan Wojicki

Susan Wojicki, the CEO of YouTube, declared that this was the evolution of television, aiming to “give the younger generation the content that they love with the flexibility they expect,” able to watch YouTube TV on their computers, smartphones, tablets, or any device with a Google Chromecast.

The habits and methods in which we consume TV/media is changing. And it’s changing rapidly. What’s changing in society is the fact that the younger generations care less and less about traditional TV. They would rather stream everything to their computer or phone. And, they are satisfied with what they get there, and less interested in network TV. Thus, a shift in the cable TV model. So it’s not just the generational gap but the way we consume – Mobile VS TV set.

YouTube TV Has Major Broadcasters On Board, But Still Lacks Selection

So here are the cons.

Plenty of cord-cutters or those who have never signed up for cable are likely to be satisfied. But there are some large gaps. For example, there’s nothing from Viacom, or Time Warner—no CNN or Discovery Channel, no TBS, and no TNT (YouTube is still in discussions with other partners). However, popular channels such as HBO and AMC will not be available at launch. Moreover, Google still needs to figure out deals with the network affiliate stations of major broadcasters in smaller cities, possibly implying that the service will only be launched in larger metropolitan areas to begin with. Overall, YouTube TV’s list of channels is significantly smaller than the 100+ channels AT&T offered under its $35 introductory pricing for DirecTV Now.

In addition to those gaps, the YouTube TV service is only available in markets where its existing cable partners have affiliates. So if you live in or near a number of major U.S. urban centers, you won’t be able to subscribe even if you want to. All of these caveats make YouTube’s service look a lot less like a cable-TV killer and a lot more like just a digital version of a not-so-great cable package. But like I said in the beginning, this is a start. And I believe a company the size of Google will wheel and deal and make it happen for most cord cutters. It will be interesting over the next couple years to see how watching TV changes.

Heres a little how to video for cord cutting. This doesn’t include the YouTube option because it wasn’t announced yet. But where they mention getting a antennal for local TV stations, that is where you insert YouTube as an option.

Why The Meerkat App is Going to Redefine Social Media

By Paul B. Kaiser on March 25, 2015

If you haven’t experienced “Live Streaming” with Meerkat yet, you’re not alone. That is because it is still in its infancy stage. Meerkat made its debut at SXSW this year and received a lot of attention. The live streams that are being posted aren’t exactly exciting yet – mine included. But I’m telling you the thought behind this idea is fascinating. It is what Facebook was to social media. Here is why I think so. With the Meerkat app loaded on your device you can tweet a live event to people who also have the Meerkat app, and want to join in and watch. When you join in you can see other folks that are watching and chat about the situation. Imagine live demonstrations or news that is happening at the moment.

Impact of the Meerkat App.

The hope behind the app is that it will expand the reach of “man on the street” journalism. At the moment, when events happen in the world, they’re tweeted and hash-tagged, and people can follow along on Facebook and Twitter. Using a streaming app like Meerkat, broadcasters can share what they’re seeing as it unfolds. “Things like riots and protests could be viewed in real-time without any form of private or governmental filters.”

The best way to explain Meerkat is to think of all the situations where this would be applicable. Here are some suggestions.

A demonstration
A parade
A concert
Any event that you want to broadcast – one that makes sense when “it’s in the moment”
War torn nations where being a “citizen journalist” is vital – there are no filters to the video stream
Or how about you put it on your car dashboard and video while you’re driving

Of course I’m thinking positive, but there is the down side. And that is “more” loss of our privacy. Being unknowingly broadcasted live certainly will have its share of haters. I have already seen where people just set up their phone in a bar and start streaming. Part of me says tough luck, but part of me says you have the right to know. In general, I think this is a hot new item and will work its way into other apps.

At the end of the day, this is a very cool concept. I suggest you take a look at this and see the potential it will have in the world. The Apple version works better than the Android, but its available on both.

Download the Apple Meerkat App Download the Android Meerkat App

Take a look at the creator of Meerkat speaking at SXSW