In the past few hours, Google has officially launched its first free TV streaming project, with an initial offer of 4,000 episodes, to which a hundred will be added weekly. Here’s what it is and how to use it.
When you think of free TV streaming, reality names like Pluto TV, Rai Play, Peacock (by NBC Universal), IMDb TV, Roku channel, VVVVID, Plex, Serially are usually mentioned. Now, however, as announced by Google, another protagonist has taken the field, represented by none other than YouTube.
The big Y, known for sharing videos shared by ordinary people, creators and influencers, has announced the launch of its television streaming service starting in the USA, with content supported by advertising and therefore completely free: specifically, let’s start from 4,000 episodes of TV programs, such as Hell’s Kitche, or TV series, including the popular Andromeda (science fiction, with Kevin Sorbo, already available in Italy on Pluto TV) and Heartland (a generational saga set in a Canadian ranch).
Generally, the contents, serialized in such a way as to favor the phenomenon of binge watching (i.e. the marathons go to watch one episode after another), and therefore the stay on the platform, are not recent contents (e.g. The Dick Van Dyke Show , Unsolved Mysteries, Car 54, Where are you ?, Laugh-In), often of one or two seasons only, with not a few materials that, on supported devices, can be enjoyed with the benefit of high resolution (1080p) and surround ( 5.1-channel).
To take advantage of the available contents, to which about a hundred will be added every week, without neglecting programs and films (segment, the latter, where the YouTube offer is already considerable, just think of the recent additions of Gone in Sixty Seconds, Legally Blonde, Runaway Bride, for a total of about 1,500 films provided by majors such as FilmRise, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros, Lionsgate, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution), it is sufficient to use, overseas, smartphones, connected TVs on which YouTube TV is installed, or the simple web browser.
As part of this initiative, YouTube reported that ad interruptions (largely sold through YouTube Select) will occur “based on viewer frequency and the context in which they are watching the programs” and that, for the occasion, users will be accompanied in choosing what to watch by immersive banners and a new navigation, with the alternatives of rental, purchase, and – precisely – free with advertisements, well highlighted.