Youtube TV streaming service raising price to $65/month starting Aug 1

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

EvilYoda

Lifer
Apr 1, 2001
21,200
9
81
I've been with YTTV since almost the very beginning but with this latest announcement I started looking at alternatives. I hardly ever watch live TV but I would like the networks (free with OTA tuner), Golf Channel (for my dad), and BTN (Michigan football). $65/mo for that is crazy.

Unfortunately, there isn't much else out there. Every streaming TV platform is fucked by the same studio/network requirements. Sling has what I need for $40/mo but then I'll need to add an OTA tuner to the mix for network channels.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,736
447
126
All of these alternative streaming services have become so expensive, and are missing major channels that I've just gone back to regular cable.
 

Charmonium

Diamond Member
May 15, 2015
8,787
2,297
136
All of these alternative streaming services have become so expensive, and are missing major channels that I've just gone back to regular cable.
Yeah, there's never going to be an ala carte option for cable or streamers. When I was shopping around if say a service had the science channel, then maybe they wouldn't have something like History or IFC.
 
Nov 8, 2012
20,828
4,777
146
All of these alternative streaming services have become so expensive, and are missing major channels that I've just gone back to regular cable.

Netflix is still a decent price with a ton of content (original and others such as movies) for a decent price. I think it's around $15/month now?
 
Feb 4, 2009
34,506
15,737
136
Yeah, there's never going to be an ala carte option for cable or streamers. When I was shopping around if say a service had the science channel, then maybe they wouldn't have something like History or IFC.

Yeah streaming companies are growing up and are now expected to bring in a profit instead of customer growth.
Happens in every new industry at some point. Painful to go from everything is free or ultra cheap to now you need to make money.
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
58,055
12,245
136
LOL
They've learned well from cable, haven't they?

Well, except for the part where people cancel because the price keeps going up...
 
Feb 4, 2009
34,506
15,737
136
LOL
They've learned well from cable, haven't they?

Well, except for the part where people cancel because the price keeps going up...

During the last meltdown I worked at Fios reseller which was a completely crappy job *more below*
I remember an training event where there was a package with like 300 channels, breaking the costs down around 70-80% of the channel costs were from about 12 channels, mostly big ota network channels and sports channels. The other 280 or so channels represented 20% of the cost, then a few oddball fees.
Simply put removing 80% of your options reduces your bill by 20% but you miss out on critical things that people specifically want.

More on how crappy the job was. Sales position paid shocking well for what you did. I wasn’t super excited about the work but the commission made up for the crappy base pay and crappy time off and crappy healthcare. Until 3 days after accepting the job commissions were cut by about 2/3rds. Damn recruiter couldn’t have mentioned that other than as I remember “there will be some changes to the compensation plan”
All I can say is they wasted my time and my trainers time since I immediately started looking for a new job.
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
67,201
12,029
126
www.anyf.ca
Streaming services have basically come full circle. People cut the cord because they hated paying $65+ when they don't watch all those channels, and have to pay even more for the channels they want. Then Netflix came and for $8/mo you had access to tons of content so lot of people cut the cord and got that. But they started raising the price, then other streaming services came in, and they all want exclusive rights so now you end up needing multiple services.... and now this. $65/mo lol. That is basically the price of basic cable.
 
Nov 8, 2012
20,828
4,777
146
Streaming services have basically come full circle. People cut the cord because they hated paying $65+ when they don't watch all those channels, and have to pay even more for the channels they want. Then Netflix came and for $8/mo you had access to tons of content so lot of people cut the cord and got that. But they started raising the price, then other streaming services came in, and they all want exclusive rights so now you end up needing multiple services.... and now this. $65/mo lol. That is basically the price of basic cable.

Eh not really, I still know plenty of folks paying $150+ For Cable + Internet. Most people pay over $100/month for cable TV with all the excessive taxes, fees, and things like cable box fees.

All said though, If you just have Netflix and 1 other streaming platform you can still easily keep it under $25/month.
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
58,055
12,245
136
No one "needs" multiple services, you decide if what they want is valuable enough to pay for that subscription service.
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
67,201
12,029
126
www.anyf.ca
Well yeah if internet is included it's more, but internet is something you have either way. I'm talking about just TV. But yeah cable packages can still get expensive, $65 is about what basic cable would be but you start paying more if you want specific channels and it adds up. Just seems crazy to me for a streaming service to charge that much. At that price you may as well just stick with cable.
 

BudAshes

Lifer
Jul 20, 2003
13,911
3,195
146
15 HBO Max
4.95 Peacock
6.95 CBS All Access
12.95 Amazon Prime
Total 39.85

Anyone else notice Amazon Prime suddenly injecting commercials into things. I almost threw my remote through the TV when a Lays commercial came on in the middle of my show.
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
58,055
12,245
136
Anyone else notice Amazon Prime suddenly injecting commercials into things. I almost threw my remote through the TV when a Lays commercial came on in the middle of my show.
I was curious so I checked, and I did find this:
If they are not ads for Amazon shows, then you are watching something like IMDB TV through Amazon, which is an ad-supported free channel. It may show as Prime in the phone app, but if you look at the channel in a desktop browser, you'll see it's IMDB TV.
Someone else chimed in that they were watching on Xbox One, but when they checked on a browser, it did turn out to be IMDB TV through Amazon.
 

