YouTube TV Users Say This Missing Feature Spoils Live Streaming
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Reddit users have highlighted an issue with YouTube TV when watching live sports on a smart TV.
- The thread points out that, once behind the live coverage, fast-forwarding doesn’t quite return to the live broadcast.
- Users indicate they would like a ‘Go Live’ button, similar to that on the desktop and mobile versions of the app.
YouTube TV is excellent for sports, especially if you pay a bit extra for the Sports Plus package. There’s a particular thrill to watching live sports, so it has surprised a number of YouTube TV subscribers that, if you find yourself behind the action while using the service on a smart TV, there isn’t an obvious way to quickly flick back to the live broadcast.
In a thread on the r/youtubetv subreddit, poster TheDeepBlueZ asks, “Is it too much to ask for a Go Live button?” They explain that the issue is that, once behind the live coverage, hitting fast forward doesn’t ever quite catch up to the live feed, replaying the previous two seconds. The only way they have been able to restore the truly live stream is by changing the channel and then changing it back.
YouTube TV does have a live button on other platforms.
As some of the responses to the opening post point out, what’s more mystifying is that YouTube TV does have a live button on other platforms. On desktop or mobile, hitting this button can get you back to the live feed in a single click, so it’s hard to understand why the same feature couldn’t be added to the smart TV version.
The responses in the thread are widely in agreement with the opening poster. Some suggest alternative workarounds, but they’re all just as clunky as flicking between channels, so there’s certainly a case to be made for a live button on the smart TV version of the YouTube streaming service.
Being a couple of seconds behind the live feed of an event may not seem like a big deal to many, but sports fans will understand the frustration. You might be in earshot of others who are watching the game ahead of you or even get mobile alerts regarding key incidents you’re about to witness. More than that, you want to feel like you’re watching the same moments as everyone else.
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