Google To Launch Streaming TV Service In Early 2017

It looks like the internet search giant is expected to beat Apple to the punch by releasing its streaming TV service early next year. The Wall Street Journal notes that CBS has agreed to bring content to the service, while 21st Century Fox and Walt Disney are in the final stages of talks to add their content to the service. What's more is that the service is expected to be "housed under the YouTube brand." Karl Bode for DSLReports writes: The service, to be called "Unplugged," aims to be a "low-cost option targeting customers who either have resisted subscribing to traditional pay-TV or cut the cord due to rising costs." While Google sells traditional TV service in its Google Fiber footprint, subscriber numbers have been low for the service. An over the top service might be well received by the general public, but it also might provide promising if bundled with Google FIber's existing broadband offerings. Google is looking to offer a "skinny" bundle of live TV channels with a price in the range of $25 to $40 a month, states the Journal. The report also notes that the service will be entirely separate from YouTube Red, a subscription service ($10 or $13 for iOS users) that offers ad-free YouTube video viewing.

Live TV Services Are Worth Less To Me

[00Monkey]

I'm not sure if I'm in the minority but when I see any Live TV service like this or Sling TV, they seem overpriced. I don't subscribe to Live TV (Cable, etc) because it's comprised of a bunch of shows I either have no interest in, hate or don't fit with my schedule. I have no reason to pay more for that unwanted crap, then a fully on demand service where I can choose what I want and mold it to my schedule, for less.

Re: Live TV Services Are Worth Less To Me

[Luthair]

25-40 definitely seems high to me, especially if these are really just antenna channels.

psa

[Anonymous Coward]

You know what else offers an "ad free youtube experience"? Almost every ad blocker out there.

Let's see what it really costs and what you get

[madwheel]

Considering some cable companies offer bundles of TV, Internet, and Phone for ~$60 a month, I see $25-40 as a tough sell. For $60 and having the web plus close to 100 channels, I don't see the benefit of having to buy a box and rely on streaming for only specific channels. Plus, I love using my TiVo commercial skip feature. No ads on most major shows. I do like more competition though. Hopefully Google offers something good for the masses.

Re:

[bill_mcgonigle]

I see $25-40 as a tough sell.

Yeah, I was paying that for all the channels I could watch on Dish Network, and I killed it because I didn't need yet another bill when the Internet has so much free and interesting content. And that was five years ago - why can't Google undercut that by half since they don't have to maintain a fleet of satellites and special hardware?

TV is for people who like the TV format now. There are just many other options than there were in the past and many people have rejected the TV

Sports are the bigger problem

[TodPunk]

Cordcutters can already get a lot of TV content (not necessarily live, but typically few care) but the bigger lack is sports streaming. It's complicated, expensive, and typically bundled with other stuff. Sling has the best I've seen so far, but I'd be interested to see others. Can Google fix that one for us all?

I'm not personally interested in sports outside the social events I could host better, like the Super Bowl or the World Cup, but just because it's not /my/ problem doesn't mean I don't recognize

DVR for PC

[dfsmith]

This would be good if someone made a DVR for streaming content. I would need my PC to record the network streams automatically, and then I can skip the irrelevant commercials when watching later. Watching streaming shows from existing online sources (CBS/ABC/etc.) is tedious, and rarely worth the effort. A DVR app could change that balance....

Re:

[Daryl Bennett]

This would be good if someone made a DVR for streaming content. I would need my PC to record the network streams automatically, and then I can skip the irrelevant commercials when watching later. Watching streaming shows from existing online sources (CBS/ABC/etc.) is tedious, and rarely worth the effort. A DVR app could change that balance....

Having a Plex server will give you something similar to this. With the paid account

"Cord-cutters"

[Anonymous Coward]

It seems to be the biggest issue of this "cord-cutting" craze is that what CORD are we cutting? Cable-TV/Sat/etc, sure, but then people are hopping on the streaming bandwagon essentially TV over IP. And the CORD that this data is coming to you on is the same one that you "cut" the TV service from, it seems that in the near future (clearly already happening) that you'll be trading the $40 internet bill and $60 dollar cable bill for a $110 internet bill + data overages (I'm looking at you Comcast, et al).

I

Added Feature

[TractorBarry]

As an added feature Google's new service will come with a "free" webcam so they can provide a "better customer experience" (e.g. so they can track your every utterance/move and serve you more and more "targetted ads")

Coming soon "GoogleWipe" (tm), the softer, kinder, gentler, more eco-friendly bathroom paper with added nano cameras which "cleanse, freshen and delight whilst aiding our customers to assess their rectal health".

This is the problem with Google

[Lirodon]

They keep creating new, redundant services to fufill every variation of a niche rather than just having one.

Another nail in the coffin...

[pinzvidz]

...for FTA TV, particularly horrible commercial stations.

Needs to be cheaper and better than Sling

[MoarSauce123]

A skinny package for 25$? If Google wants to make any inroads it has to offer something that is at least as attractive as Sling, both price and channel lineup.

Comment

[WallyL]

I plan to stay away from this for many reasons.

1. It's a Google product. Who knows how long this will be available anyway? Has anybody ever heard of sustainability and availability? If I just have to configure something new in a year, why did I bother with this one?
2. It's a Google product. I don't want Google having ownership of my viewing information. Netflix is one thing, Google is another. I don't hear about Netflix tracking everything I do online and trying to advertise to me.

Re:

[WallyL]

Eh, it's possible many == 2. Try many wives and see how fun your life isn't (c.f. Jacob from the Bible [wikipedia.org].

Great, but is it a la carte?

[jmcwork]

Until someone can let me select from a list of available channels for $1-$5 (each) a month (think CW to HBO), maybe with a minimum $25 dollar a month charge, this is all just a variant of what is already available. Also, let me watch a marathon of movies that I want no matter how old/new - "Casablanca", "The Thing", "Real Genius", and "Serenity" - for a $1 - $2 each. When someone has that type of service available things will get interesting.