The YouTube TV Thread

[ScottChez]

You got the question correct. Same thing the FireTV and Roku does, darn.
APPLE TV and Xbox must be it for now. Hope they add more. It could be a hardware performance issue also.

Checked the shield. If I understand the question right the shield does not show a thumbnail preview while scrolling the live guide.
It does have the feed going behind the guide, and you can see it through it and hear it.

If I misunderstood the question my apologies.

 

[Ronnie-]

You got the question correct. Same thing the FireTV and Roku does, darn.
APPLE TV and Xbox must be it for now. Hope they add more. It could be a hardware performance issue also.

I wasn’t aware the Xbox was different. When did the change it ? I rarely use it to stream. I want to check out this feature.

I’d assume the shield has more than enough under the hood to pull it off if they ever implemented it for that app.

 

[Ronnie-]

You got the question correct. Same thing the FireTV and Roku does, darn.
APPLE TV and Xbox must be it for now. Hope they add more. It could be a hardware performance issue also.

Checking my Xbox one (launch model) and the YTTV app is the same as my roku and shield. No live thumbnail in the live guide. It also plays behind the guide.
I don’t see an update available.

 

[ScottChez]

I was wrong about Xbox,
Found they had it in a public Beta, but later pulled it. Never came back

So looks like just Apple TV for new. Hope there will be some new faster hardware and video chips this fall for Roku or Firetv or maybe the new Sabrina Google TV Rumorred new CHromecast that can do it someday.
The Software code is there as we can see, they just need the hardware and then turn it on at the google side.

Checking my Xbox one (launch model) and the YTTV app is the same as my roku and shield. No live thumbnail in the live guide. It also plays behind the guide.
I don’t see an update available.

 

[docdaddy]

Is there any indication from YTTV that they will be adding 5.1 surround sound to their regular programming? It seems every other streaming service offers that, and of course if they're trying to get Sat and Cable users to cut the cord and come to them, they all offer that and have for years.

I find it odd in most reviews online on YTTV, that YTTV only offers 2 channel audio is not mentioned. When I was struggling to get used to the interface (still do) after coming to YTTV from Dish, I was told think of it more like Netflix including live TV. Well, Netflix offers 4K and Atmos with 5.1 being the minimum audio format.

Surely YTTV has some plans to go to 5.1?

 

[docdaddy]

In Birmingham AL. Braves game shows as being scheduled on TBS yesterday (Sunday, 8/2.) I go to it and it says "Unavailable in your area." Well, the rules as I understand them are if the game is being shown on a local RSN the national feed is blacked out? So I go to Fox Sports South, our RSN, and it shows that it has Shogun Wrestling scheduled. I click on it anyway, and it is showing the Fox Sports Tenn feed of the Predators NHL game. Even though that is also showing on USA channel (and is not blacked out there.)
Why in the world would we be blacked out of the Braves game on TBS if no one else locally is showing it?

 

[ncted]

In Birmingham AL. Braves game shows as being scheduled on TBS yesterday (Sunday, 8/2.) I go to it and it says "Unavailable in your area." Well, the rules as I understand them are if the game is being shown on a local RSN the national feed is blacked out? So I go to Fox Sports South, our RSN, and it shows that it has Shogun Wrestling scheduled. I click on it anyway, and it is showing the Fox Sports Tenn feed of the Predators NHL game. Even though that is also showing on USA channel (and is not blacked out there.)
Why in the world would we be blacked out of the Braves game on TBS if no one else locally is showing it?

Reason #5872 why blackouts are just stupid.

 

[Zookster]

Is there any indication from YTTV that they will be adding 5.1 surround sound to their regular programming? It seems every other streaming service offers that, and of course if they're trying to get Sat and Cable users to cut the cord and come to them, they all offer that and have for years.

I find it odd in most reviews online on YTTV, that YTTV only offers 2 channel audio is not mentioned. When I was struggling to get used to the interface (still do) after coming to YTTV from Dish, I was told think of it more like Netflix including live TV. Well, Netflix offers 4K and Atmos with 5.1 being the minimum audio format.

Surely YTTV has some plans to go to 5.1?

No other streaming services offer 5.1 for live TV except AT&T Now. Two years ago YTTV said it was coming early the following year but then it never materialized. I used to get 5.1 for select on demand content on my Roku Ultra, but that was nerfed last summer. When I've contacted YTTV about it, they said it's available for certain on demand content. When I reply to ask what devices/content, I don't get a response.

