YouTube TV to offer another streaming option for PSU football

[tboyer]

If this is accurate, BTN and ESPN will be part of a $35-a-month (no contract) package for YouTube TV. We'll have to see if that means ALL the BTN stations but it probably does. We'll have to see if YouTube TV credentials get you streaming access from the BTN's own site.

But no question, this looks like another milestone in the transformation of TV. Moving cable to streaming is going to bring even more pressure to break up the bundle and offer channels a la carte.

http://gizmodo.com/youtube-jumps-into-the-cordcutter-game-with-youtube-tv-1792836465

 

[LaJolla Lion]

Wonder what this means long term for satellite and cable providers. It's seems like you can see the writing on the wall of everything moving to online versus satellite and cable companies, but what will the cost be? Will the ISP's then bump up their rates if they are also cable carriers which quite a few are?

 

[tboyer]

Wonder what this means long term for satellite and cable providers.

They just have to compete. At least the cable companies are well positioned because they own the network infrastructure and there's not currently any real competition for that. Google has abandoned Google Fiber and Verizon isn't adding any more FIOS cities. So in most places, Comcast is the only terrestrial internet provider. Whether content is streamed or broadcast, it's going to travel over Comcast wires for the foreseeable future.

I think Comcast is rapidly making peace with the idea of a la carte TV. A la carte is going to work for some people, but many will still prefer a bundle -- it's just that the bundle will have to be appropriately priced for the value it offers. The days of just raising the price of "extended" cable by $10 every year -- those days are over.

One of the biggest changes will be people paying to get TV commercials out of their life. Netflix and Amazon have demonstrated that quality programming doesn't require commercials to pay for it. Once people get used to watching commercial free (through DVRs or streaming), they never go back.

Some of the struggles of the NFL with viewership probably reflects a rebellion against a 3 hour broadcast that is 75% commercials and filler. To people who watch a lot of Netflix, NFL games are almost unwatchable.

 

[ThePennsyOracle]

I can't wait to see what DirecTV does when my current discount comes out--I think I have another 2-3 months left. I'm paying virtually nothing right now for their mid-tier package plus a Genie DVR. If they won't match it, PS Vue, YouTube TV or anything else that offers savings and BTN is a possibility.

If switching comes to fruition, I'll use it as an excuse for the wife to agree to more WiFi equipment upgrades.

 

[ThePennsyOracle]

In looking at the YouTube offering, it still looks like PS Vue is a better value.

PS Vue "Core Slim" package at $34.99/month offers more channels. The drawback is Vue's DVR function in that it only stays there for 28 days and isn't available for all programs.

YouTube's seems to be unlimited with fewer (if any) restrictions.

 

[tboyer]

In looking at the YouTube offering, it still looks like PS Vue is a better value.

PS Vue "Core Slim" package at $34.99/month offers more channels. The drawback is Vue's DVR function in that it only stays there for 28 days and isn't available for all programs.

YouTube's seems to be unlimited with fewer (if any) restrictions.

Hmmm, the only PS Vue package I see that includes sports is $45 a month. Maybe the price has gone up? Or maybe the price is lower in your market than in mine?

Reportedly YouTube's DVR function lets you keep programs for 9 months. It also has no restrictions on commercial skipping (which would be huge for me)

 

[ThePennsyOracle]

Hmmm, the only PS Vue package I see that includes sports is $45 a month. Maybe the price has gone up? Or maybe the price is lower in your market than in mine?

Reportedly YouTube's DVR function lets you keep programs for 9 months. It also has no restrictions on commercial skipping (which would be huge for me)

Maybe it depends on location. Core Slim is $34.99 and includes BTN.

 

[tboyer]

I see what's going on. In the Philly market there is no "core slim" -- only "core" for $45. The difference is it includes Comcast SportsNet (Phillies).

So for Philly, YouTube might be a better deal. Though who knows, by the time they roll it out, it might well be the same price as PSU Vue in the Philly market.

Maybe it depends on location. Core Slim is $34.99 and includes BTN.

View embedded media

 

[ThePennsyOracle]

The difference is it includes Comcast SportsNet (Phillies).

Not sure that's a positive thing.

At least Philly has good coffee.

 

[tboyer]

Not sure that's a positive thing.

Not for me. Being a baseball fan requires just an unbelievable commitment of time. I like the Phils, I just don't have time for them any more.

 

[Southside Johnny]

Great to see this thread. I knew YouTube was coming out with a good streaming service, but hang in there. The big daddy of cable cutting streaming services is going to be brought out by ..... HULU. I have bee a customer of DTV for a really long time and before that PrimeStar. Direct TV has gone downhill since AT&T purchased them. They are trying to squeeze the last dime out of every one of their customers now. I got new equipment about a year and a half ago so my contract with them was extended 2 years. I can dump them this fall. Can't wait.

