We recently heard that the definition of a 'TV set' is to change in Ireland. Soon, mobile devices with an 11-inch screen or more will be covered by that term. While we, in Ireland, are toying with definitions, YouTube is changing the entire concept of television.
A new service called 'YouTube TV' has launched in a select number of cities in the US. Those who pay $35 a month can live-stream traditional TV channels such as ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. Shows can be consumed online, legally, and on any device for that flat fee.
What's more, a single subscription comes with 6 accounts per household. This means family members or housemates can all use the one account.
The service also offers a cloud-based DVR. This means users can save their favourite shows or series to watch back at a later date. It's worth noting that there is no storage limit associated with this.
This is looking to target younger people, who no longer sit in front of the traditional television set or consume media in a traditional fashion. While the subscription fee is significantly higher than the fees for on-demand services such as Netflix and Spotify, it is still cheaper than a TV package.
Unfortunately for us, however, this is only available in the US for now. A spokesperson for Google told Newstalk.com this morning that the firm has no current plans to expand to Europe.