YouTube TV Just Added 4K, But It'll Cost You | Screen Rant
YouTube TV finally added 4K support to its streaming service, but in order to access it, users will have to pay a significant additional charge.
YouTube TV finally fixed its glaring omission of 4K streaming today with the announcement of a new add-on to its streaming service called 4K Plus. It's great news for YouTube TV users who have been clamoring for 4K support since the service launched in 2017, but the new feature doesn't come without a cost.
With over four years under its belt, YouTube TV has rapidly grown from a fledgling cable competitor to a robust alternative to the more traditional TV services. Unfortunately, costs have kept pace with its growth, and regular price hikes have left it looking just as pricey as options from Comcast, Spectrum, and others.
As the official YouTube blog explains, 4K Plus provides YouTube TV customers with access to 4K streaming, assuming they have a 4K television and a compatible streaming device. The 4K Plus package includes a couple of other bonuses beyond just support for 4K content. 4K Plus also adds the ability for users to access their saved DVR content without a data connection, facilitating remote viewing of whatever content is saved on a personal library. Think of it like Netflix's download feature, but for YouTube TV. The package also bumps up the number of simultaneous YouTube TV streams at home from three to unlimited.
However, 4K Plus carries a pretty significant price tag. Users will be expected to pay an additional $19.99 per month for the privilege of streaming 4K content. That's a steep price on top of the base price which has steadily climbed to the current rate of $64.99. Once thought to be a suitable alternative to a cable subscription for those on a budget, YouTube TV now costs as much or more than many cable plans with similar features.
It's clear here that the YouTube TV team realized that not everyone would be happy to hand over an extra $20 per month just for 4K streaming, especially when the service is already as expensive as similar options it was trying to undercut. To help soften the blow, YouTube is offering a limited-time deal that cuts the price of the 4K Plus package in half, meaning that users who sign up for the new service right now will get it for $9.99 after a 30-day free trial period.
That $9.99 rate is a lot more appealing than $19.99, but it won't last forever. The promotional price will be good for 12 months after the 30-day free trial period, at which point the normal $19.99 price will kick in. The good news is that users can cancel the 4K Plus package at any time, so if the $20 price point doesn't seem worth it after the first 12 months, they have no obligation to keep paying for it.
With its steadily rising prices and frequent network additions (and removals), YouTube TV is getting dangerously close to making cable companies look like a better, more reliable deal. It'll be interesting to see how users react to being asked for an additional $10 (or $20) just to access 4K content, and if the reaction is negative, whether YouTube will be willing to do anything about it.
Source: YouTube Blog