TL;DR Don't hold your breath about YTTV ever getting 5.1 audio. Even though it's standard for major SVOD services like Netflix and Prime, it really isn't deemed a priority for live TV streaming apparently.

 

[Jhon69]

No other streaming services offer 5.1 for live TV except AT&T Now. Two years ago YTTV said it was coming early the following year but then it never materialized. I used to get 5.1 for select on demand content on my Roku Ultra, but that was nerfed last summer. When I've contacted YTTV about it, they said it's available for certain on demand content. When I reply to ask what devices/content, I don't get a response.

TL;DR Don't hold your breath about YTTV ever getting 5.1 audio. Even though it's standard for major SVOD services like Netflix and Prime, it really isn't deemed a priority for live TV streaming apparently.

Well I just sent feedback to YTTV letting them know that with their new price increase the idea that all their channels should support 5.1 audio
would help increase their subscriber base.I doubt if it will help but who knows?.

 

[Bruce]

The house I just bought is in a Charter area, I will check out their TV Choice package which is $24.99, which I believe you get your locals and pick 10 channels, to be honest, I think I will have trouble getting to 10, none of which is any of the Viacom channels.

Well I did look into it since I am still pissed about the $15 increase for channels I will never watch, as usual a cable company does the sneaky price thing, the $24.95 does not include the broadcast fee ( which is now $16, Charter just did the second increase of the year) and they charge for the DVR, another $9.95, so a tad above $50, difference is just not worth switching from YTTV.

 

[ncted]

Well I did look into it since I am still pissed about the $15 increase for channels I will never watch, as usual a cable company does the sneaky price thing, the $24.95 does not include the broadcast fee ( which is now $16, Charter just did the second increase of the year) and they charge for the DVR, another $9.95, so a tad above $50, difference is just not worth switching from YTTV.

Yeah, it sounds good until you add everything up.

 

[JTBenson]

In Birmingham AL. Braves game shows as being scheduled on TBS yesterday (Sunday, 8/2.) I go to it and it says "Unavailable in your area." Well, the rules as I understand them are if the game is being shown on a local RSN the national feed is blacked out? So I go to Fox Sports South, our RSN, and it shows that it has Shogun Wrestling scheduled. I click on it anyway, and it is showing the Fox Sports Tenn feed of the Predators NHL game. Even though that is also showing on USA channel (and is not blacked out there.)
Why in the world would we be blacked out of the Braves game on TBS if no one else locally is showing it?

You probably would have been able to watch on Fox Sports Go. I can't get St. Louis Cardinals games on the YTTV because Fox Sports Kansas City is my local RSN. However, since I am in the Cardinals territory, I am able to watch their games (when they actually are able to play again) on Fox Sports Go.

 

[ScottChez]

I used to get Fox Sports Midwest or KC in Omaha, it was our region
Now on Youtube they cut the area smaller so I cant

QUESTION: if I logon to the Fox Sports midwest or what ever its called app with my Youtube creds will it work?
What is the app called anyway for the regional fox sports, seems like there is the main app for FS1 and an other for region
So confusing. HELP

 

[NashGuy]

I used to get Fox Sports Midwest or KC in Omaha, it was our region
Now on Youtube they cut the area smaller so I cant

QUESTION: if I logon to the Fox Sports midwest or what ever its called app with my Youtube creds will it work?
What is the app called anyway for the regional fox sports, seems like there is the main app for FS1 and an other for region
So confusing. HELP

If you want the app with the Fox Sports regional sports networks, that's "Fox Sports Go". (Given that those RSNs were purchased last year by Sinclair, it's a little odd that they're still branded as "Fox".)

If you want the app with FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, Fox Deportes and Fox Soccer Plus, you can use the "Fox Sports" app or the "Fox Now" app, which also includes other Fox channels, including their main broadcast network.

You should be able to authenticate and use any of these apps with your YouTube TV login.

