Take a tour of YouTube's live TV app

YouTube TV is out now, streaming live TV channels like Fox and ESPN to select US cities for $35 per month. We got a chance to go hands-on with the app. Here's a tour.

The first page you'll see is Home, which lists popular shows on now, complete with full-motion previews. It also suggests TV shows and movies in numerous categories.

YouTube TV's version of a channel guide is presented as a scrollable list with a fill-motion preview at the top.

The channels included on YouTube TV are decent, but not as comprehensive as its competitors -- CNN and HGTV are among the missing channels. AMC networks are coming soon.

The third major section is where you'll find your recorded shows and scheduled recordings. You get unlimited storage and can record any show, but they disappear after nine months.

To watch a show, just select it and turn your phone sideways.

To quickly move through a recorded show, to skip commercials for example, you can use the timeline at the bottom.

Ads are skippable on DVR shows, but if a video-on-demand version appears afterward, it will "replace" the recorded show in your library and disable ad skipping.

And in case you're curious, no, a YouTube TV subscription doesn't entitle you to skip ads on the main YouTube service. For that you'll need to subscribe separately to YouTube Red for $10 a month.

Want to watch on something besides your phone or computer? You'll need a Chromecast or similar device, because YouTube TV's app isn't yet available on TV devices such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV or game consoles.

YouTube is giving away a $35 Chromecast when you pay for the first month of YouTube TV, "while supplies last."

The cast process is the same as with any other app, and in my tests the video quality on a TV was very good.

Here's some of the devices that allow you to get YouTube TV on an actual TV, including the Chromecast, Chromecast Ultra and Nvidia Shield. The service also works with Android TVs from Sony.

In my tests all of the cast-compatible devices worked well, with the exception of a Vizio SmartCast-enabled TV.

Cast worked, but I still prefer a standard app with an actual remote.

As usual, you'll use your phone to control casting to a TV.

One reason I prefer buttons to casting: it's a lot easier to skip commercials.

YouTube says it will add more TV device support later this year, but for now you'll be using your phone if you want to put it on the TV.

You can "follow" particular teams using the app, which shows their upcoming schedule, recent game results and other details. It also auto-records their games, if available on YouTube TV.

Unfortunately, as with most internet TV services, regional sports network coverage is spotty at best, so you're lucky if your team's games (especially baseball and basketball) are available.

Each show gets its own page, complete with episodes and the ability to hit that "+" button to set up a "season pass" and record every upcoming episode.

Once you select a show, you'll get a notification adding it to your library.

Each show page also has a section that surfaces videos from YouTube itself.

The search page works with voice too, of course, and also provides a place for channel and genre browsing.

The service does a great job of separating out different content by genre.

Each channel also gets a page listing shows.

There's no grid-style guide showing current and upcoming shows, but perhaps YouTube will add one on its forthcoming big-screen apps.

Here's a look at the page listing all upcoming cloud DVR recordings.

The Home page has plenty of ideas for what you can watch next.

A subscription to YouTube TV gives you full access to original shows on YouTube Red too.

Start up the app for the first time and you'll be greeted with a friendly tour.

Not much is available in the settings panel.

It's interesting that you can volunteer to be included in Nielsen measurements.

I appreciate the selection of opt-outs.

And closed captions are also available.

Looking for even more info? Here's our video tour.

YouTube TV is available now in select cities for $35 per month, with a free 30-day trial.

For more, check out my in-depth YouTube TV hands-on.