These days, families can’t seem to get enough television, and streaming platforms like YouTube TV and Hulu Live have made that easier than ever. But as a parent, you might be wondering: How safe are these platforms for your children? Which one offers better controls to make sure kids only watch age-appropriate content? With their many differences, we’ll break down the differences between YouTube TV VS Hulu Live in this guide to help you decide which will best suit your family.
What is YouTube TV？
YouTube TV is a tribute to YouTube but in the form of live television featuring over 100 channels from sports, entertainment, news, and kids programming.
YouTube TV is a service that allows you to watch live TV streaming without needing a cable subscription. It is a way to combine live TV and recorded shows, with local channels on various networks, and a growing library of on-demand content, with the bonus of being able to control what your kids watch.
Key features of YouTube TV:
- 100+ live TV channels: Major Networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX.
- Unlimited cloud DVR: Up to nine months record and saving shows.
- Multiple profiles: good if there are a couple of kids, create up to 6 profiles per account.
- No long-term contracts: There are no penalties.
- Three simultaneous streams: Views on multiple devices at once.
It provides enough flexibility that YouTube TV is a terrific option for families with specific viewing themes, such as sports-loving parents or cartoon-watching kids.
What is on YouTube TV?
Volume is everything on YouTube TV. There are over 100 live channels, so everyone in the family has something.
Categories of content on YouTube TV:
- News and current affairs: Networks such as CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, and your local news stations should all be updated.
- Sports: A strong contender for sports fans is Channels like ESPN, NFL Network, and NBC Sports featured on YouTube TV.
- Entertainment: Among its networks, FX, AMC, and TNT cater to movies, reality TV, and scripted series.
- Kids’ programming: Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, and Nickelodeon are highly dedicated channels and you will get hours of child-friendly content available on them.
YouTube TV makes several popular shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, Bluey, and The Amazing World of Gumball, for children, of course!!
What is the cost of YouTube TV?
The choice of streaming service for your family brings with it all sorts of other issues, but one of the most important is pricing. YouTube TV lets you choose from one subscription plan, which you can supplement with add-ons.
| Plan Type | Monthly Cost | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Plan | $72.99 | Over a hundred channels, multiple streams, DVR. |
| 4K plus Add-On | $19.99 | Offline downloads, extended stream quantity, 4k quality. |
What is Hulu Live?
Hulu Live is another very solid live TV streaming player as well. Hulu Live has over 90 channels and access to Hulu’s exclusive content, including its popular original series, but with both live channels and an on-demand library.
Key features of Hulu Live:
- 90+ live channels: Sports, Family Entertainment, and News.
- Access to Hulu’s entire streaming library: Hulu Originals that include The Handmaid’s Tale and Only Murders in the Building.
- Cloud DVR: Record up to 50 hours of live TV.
- Multiple profiles: There is the option to create up to six profiles for family members.
- Local channels: Local news and sports channels from your area are available for streaming.
The best part of Hulu Live is how the service blends live TV with binge-watched on-demand content for families who enjoy both.
What is on Hulu Live?
From all the different genres, Hulu Live hosts an extensive variety of content that pleases anyone in the family.
Categories of content on Hulu Live:
- Hulu originals: The Handmaid’s Tale, PEN15, and The Dropout.
- Sports: Sports fans are covered by ESPN, FS1, and regional sports networks.
- News: A list of BBC, CNN, FOX News, ABC News, and many more who cover the breaking news and ongoing events.
- Kids’ shows: Without those channels, like Disney Junior, Cartoon Network, PBS Kids, etc.
Hulu Live’s large library of kid-friendly shows and PBS Kids and Disney educational programming will be a treat for parents.
What is the cost of Hulu Plus Live TV?
Pricing for Hulu Live ranges from down to ads, to up to no ads but with an additional $10 that allows for access to live streams with greater high-definition. Here’s an overview of the options:
| Plan Type | Monthly Cost | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Hulu + Live TV (With Ads) | $76.99 | 90+ channels, Hulu library, 50 hrs DVR, 2 streams |
| Hulu + Live TV (No Ads) | $89.99 | 90+ channels, Hulu library, 50 hrs DVR, 2 streams |
If families don’t want to watch commercials with their children, the no-ads plan is a more appealing option, as the ad-free plan is a popular choice for parents.
YouTube TV vs Hulu Live: which is the best option for kids?
When deciding between Hulu Live TV VS YouTube TV, parents need to think about what’s most important to them in their young kids. So let’s see how the ease of use, content variety, and parental controls will work out for both services.
Ease of navigation
YouTube TV
YouTube TV’s interface is simple and easy to use. A user-friendly search function, coupled with clearly defined channel categories makes finding what kids want to watch easy for them. Even with our younger kids, the clean design makes it easy for them to find what shows or movies they want to watch.
Hulu Live
Hulu Live’s interface is a bit more complicated as it’s also a mix of live TV and on-demand content. Older children will probably have no trouble using it, but younger kids may have some learning to do to get to their favorite shows. While Hulu Live has a “Kids Mode,” which is easily set up to remove some of the complexity of navigating Hulu for children, Hulu is not the best service for a child primarily due to its ads.
