YouTube TV Roku and Apple TV apps will finally arrive in Q1 2018

If you've been waiting for YouTube TV to finally launch apps for the Apple TV and Roku devices, your wait just got a little longer. The company is now planning to launch these apps in the first quarter of 2018, pushing out the originally planned time frame of late 2017. YouTube TV will also launch support for older smart TVs during the first quarter of next year.

YouTube revealed the new launch plan in a statement to CNET, where it explained that the YouTube TV Roku and Apple TV apps will be made available in the first quarter of 2018. The lack of support for both platforms has kept many potential customers from signing up; both, but particularly Roku, represent a large number of set-top media boxes on the market, and their prolonged omission from the supported devices list has left some baffled.

YouTube TV is the company's livestreaming television service, essentially a skinny bundle for the cord-cutter. The service offers a few dozen channels for $35/month, including free cloud DVR storage and support for half a dozen household members. The service's launch has been relatively slow compared to some competing services, such as DirecTV NOW, though it has arrived in most of the major and moderately-sized metro regions throughout the nation.

Most recently, YouTube announced expansion of YouTube TV coverage into about three dozen new markets, including some large ones like New Orleans. Subscribers get some of the same benefits found through similar services, including the ability to watch content on a mobile device via an app instead of on a TV through a cable or satellite box.

Sling TV arguably kicked off the over-the-Internet live TV market, though several other companies have joined the mix. Sony's own PlayStation Vue has been around for awhile, later being joined by DirecTV NOW. Hulu Live TV followed next with a beta leading to a widely available service, and YouTube TV joined the roster around the same time. Options span a variety of channel packages and costs, so be sure to shop to find the best for your own needs.

SOURCE: CNET