YouTube TV reduces delays, and that may not be good

Last week, Google announced that users could reduce the delay on YouTube TV. That may not be a good thing.

Okay, if you're watching live sports, it's good -- in theory. In practice, maybe not.

Here's what Google posted last week about the new feature:

Broadcast delay is the delay between the camera capturing an event and the event being displayed when you’re watching on your TV.

The lower the broadcast delay, the less buffer the video player will have. With a lower broadcast delay, you’re more likely to experience playback interruption.

Internet congestion, Wi-Fi interference, and other factors may also cause live programming issues, which can delay the stream. Delays can happen even when you have a great network.

What does that mean? Well, TV Answer Man Phillip Swann answered it well:

In other words, if you choose to reduce the delay between the live action of a sports event and when you see it on screen, the odds increase you will experience buffering, picture freezing and other issues. Consequently, I suggest you try it but turn it back off if you undergo more picture problems than normal.

My Streaming Life only uses services such as YouTube TV when live sports is involved. To be, the delay isn't really a problem. But, if it is for you, do as TV Answer Man suggested and give it a try. You may be happy with the result.