Content for Kids
YouTube TV
Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, and Nickelodeon are all included in a rich selection of kids’ channels you’ll find on YouTube TV. There’s an array of educational and entertainment programming that parents will appreciate. YouTube TV shows like Paw Patrol, Bluey, and even Teen Titans Go! It combines fun and learning for kids.
Hulu Live
Kids’ content from Hulu Live includes Disney Junior, Hulu Originals, and PBS Kids. With a weaker kids’ channel lineup compared to YouTube TV, it has an impressive lineup of on-demand content including what everyone loves Curious George and Peppa Pig. By the way, PBS Kids provides the educational programming that many parents will find to be valuable, which is a nice plus.
Parental controls
YouTube TV
YouTube TV has parental controls. Setting up age-appropriate filters means that parents can set up the profiles of their kids without worrying about access to inappropriate content. For example, parents can set the content they want their kids to see to the family or stop the access to mature shows or channels.
Hulu Live
It also offers robust parental controls. Child profiles can be created by parents and content restriction can be applied according to the child’s age. With Hulu, you can choose to filter out shows and movies that carry mature ratings so you know your kids can watch the right stuff.
Safety and privacy policy
YouTube TV
The safety and privacy of the users, including minors, are the priority of YouTube TV. The platform is strict about where and how it collects data on children for ads. Parents can also regulate how much is divulged by changing the privacy settings, to cut back on sharing of kid’s viewing habits.
Hulu Live
Hulu Live also enforces privacy regulations to protect the data of younger viewers. The platform limits targeted advertising on kids’ content, and has account settings that allow children’s parents to manage how much information is collected, to create a safer viewing experience for their babies.
Device compatibility
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is compatible with most devices, including:
- Smart TVs.
- iOS and Android devices.
- Laptops and desktops.
- Streaming devices (Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV).
Hulu Live
Hulu Live is also available on a wide range of devices:
- Smart TVs.
- Tablets and smartphones (iOS and Android).
- Gaming consoles (PlayStation, Xbox).
- Streaming devices (Roku, Fire Stick, Chromecast).
For families that want flexibility in how and where they watch, both services offer broad compatibility with popular devices.
Are YouTube TV and Hulu Live safe for kids?
Both YouTube TV and Hulu Live have adequate measures when protecting children from disturbing content. With parental controls, parents can be sure that their kids are watching safely, and appropriately for their age content.
Still, parents must be careful. Even with filtering content features, no system is perfect. You can regularly monitor and talk with them about online safety to ensure that your child’s viewing experience is safe and entertaining.
How to set up parental controls on YouTube TV and Hulu Live?
Parental controls are one of the key steps that should be provided to your children for a secure watching experience on your computer. Luckily, both YouTube TV and Hulu Live handle this process quite easily.
Activate parental controls on YouTube TV
Step 1. Go to your account settings on your TV.
Step 2. Click on settings.
Step 3. Go to the filter menu.
Step 4. Turn on the Kids’ filter.
Enable parental controls on Hulu Live
Step 1. Launch the Hulu app and choose the settings button.
Step 2. You will select “Profiles” and then create a new child profile.
Step 3. Turn on the kids mode to enable filter for kids friendly shows only.
Step 4. Then set up a PIN to stop kids from changing the settings.
Bonus: how to prevent kids from being addicted to streaming platforms?
A large part of why parents are concerned with kids today is how much time they’re spending with a screen. But once kids find their favorite shows on YouTube TV or Hulu Live, it can be hard to pry them away from the screen and get them to swing by your house chores. Here are a few tips to help prevent your kids from becoming addicted:
- Set time limits: Give your child a daily or weekly limit on how much TV time to spend.
- Encourage breaks: Rest assured that your kids take regular breaks – between shows or movies – to go up and move around.
- Create other entertainment Options: The alternatives are outdoor play, reading, and family board games.
- Use parental control apps: The FlashGet Kids app can even help you manage screen time, block the selfishness of many apps, and keep track of what your children are watching.
FlashGet Kids offers features like:
- Daily screen time limits.
- Customizable schedules to ensure a balance between screen time and other activities.
- App blockers to keep your kid away from harmful streaming apps.
Conclusion
Between YouTube TV vs Hulu Live, both are fabulous options for families with their own sets of pros. It’s more of a strength when it comes to live channel selection and ease of use, but Hulu Live gives you more on-demand and better exclusive Hulu Originals. Both services also have great parental controls targeting families with children, but also good content that is child-friendly and with powerful privacy policies.
Similarly, if you wish to go a step further to protect your kids on such streaming services, I’d recommend FlashGet Kids. This parental control tool will give you complete control over their content consumption. Give it a shot!
FAQs
Which is better, YouTube TV or Hulu Live TV?
Both have strengths: With live channels, YouTube TV is better, though. Similarly, Hulu Live is better with on-demand content. So, YouTube TV VS Hulu Live comes down to your preferences for either live channels or on-demand content.
What age is appropriate for kids to use YouTube TV?
With parental controls turned on, YouTube TV is appropriate for children 5 +.
Does Hulu Live offer kid-friendly profiles?
Hulu Live does include profiles that offer child-friendly content. Moreover, the kid-friendly (ages dictate what’s likely to be OK to watch) profiles are easily accessible on this service.
