YouTube has been the ultimate source of entertainment for billions of users worldwide since it was launched more than a decade ago. In 2017, Google started its pay TV service, Youtube TV, in the United States and since then it has received a positive response.
If you have decided to pull the plug on your expensive cable TV subscription, you can replace it with YouTube TV which is a perfect Live TV streaming service. It offers a standalone subscription plan which costs US$64.99 per month and gives you access to 80+ Live TV networks.
However, YoutubeTV is available for the US Natives exclusively. If you are planning to go abroad on a vacation or a business trip, and want to take your mini TV with you, you will need a VPN app to watch Youtube TV outside US.
Although Youtube TV has several qualities like its to-the-point user interface, some of its great features and abilities are hidden. With 3 simultaneous screens and an unlimited DVR option, it’s an ideal cord-cutting solution for a small family.
If you are a subscriber to YouTube TV and want to take the most out of it, you should know these 15 YouTube TV settings:
1. Block Irrelevant Content
YouTube TV cares about its consumers’ choices of what they want to stream and what they don’t. So there is an option available on the YouTube TV home screen that lets you block the content that you absolutely don’t want to see on your screen.
To do this go to the menu option (three dots) of the specific program/show that you never want to see again, and then click on the ‘Don’t Show Me This’ button. This function can be done on both your smartphone and the computer.
2. Customize Notifications
You can customize your YouTube TV notifications by enabling the notification of a specific live show or sports event. You just have to click on the bell icon when the program page is open or from under the app. This way, you will get an alert as soon as the new live airing starts.
On the other hand, if any notifications from YouTube TV are bothering you, you can turn them off easily. In YouTube TV settings, click on Notifications. From here you can either turn off or on the notifications for account information, recommendations, and product updates.
3. Customize the Live Guide Feature
YouTube TV offers 85+ channels in the base plan, from which chances are you will only watch around 10 or more regularly. Good thing, you can customize your own channel list in the live guide so that your favorites will come on the top and first.
4. Record TV Shows, Films, and Sports
YouTube TV gives its subscribers access to unlimited hours of DVR storage. Why not make use of it and add all your favorite movies, shows, and live events to your watch library?
This can be done from any of your devices: your TV set, phone, or computer. When you will watch your recordings, the option to fast-forward the commercials is always available.
That is just another reason to fill up your library as much as possible. Perks of having unlimited DVR storage!
5. Join the Live Stream or Watch From The Beginning
As long as a program is in your library you can join in that program’s in-progress live and can skip through the ads and can start from the beginning.
When you are recording a live program, select that and you will get two choices:
- Join the Live stream
- Start from the beginning
You can pick any of these options and start streaming.
6. Mark as Already Watched
The very unique feature that YouTube TV’s DVR offers is you can mark the shows you have watched.
Like in many other apps we keep seeing the shows or videos we have already watched in the recommended section. If you mark the video you have watched already and do not want to see it again this feature will archive that.
7. Clear Watch and Search History
If the recommendations on YouTube TV are not in line with your preferences, clearing your watch and search history may help you. On YouTube TV it can be done easily, you can delete history individually or delete by date range.
8. Avoid Sports Spoilers
YouTube TV is a great app to look out for your sports teams and leagues. But in order to prevent getting any spoilers, open the menu available on the team’s page and click on ‘Hide all scores for this team. This way, YouTube TV won’t put the final score of the game on display before you get the chance to watch it.
9. Friends & Family Sharing
YouTube TV’s subscription can be shared between 5 more people in one household, meaning 6 in total. The primary account is called the Family Manager. Just remember, to share your account, you must live together with the other account members. YouTube TV also allows 3 simultaneous streams in its base plan.
10. Navigate Using Google Voice
If you pair your Google Home and a Chromecast device, you can navigate through live TV channels through voice commands. You can play a specific show, record a show, or just the basic playback commands like a resume, pause, and rewind. All you have to do is set up both devices with the same account.
11. Dark Theme
YouTube TV comes with a default version of white background. But that can be changed as a dark theme is also available and can be enabled easily from the settings.
12. Change Video Quality
You can adjust your streaming quality on YouTube TV. you can reduce it if you are using mobile data or increase it to 4k. The 4K feature is available in settings as an add-on. However, the content available in the 4K streamable quality is limited.
13. Enable Parental Controls
YouTube TV offers features to make the platform kids safe. You can use the parental control feature to turn on the options “Allow TV-Y, TV-Y7-FV, TV-G, TV-G, G, and PG only” settings to filter out the programs your kids will watch on this service.
You can make multiple separate accounts with separate settings for each device.
14. Sort Your DVR Recordings
You can sort the YouTube TV library of your recordings according to your preferences. This library setting should be set on “Recently Recorded” by default. While browsing from your recordings in the “Library” tab, click on the little gray box button which should be at the top of the Movies, Shows, Events, and Sports sections. When you click on the default setting option “Recently Recorded” you will get a list and you can pick the sorting format from popularity, alphabetical order, ratings, or trendiness.
15. Explore Channels Separately
You can open and see what is airing on a particular channel on YouTube TV, not only the live option but also its on-demand catalog as well. The easiest trick to explore this option is to scroll to the end of your YouTube TV “Home” tab. Here you will see a complete list of channels available in alphabetic order. You can click on your desired channel to go through its menu of programming.