 

[docdaddy]

So far we've stuck with YTTV after using it as a go between after a cross country move and canceling Dish. We'd originally thought we would get Dish again once we moved into a new house (we've had Dish or Directv since 1995) but since there's no contract we're hanging in there with YTTV+Philo to get all our most watched channels. We really, really liked Dish and the Hopper 3 system (much more than the Directv Genie system) but for the moment, my wife loves being able to move TVs anywhere in the house that she wants (a guest bedroom, kitchen, enclosed patio, change walls for the den TV, etc.) without being told, no, you can't move the TV there. it isn't wired for Dish in there. As silly as it may seem, that's the current tipping point for keeping it for us; the DVR, channel selections, sound, and interface on the Dish Hoppr 3 system is just (for us) much, much better than YTTV.
Along those lines, there are just a few interface issues that would make YTTV much more user friendly, again, for us (but I've had discussions with other YTTV users on a number of these.) FWIW, here's our interface wish list:

1. Live Guide. It's just worthless on the TV app (Sony 950H) and also on our nVidia TV (both Android of course) and not much better on the laptop and iPhone/iPad. Just give us a nice full two week guide like any modern live TV service. It isn't hard.
2. DVR: First, please add a "Hide Watched Episodes" option. Just an option. I'm not asking for a modern interface with folders, etc. just let us clean it up. I don't want to have to wade through a ton of shows to get to the ones we haven't watched.
3. DVR: Let me sort all those episodes via some options. I see shows listed with dates on them that were recorded two months ago first, then I scroll through and 4 pages later I find episodes recorded yesterday and two days ago. Let me choose sort options such as "sort by newest recordings" etc.
4. DVR: Please show some basic information ESPECIALLY the original air date of shows. Almost every guide and other TV viewing option shows original air date. That cannot be hard to add at all and would be very helpful.
5. It would be nice to have some kind of exit button. This may be more challenging since you have a lot of different remotes, but if I'm watching a show, and for some reason want to look in my library to find something, I just want a simple exit button that just instantly goes back to what I'm watching.

There are more, but just those would make a huge difference. Anything else anyone here thinks would be a nice user interface improvement?

 

[ncted]

DVR: Let me sort all those episodes via some options. I see shows listed with dates on them that were recorded two months ago first, then I scroll through and 4 pages later I find episodes recorded yesterday and two days ago. Let me choose sort options such as "sort by newest recordings" etc.

Yes, yes, yes.

 

[Zookster]

DVR: Please show some basic information ESPECIALLY the original air date of shows. Almost every guide and other TV viewing option shows original air date. That cannot be hard to add at all and would be very helpful.

It shows the actual air date for daily news programs. For weekly prime time shows, it says how long ago it was recorded (one week, two weeks, one month, etc.). I guess they think the latter is more "user friendly" so people don't need to check a calendar. *shrug*

It would be nice to have some kind of exit button. This may be more challenging since you have a lot of different remotes, but if I'm watching a show, and for some reason want to look in my library to find something, I just want a simple exit button that just instantly goes back to what I'm watching.

Double tap the Play/Pause button.

 

[docdaddy]

It shows the actual air date for daily news programs. For weekly prime time shows, it says how long ago it was recorded (one week, two weeks, one month, etc.). I guess they think the latter is more "user friendly" so people don't need to check a calendar. *shrug*

Double tap the Play/Pause button.

On the former, we will be watching an older show and have no idea what the original air date is. Since when you pick, say, Law and Order SVU and have no options to only record new episodes, you get every rerun, etc. OK - but just because a show recorded 2 weeks ago doesn't mean the orginal air date was 2 weeks ago, it may be a rerun from 2019.

The double tap the play/pause button apparently doesn't work on my Android devices (Sony TV and I think my Shield TV.) Just tried it, also tried other combos of the play pause button.

Thanks for something to try though!

 

[SpaethCo]

On the former, we will be watching an older show and have no idea what the original air date is. Since when you pick, say, Law and Order SVU and have no options to only record new episodes, you get every rerun, etc. OK - but just because a show recorded 2 weeks ago doesn't mean the orginal air date was 2 weeks ago, it may be a rerun from 2019.

Sure - they’re indexed in season and episode order.

For what it’s worth, I prefer the way the library gets built because it matches the content catalogs of services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, CBS:AA, etc.

Outside of news and sporting events, I don’t care what specific date things are recorded - I just want to know the chronological order of the series, and that’s how YTTV presents it.

 

[ncted]

Sure - they’re indexed in season and episode order.

For what it’s worth, I prefer the way the library gets built because it matches the content catalogs of services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, CBS:AA, etc.

Outside of news and sporting events, I don’t care what specific date things are recorded - I just want to know the chronological order of the series, and that’s how YTTV presents it.

In most cases I agree, but with the pandemic, a lot of news shows are getting story "updates," but YTTV just drops them in the original air order, and with something like Dateline or 48 Hours, that story could be decades old and impossible to find, despite the update being aired yesterday. A simple sort option could make this a lot easier.