BudAshes

Lifer
Jul 20, 2003
13,911
3,195
146
I was curious so I checked, and I did find this:

Someone else chimed in that they were watching on Xbox One, but when they checked on a browser, it did turn out to be IMDB TV through Amazon.


Crap, you are right, they moved Unsolved Mysteries from Prime to IMDB free.
 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,729
559
126
This thread made me laugh, some one on here actually subscribes to Peacock?

You guys sure watch a lot of TV. I just have netflix and netflix DVDs for newer movies. I don't even have time to watch a lot of the stuff on there. And I'd rather play games most of the time anyway. Don't mind me though, I'm a huge cheap ass.
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
58,055
12,245
136
This thread made me laugh, some one on here actually subscribes to Peacock?

You guys sure watch a lot of TV. I just have netflix and netflix DVDs for newer movies. I don't even have time to watch a lot of the stuff on there. And I'd rather play games most of the time anyway. Don't mind me though, I'm a huge cheap ass.
I'm in a similar boat, I'm typically gaming (single-player, even) rather than watching video content.
 

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,853
1,048
126
There's a reddit thread on this and people are flipping out, rightfully so, since it's a 30% increase for more channels nobody watches. Viacom really had them by the balls. I was briefly considering cancelling but I like the unlimited DVR service & interface too much to go to another service like Sling. I am able to split the cost with my parents (they'll take 1 concurrent connection for $20) and I cut out their FIOS tv saving them $80/mo. So we'll survive this price hike, barely. Any more and the value gets cut more and more.

every time i see one of these threads i'm shocked at the amount of services americans pay for.

services i pay for:

1. rent
2. food
3. uh .. internet n' shit. gas, light. council tax.

thaaaaaaat's it. I don't pay for someone to do my laundry, i don't have a subscription to a porn website, don't pay the new york times online, dont have a vpn, i dont even take the bus. who is his right mind would pay for a streaming service, i really do not understand. ok, you got kids, you get something that's got cartoons on it, maybe netflix, but that's enough. the idea that ANY company today wants your money, that's just ridiculous.
Hotmail premium. Youtube premium. Pornhub premium. no thanx.

I would argue that renting is virtually throwing money away unnecessarily, and not just $100 at a time. I agree that people pay for too many subscriptions & services (including housekeeping/landscapers - we do our own on those to save). Personally we used to have FIOS triple play and cut it down to YT TV and 300/300 FIOS internet. $50+$40 instead of $155 FIOS. Do you like any tv shows at all? If not, then you wouldn't understand. We do watch plenty of shows and some news on YT TV and with the DVR service described above. It's worthwhile to us both for entertainment. We also have free Netflix (barely anything worthwhile) which is included in T-Mobile ($152 for 7 unlimited lines - good deal). Amazon Prime Video (also near-useless) is included in Prime subscription (constantly order Amazon).

All of these alternative streaming services have become so expensive, and are missing major channels that I've just gone back to regular cable.

The one huge gripe for me when we were with FIOS (tv) was the $35 in taxes & fees every single month. That's 22% of the whole bill. No such thing with YT TV or even FIOS internet. Never going back to FIOS tv.
 
Last edited:

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,444
2,084
126
i dont really have the option to not rent, i would say that, in fact, most people don't.
 
Feb 4, 2009
34,506
15,737
136
i dont really have the option to not rent, i would say that, in fact, most people don't.

If you live in the US do some reading here:


Legit program but it takes time, their meetings are pretty long and it is a mostly volunteer organization so expect delays/not concise info.
 

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,444
2,084
126
Ah yes, those 3% APR mortgages. No such luck here, a (decent) mortgage starts from £40000 down, which is .. well, 10 years of savings.
 

esquared

Forum Director & Omnipotent Overlord
Forum Director
Oct 8, 2000
23,590
4,805
146
I just have Xfinity for internet and get their Entertainment streaming bundle for $15.00 a month. It has TNT, History, A&E, AMC, Discovery, TBS, Bravo, MTV, SYFY, etc. Just no news channels or sports. But I have rabbit ears for that so it's good enough for me, and Netflix of course.
Locast
 
  • Like
Reactions: GrumpyMan

esquared

Forum Director & Omnipotent Overlord
Forum Director
Oct 8, 2000
23,590
4,805
146
I was curious so I checked, and I did find this:

Someone else chimed in that they were watching on Xbox One, but when they checked on a browser, it did turn out to be IMDB TV through Amazon.
Amazon owns IMDB.