 

[Plan Ahaed]

Great to see this thread. I knew YouTube was coming out with a good streaming service, but hang in there. The big daddy of cable cutting streaming services is going to be brought out by ..... HULU. I have bee a customer of DTV for a really long time and before that PrimeStar. Direct TV has gone downhill since AT&T purchased them. They are trying to squeeze the last dime out of every one of their customers now. I got new equipment about a year and a half ago so my contract with them was extended 2 years. I can dump them this fall. Can't wait.

You can dump them now, just have to fight with customer service about the extra fees. When I moved I was 18 months into a 24 month contract on a genie something or other. They tried to tell me I needed to pay the remaining $60 on the contract for the device, I played the game, said I've been a subscriber for "x" years and if they charge me for this stuff now I would be less likely to return. Got escalated to the next level of customer service and they agreed to not assess the fee. Though that was before Ma Bell bought them out.

 

[raleighnclion]

You can definitely save money by streaming channels. You will definitely have some negatives. Do you like swapping back and forth between 2 or 3 games at a time? That's going to be real painful with streaming. For most people, the negatives will outweigh the positives but you WILL be giving some things up. You like that Guide showing you what's on every channel before you select something? Gone. Maybe they will implement something like that later .. but you will also notice a price increase for the service at the same time. There will come an equilibrium point, but it is unknown how that equilibrium will come about. Personally, I think regular TV will almost always cost more because it will have more channels and be "easier". Probably a reasonable tradeoff, as long as that equilibrium price for TV comes way down from what it is today.

 

[ThePennsyOracle]

You can definitely save money by streaming channels. You will definitely have some negatives. Do you like swapping back and forth between 2 or 3 games at a time? That's going to be real painful with streaming. For most people, the negatives will outweigh the positives but you WILL be giving some things up. You like that Guide showing you what's on every channel before you select something? Gone. Maybe they will implement something like that later .. but you will also notice a price increase for the service at the same time. There will come an equilibrium point, but it is unknown how that equilibrium will come about. Personally, I think regular TV will almost always cost more because it will have more channels and be "easier". Probably a reasonable tradeoff, as long as that equilibrium price for TV comes way down from what it is today.

There are many inaccuracies in your post, including:

- Yes, you can see a guide to see what's upcoming on many services.

- Some traditional TV receivers are extraordinarily painful when channel surfing; worse than some IPTV.

The rest sounds like a bunch of hyperbole and opinion.

 

[LionDeNittany]

Wonder what this means long term for satellite and cable providers. It's seems like you can see the writing on the wall of everything moving to online versus satellite and cable companies, but what will the cost be? Will the ISP's then bump up their rates if they are also cable carriers which quite a few are?

Cable and Satellite providers in many instances ARE the ISPs.

What is next is 5g which will take away the need for cable at all. Everything will go through the wireless network.

LdN

 

[Plan Ahaed]

You can definitely save money by streaming channels. You will definitely have some negatives. Do you like swapping back and forth between 2 or 3 games at a time? That's going to be real painful with streaming. Hit back button, choose next channel, other game starts - not that painful. For most people, the negatives will outweigh the positives but you WILL be giving some things up. You like that Guide showing you what's on every channel before you select something? Gone. Maybe they will implement something like that later .. but you will also notice a price increase for the service at the same time. PSVue has a guide that shows you what's currently on the channel and what is coming up later in the day - no added cost. There will come an equilibrium point, but it is unknown how that equilibrium will come about. Personally, I think regular TV will almost always cost more because it will have more channels and be "easier". I find streaming easier - I can "dvr" my shows and fast forward commercials as I did when I had DirecTV. I can choose programs from Netflix/Hulu/Prime and watch whenever I want which is much more convenient than needing to be on the couch at "x" time to catch a show. For the 65+ crowd that are stuck in their ways I'd agree it's prob too much to handle and they'll always stick with cable, but for the vast majority of consumers going with a streaming service is a great option. I couldn't imagine ever going back to a cable/satellite subscription model. Probably a reasonable tradeoff, as long as that equilibrium price for TV comes way down from what it is today.

 

[raleighnclion]

Some of you are really stretching. Just because some of these things don't matter a lot to YOU doesn't mean they won't to a lot of other people. And depending on which service you choose you do NOT get a Guide. In fact, I am pretty sure the vast majority of them do not have any such thing including Sling. So it isn't just the little guys.

The point is, whether or not it makes sense to you is highly dependent on your own personal preferences but there are going to be trade-offs to saving money. That's the case with just about anything right?

By the way, for a la carte fans (of which I am one) you do realize that it is quite possible in the a la carte world that not enough people will also want that one oddball channel you like, so it will go away. Part of the tradeoff. I really like the BBCA channel but it is not an automatic that is part of any streaming TV package from the limited research I have done.

Lastly, switching between games with any stream service sucks. Not because you can't do it, but because of the lag involved. Some people don't care at all, some people care an awful lot about that. Think about switching to another game and there is a commercial there, and then having to switch back. Argh!

