YouTube TV is better than traditional cable, and it’s not even close

Since the streaming boom began, more and more people have argued that the end of cable TV is near. Cable TV viewership has been steadily declining for years, but traditional cable TV is still around. But you no longer need to pay for a traditional cable TV plan to watch cable TV.

There are many cable alternatives available. Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV, One of the standouts in this field is YouTube TV Google’s cable TV alternative offers a great combination of channels, features, and ease of use, making it a great overall service. But if you’re already paying for a traditional cable TV plan, is it worth canceling your contract and switching to YouTube TV?

Related

YouTube TV adds a significant amount of money to your monthly expenses, and here are 10 things you should do to get the most out of it.

Cost-effectiveness of cable TV vs. YouTube TV

If money matters, there is a clear winner.

When talking about cable plans, price is arguably the most important factor. A good reference point is the average cable price range, which can range from $40 to $160 per month. This price difference depends on the features and channels included in the cable package. For a complete package with ample DVR space and an extensive channel list, it is not uncommon to end up paying more than $100 per month.

Meanwhile, YouTube TV costs $72.99 per month. That’s considerably more than the lower end of traditional cable packages, but it’s important to note that a YouTube TV subscription comes with unlimited DVR space and a choice of around 90 channels. That means a basic YouTube TV subscription is nothing to scoff at. Sure, it’s more expensive than a basic cable plan with limited DVR space and 40 channels, but the benefits you get make it well worth the extra cost.

And all this doesn’t even include labor costs. With a cable TV plan, you don’t just fill out your payment info and you’re ready to go. Instead, you have to schedule and pay for installation and equipment. With YouTube TV, all you have to do is enter your payment info and watch cable TV.

With YouTube TV, there are no obligations, no contracts, no problems.

Say goodbye to cancellation fees.

Signing up for YouTube TV is much easier than signing up for cable. But you also need to consider the other side of a cable plan: cancellation. Traditional cable is notoriously difficult to cancel. YouTube TV is not. Usually, the difficulty comes from a contract that assumes you’ve signed up for a certain period of service. If you cancel before this period is up, you’ll usually be hit with an exorbitant cancellation fee. But there’s also the other side of the difficulty, which usually comes in the form of customer service lines that take hours to respond to.

In comparison, YouTube TV is a dream service. YouTube TV does not have a fixed plan and is entirely a month-to-month service. To cancel your YouTube TV subscription, it only takes five clicks from the YouTube TV homepage.

YouTube TV also offers the option to keep your library for any unpaid periods as an alternative to cancelling. Pause your YouTube TV subscription Your account will remain intact for a period of time, but you will no longer have access to the service. You will also not be charged for the service during this period. This feature is perfect for sports fans who only pay for YouTube TV for one sports season. Once the season is over, you can pause your subscription until the next season starts.

A truly premium cable experience doesn’t even exist on cable TV

The price is not always right.

Christian Wiediger / Unsplash / Pocket-lint

Because traditional cable TV is more expensive, you’d think it would at least be more intuitive or provide a better experience overall. But that’s not the case. YouTube TV is better in every way when it comes to ease of use. The most obvious way YouTube TV excels is in how it actually looks. YouTube has been the place to stream videos on the internet for a long time, and they’ve had plenty of time to perfect their streaming UI. That level of sophistication is apparent when you use YouTube TV.

Everything you can do on YouTube TV is super quick and snappy. Want to watch and buy add-ons? It’s as easy as actually subscribing to YouTube TV. Want to record every college football game this season? It’s just one click away. Rewinding shows and movies is precise and responsive, and turning on subtitles takes just a few seconds. What was a pain with traditional cable TV is a total no-brainer with YouTube TV. Streaming has changed the way we watch TV, and many of the luxuries we’ve come to expect with streaming are built into YouTube TV.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of YouTube TV is its portability. Access to the service isn’t tied to your service box, but to whether or not you have access to the YouTube TV app. This means you can watch YouTube TV from anywhere, unless you’re abroad. As long as you’re in the country, you can open YouTube TV and watch all the shows you want to watch on cable or your DVR recordings.

In conclusion, YouTube TV is a no-brainer compared to traditional cable TV. Signing up is hassle-free and easy. Cancelling is just as easy. YouTube TV is likely cheaper than any cable TV plan you currently have or may have in the future. In every way, YouTube TV beats traditional cable TV. The only reason to avoid YouTube TV is if you have a poor internet connection or your internet plan doesn’t give you unlimited data limits. Aside from these reasons, there’s basically no reason not to ditch traditional cable TV for YouTube TV.