As promised, you can now get 5.1 surround sound audio from YouTube TV when you’re watching on Apple TV. The addition of those two platforms comes a few months after the feature went live on Roku, Android TV, and Google TV.
Today’s tweet announcing the addition of the feature also included Amazon Fire TV generally, and a quick peek through the supported devices shows that Fire TV Cube, Fire TV Stick 4K, and other versions of Fire TV Stick also were added. Those devices join Fire TV Stick 4K Max, Fire TV Stick, and Fire TV Stick Lite, which got the feature back in June. (Note to Amazon: Let’s work on a better naming convention.)
Phil Nickinson/Digital Trends
Timing notwithstanding, it means all the major streaming platforms now support 5.1 surround sound with YouTube TV. Still to come, apparently, is support from gaming consoles.
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5.1 Audio Update! 🔈🔉🔊 We now support 5.1 audio on Apple TV & Fire TV devices for compatible YouTube TV content (live, DVR, & video on-demand).
If you’re a game console user, we’re working on getting this available to you as soon as possible, and will share live updates here. pic.twitter.com/8Pmxrt1WqU
Why is this important? If you’ve got a stereo system with more than left and right speakers — that is, basic stereo — YouTube TV can now pump audio channels individually to the left, center, right, and rear speakers, in addition to a subwoofer. That’s a big step above basic stereo audio, but still a bit behind Dolby Atmos, which takes a more 360-degree approach than just directional. In any event, it’s a good thing, you want it, and it’s included in the YouTube TV monthly fee.
YouTube TV is the biggest livestreaming service in the United States, with more than 5 million subscribers at last count. (YouTube TV doesn’t give any more specific numbers than that.) Hulu with Live TV is the next largest, at 4.1 million subscribers. YouTube TV still has just a single main plan with around 100 channels, with a good number of optional add-ons on top of that. There’s also a new Spanish-language plan available on its own, in addition to a Spanish-language add-on.
In addition to the aforementioned Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV also is available on Roku, Android TV, Chromecast with Google TV, various smart TV systems, on gaming consoles, and in a web browser.
In a change that might actually move the needle toward taking over the No. 3 spot in the (don't call them) Streaming Wars, Fubo has added a feature that until now has been reserved for the No. 1 player.
That is, you can now record as much streaming TV as you want on Fubo. As in unlimited. As in the same as what YouTube TV has had the whole time. And that's a pretty big deal for a number of reasons.
Android users finally get YouTube TV parity with iPhone
YouTube TV is the biggest live-streaming service in the U.S., and multiview — the ability to watch more than one thing at a time — is a big reason why. And after having spent a couple months on iPhones and iPads, it's now finally available on Android phones and tablets.
You don't have to do anything more than make sure your app is updated. The feature itself is included in the monthly subscription and doesn't cost any extra.
YouTube just massively angered Apple fans by adding a feature
The YouTube app on Apple TV will show a preview of a nature video after the app sits idle for four-and-a-half minutes. Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends
Let’s say you happen to be an app developer that develops an app for the world’s biggest online video platform — YouTube. And you’re tasked with developing the app for what we consider to be the best streaming hardware you can buy — Apple TV.
