Hey friend! Have you made the switch to streaming live TV through YouTube TV? If so, you‘re part of a growing trend. Over the past five years, cable TV subscriptions have declined by 15% as viewers cancel cable in favor of streaming alternatives like YouTube TV.
As part of this cord-cutting revolution, over 5 million households now subscribe to YouTube TV for live news, sports, and entertainment without the headaches of cable.
But when transitioning to a streaming TV service, the unlimited DVR and storage space can be a bit overwhelming if you‘re used to a limited DVR from cable.
The good news is, with a few simple steps, you can easily manage and essentially “delete” recordings on YouTube TV to keep your cloud DVR neat and tidy!
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover:
- How to stop YouTube TV from recording shows automatically
- YouTube TV‘s auto-delete policy for recordings
- Tips for optimizing your cloud DVR storage
- Key stats and info about YouTube TV and live streaming
Let‘s get started with how to stop recording shows on YouTube TV.
Contents
Delete Recordings on YouTube TV in 8 Steps
The easiest way to “delete” a show on YouTube TV is stopping it from recording automatically in your cloud DVR.
Here are the steps to stop recording a show within your YouTube TV library:
- Go to tv.youtube.com and log into YouTube TV (may be separate login from your regular YouTube).
- Click on the “Library” tab located at the top of the screen.
- Under the “Library” tab, you'll see “Shows”, “Movies”, “Sports”, and “Events”. Choose the category that contains the recording you want to delete.
- Find the show or movie you want to delete and click on it.
- This will open a new page with all the recorded episodes or movies. Find the specific recording you want to delete.
- Click on the three-dot menu icon next to the recording.
- A drop-down menu will appear. Click on “Remove from library”.
- A confirmation message will appear. Click “Remove” to confirm.
This prevents any new episodes of that series from recording to your cloud DVR. But existing recorded episodes will remain available for playback until automatically deleted.
Now let‘s talk about how that automatic deletion works on YouTube TV…
YouTube TV‘s Auto-Deletion Policy for Recordings
YouTube TV makes cord-cutting easy by automatically deleting recordings after a set time period. According to their policy:
“Recordings will be deleted automatically 9 months after the recording date.“
So you don‘t have to manually comb through and delete each recording. YouTube TV will automatically delete any recording older than 9 months.
This ensures your cloud DVR storage doesn‘t get overwhelmed with an endless backlog of recordings. Pretty handy!
In 2023, people watched an average of 17 to 19 hours of online video content per week. This time is expected to increase in 2024. With streaming eating up more of people‘s viewing time, a robust and self-managing cloud, DVR like YouTube TV‘s is valuable.
Now let‘s go over some tips for optimizing your YouTube TV cloud storage…
How Do You Delete History on YouTube TV?
- Go to YouTube TV and sign in to your account.
- Navigate to the top right corner and click on your profile picture.
- Select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
- Go to the “Privacy” section.
- Click on “Manage watch history” which will redirect you to the YouTube watch history page.
- Here, you can remove individual items or clear your entire watch history.
How Do I Edit My YouTube TV Library?
- Go to YouTube TV and sign in to your account.
- Click on the “Library” tab.
- Browse through the categories such as “Shows”, “Movies”, “Sports”, and “Events” to find the content you want to manage.
- To add a show to your library, search for the show and click on the “+” icon to add it to your library.
- To remove a show, click on the show to access its details, then click on the checkmark or “Added” icon to remove it from your library.
Please note that YouTube TV does not allow for the deletion of individual episodes within a program; you can only remove entire shows or movies from your library.
5 Tips for Optimizing Your YouTube TV Cloud DVR
While recordings self-delete after 9 months, here are some best practices to keep your YouTube TV cloud DVR running smoothly:
1. Remove Shows You‘ve Finished Watching
Once you‘ve watched a series or season in full, remove it from your library so it stops recording. No reason to keep getting new episodes of shows you‘ve completed!
2. Upgrade for More Simultaneous Streams
YouTube TV allows 3 simultaneous streams. Upgrade to get more if you have a large household sharing the service.
3. Use Watchlists and Reminders
The watchlist feature lets you track shows to watch later without recording every episode. Use this for more casual viewing.
4. Delete Recordings Early If Needed
You can manually stop recordings anytime instead of waiting 9 months for auto-delete if you need to free up space.
5. Monitor Storage Usage
Check your remaining cloud DVR storage in Settings so you know if space is running low.
Now that you know how to optimize your cloud DVR, let‘s look at some key stats and facts about YouTube TV and the live TV streaming industry…
YouTube TV & Live TV Streaming Stats
Here are some interesting statistics about the rise of YouTube TV within the cord-cutting revolution:
- 6.3+ million YouTube TV subscribers as of 2023 (source)
- 81% of YouTube TV subscribers are cord-cutters without cable (source)
- As of 2023, approximately 78% of U.S. households use a streaming service for watching TV (source)
- From 2017 to 2023, traditional cable subscriptions in the U.S. declined from 73% to 46% of households (source)
As this data shows, streaming TV services like YouTube TV are dominating as cord-cutting goes mainstream. The simplicity and flexibility of streaming continue fueling this momentum towards broadband-delivered TV.
Now let‘s see how YouTube TV stacks up to competitors like Hulu Live…
YouTube TV vs. Hulu Live Comparison
YouTube TV is known for its sports coverage and user-friendly experience, while Hulu + Live TV offers the added benefit of Hulu's on-demand library and bundled access to Disney+ and ESPN+.
YouTube TV is considered a great option for sports enthusiasts and those who prioritize a smooth user experience. Hulu + Live TV, on the other hand, is ideal for viewers who want a comprehensive entertainment package with the inclusion of Hulu's original content and additional streaming services.
The choice between the two often comes down to personal preferences regarding channel selection, price, and additional content offerings.
Conclusion
I hope this guide gave you a comprehensive overview of how to essentially “delete” shows on YouTube TV by stopping recordings, plus tips for managing your cloud DVR. The auto-delete after 9 months takes care of cleanup for you, but optimizing what gets recorded makes for the best experience. And with cord-cutting on the rise, YouTube TV stands out as a top option among live TV streamers.
The world of streaming TV offers freedom we never had with cable. Now you have the tools to master your YouTube TV cloud DVR and cut the cord in style! Reach out if any part of running your YouTube TV library remains unclear. Enjoy streaming!