 

[Southside Johnny]

You can dump them now, just have to fight with customer service about the extra fees. When I moved I was 18 months into a 24 month contract on a genie something or other. They tried to tell me I needed to pay the remaining $60 on the contract for the device, I played the game, said I've been a subscriber for "x" years and if they charge me for this stuff now I would be less likely to return. Got escalated to the next level of customer service and they agreed to not assess the fee. Though that was before Ma Bell bought them out.

AT&T has gotten really bad. Prior to their purchase I really enjoyed DTV programming and extras features. I'm just tired of their price increases. Although I will try what you suggested as the time comes closer. I don't mind paying 60 or 80 bucks to get rid of them. Here is something about the upcoming HULA streaming. https://9to5mac.com/2017/01/18/hulu-live-streaming-tv-bundle/ If their programming is just so so I will go the Sony route.

By the way, I am a Wisconsin fan and you guys really came back and destroyed us in the title game. AND you guys should have been one of the teams in the final 4 for the national championship, not tO$U. By the way, you guys are lining up one heck of a recruiting class! Hope you can get to the point where you are beating the Buckeyes and Wolverines on a regular basis.

 

[JBDLion]

I'm on the DirecTV Now promo price so I'll ride with it for a while. I was interested in the Google package but it's missing too much at that price point for me (or more accurately, the networks and sappy movies my wife likes). I get all four major networks over antenna and use a slingbox for mobile so NFL is no concern. Now if DirecTV/ATT could actually figure a way to get the Pittsburgh regional sports network (THAT THEY OWN) on the service, I'd be perfect. For now, my life hasn't gotten any worse due to missing regular season hockey games. I'll get the playoffs.

 

[ThePennsyOracle]

Some of you are really stretching. Just because some of these things don't matter a lot to YOU doesn't mean they won't to a lot of other people. And depending on which service you choose you do NOT get a Guide. In fact, I am pretty sure the vast majority of them do not have any such thing including Sling. So it isn't just the little guys.

The point is, whether or not it makes sense to you is highly dependent on your own personal preferences but there are going to be trade-offs to saving money. That's the case with just about anything right?

By the way, for a la carte fans (of which I am one) you do realize that it is quite possible in the a la carte world that not enough people will also want that one oddball channel you like, so it will go away. Part of the tradeoff. I really like the BBCA channel but it is not an automatic that is part of any streaming TV package from the limited research I have done.

Lastly, switching between games with any stream service sucks. Not because you can't do it, but because of the lag involved. Some people don't care at all, some people care an awful lot about that. Think about switching to another game and there is a commercial there, and then having to switch back. Argh!

A few things:

What streaming service doesn't have a guide?

What traditional TV cable/satellite boxes or DVRs have you used?

You really need to do more research on this topic. For example, the cheapest PlayStation Vue package comes with BBC America....and a guide. For about $5 more you get that plus BTN.

https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/channels/

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2016/06/29/ps-vue-launches-on-android-today-new-features-for-ps4-ps3/

 

[Plan Ahaed]

Some of you are really stretching. Just because some of these things don't matter a lot to YOU doesn't mean they won't to a lot of other people. And depending on which service you choose you do NOT get a Guide. In fact, I am pretty sure the vast majority of them do not have any such thing including Sling. So it isn't just the little guys.

The point is, whether or not it makes sense to you is highly dependent on your own personal preferences but there are going to be trade-offs to saving money. That's the case with just about anything right?

By the way, for a la carte fans (of which I am one) you do realize that it is quite possible in the a la carte world that not enough people will also want that one oddball channel you like, so it will go away. Part of the tradeoff. I really like the BBCA channel but it is not an automatic that is part of any streaming TV package from the limited research I have done.

Lastly, switching between games with any stream service sucks. Not because you can't do it, but because of the lag involved. Some people don't care at all, some people care an awful lot about that. Think about switching to another game and there is a commercial there, and then having to switch back. Argh!

The trade-offs you mention aren't really trade-offs, they're simply benefits of cutting the cord as opposed to sticking with old technology. If you can work a smart phone you can handle an Amazon Fire/Roku/Smart TV.

No monthly $6-$10 fee for every single cable box in your house forever? Positive
Ability to DVR programs as you do with a cable/satellite subscription? Positive
No commercials on several platforms i.e. Netflix/Hulu/Amazon? Positive
Ability to fast forward through said commercials on PSVue if you "DVR'd" the show? Positive
Watching every PSU game in the fall from your home in HD whether it's on ESPN, FS1 or BTN? Major Positive
Your hallowed Guide feature is available on PSVue. Positive
I will concede that some regional sports networks haven't joined the party yet, but in time as the baby boomers move on and no one is there to take their place in the cable/satellite market, these regional networks will be added to the services as it becomes the dominant way in which people consume televised media.

If you have lag on any of your services then you need to upgrade your AOL 56k connection. But we get it - you love your 8-track/betamax/laser disc player/zune/cable boxes and will cling tight to them till the bitter end.

 

[ChiTownLion]