Google TV vs YouTube TV
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Are you looking for a reliable and interesting streaming platform? With the introduction of fast and affordable internet, you can now choose to upgrade your home viewing experience by getting a good streaming package to keep you glued to your screen. 

Currently, many streaming service providers have made a post or advertisements claiming to offer far more superior services than others; This can give you a tough time deciding which one to go. However, out of all these, one debate that has raged on is between Google and YouTube TV streaming services. 

These two alternatives fall under the umbrella of the same parent company, making it an even more interesting parley. Each side claims its service provider has superior and more reliable, and entertaining streaming services. 

In this article, we take a closer look at what each of these streaming giants provides, their added advantages, and the drawbacks of using each platform.  If you are new to Google or YouTube TV, read on. 

And when your finished check out our other YouTube guides:

What Is Google TV?

Have you ever heard of Chromecast? Google TV is a streaming device that was made to serve as an upgrade to Google Chromecast. It features a dashboard that suggests popular content based on the data collected from other Google TV users and compiles the results to suggest content it finds interesting. 

In addition, you can opt to purchase or rent any watchable content from Google play movies. 

Google TV can be accessed by getting a Google smart TV or using Google TV sticks. From there, all you’ll need to enjoy premium, high-quality content is stable, high-speed internet. 

Pros and Cons of Google TV

Like any other streaming platform, Google TV has its shares of advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, you can take a look at the list below before deciding whether you still want to go ahead and purchase Google TV. 

The Pros 

  • Advanced Search User Interface

Google spent a lot of money on research to develop the best search interfaces for its users. They incorporated machine learning technology and knowledge graphs to make it easier to find the most difficult to find online content through the platform. 

In addition, the use of advanced search algorithms in the search interface has made data collected through the search technique more accurate and reliable. 

The collection of user data has enabled Google to feature the most-watched and best-ranked TV shows or movies in the “top picks” column. This search technology accords you an opportunity to get the best of your taste in every movie or TV show category.    

  • Equipped With Parental Control Features

Do you want to watch adult TV shows without risking your child accidentally stumbling on similar content online? Google launched a feature that allows parents to set up profiles for their kids. Your kid’s profile will be merged with yours so that you can set up an email and password on their behalf. With the feature enabled, you can control how long your kids can watch TV, set rating limits, and lock or unlock their profiles through the stroke of a button.

  • Supports Games

Unlike Android TV, Google does not have direct access to the Google Play Store. However, users can still enjoy some popular games.

Since you won’t be able to access the Google Play Store directly, you will have to resort to voice or word search when looking for the games to play. We recommend you sign in with Google Stadia account on your Google TV to enjoy cloud-based gaming. 

  • Supports Content From Alternative Sources

Like other popular TV boxes, Google TV enables its users to access content from their personal library, Amazon, or Netflix. Therefore, you can easily integrate all your favorite content from other sources into the streaming device. Google TV also rolled out its TV app version, which you can download on most Android mobile devices. However, check online to see if your country has access to Google TV’s mobile app version first. 

Cons 

  • It Does Not Support Multiple Streams

Google TV has one of the best-personalized user interfaces. Unfortunately, if you have a roommate, kids, or partner, you will not be able to watch content simultaneously. In other words, Google TV does not support multiple accounts when viewing premium content. The lack of this essential feature has made Google TV unpopular, especially among users with more than one account on the device or app simultaneously. 

  • Will Not Feature Many Regional Sport Channels

If you love watching live sports, Google TV may not work for you. Even though they have numerous news channels, Google is still working on increasing its number of premium channels, which means its users can not be able to live stream sports matches at the moment.

  • Has Limited Storage

One of the major downsides of getting Google TV is its limited storage capacity. Google TV comes with an 8GB storage option, with more than half of it set aside for app storage.

What Is YouTube TV?

YouTube TV was meant to serve as a modern alternative to conventional cable box TV and should not be confused with YouTube Premium. Users who love watching live sports will definitely love YouTube TV. The streaming app currently offers more than 80 streamable channels, which you can access through the app. 

Pros and Cons of YouTube TV

Just as the former, it’s only fair to mention that YouTube TV is also not perfect. Here are the pros and cons of getting YouTube TV: 

The Pros

  • Free, Unlimited Cloud Storage

One of the best things about getting YouTube TV is that you won’t be limited in terms of storage. You don’t need to worry about missing your favorite program anymore. Just take advantage of the free, unlimited cloud storage to store all the content you need for later.

  • Has Many TV Channels

YouTube TV has one of the best channel options to choose from. Subscribing to the app’s basic package will give you access to more than 80 channels. You can easily switch between them until you find content that will match your taste and leave you glued to your TV screen.

  • Supports Multiple Users

Do you want to keep watching your favorite movies, sports, TV shows, and documentaries uninterrupted? YouTube TV will allow you to link up to 3 devices simultaneously, so you can watch your favorite shows on your phone or tablet when on the go.   

  • Affordable

Affordability is one of the most important factors when it comes to choosing streaming services. Currently, YouTube TV charges a $65 monthly price for the base package, which comes with more than 85 channels and gives the user access to unlimited cloud storage. 

However, it is worth noting that YouTube premium and YouTube TV are entirely different. YouTube Premium is a service that gives you access to YouTube content, allowing you to support video content creators as they grow their YouTube channels. The subscription also comes with access to YouTube Music, which is not offered in a YouTube TV subscription. 

Cons

  • It Does Not Have a Lot of On-Demand Content

If you enjoy watching popular films and TV shows, YouTube TV may not fit the bill. Even though you can still watch some on-demand content, your choices will be limited compared to those using Google TV.

Google TV vs. YouTube TV: What’s the Difference?

Google TV and YouTube TV are more different than similar, especially if you compare the content offered on both. Due to this, coming up with a verdict is a bit challenging.

Google TV mainly focuses on offering on-demand content such as movies and TV shows. It has a few premium channels compared to YouTube TV. Therefore, we suggest choosing Google TV if you prefer blockbuster content. 

On the other hand, YouTube TV focuses on providing live-streaming services that contain popular news and sports channels. 

If you are passionate about sports and want to see your team play live, go for YouTube TV instead. It is affordable and will give you live access to sports and news channels, making it better than cable box TV. 

Conclusion

The debate on Google TV vs. YouTube TV is one that will likely go on for years. Although we’ve tried to give an unbiased comparison review on the advantages and downsides of each platform, we leave the decision to you, the reader.

Anne Haynes
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