Everything you need to know about the new TV service

T-Mobile is officially launching its new TV service for cable cutting across the country today. T-Mobile TVision offers affordable channel packages for post-paid T-Mobile customers as well as its own Android TV HDMI dongle. We used the service and hardware for a few days. Here’s what we think of T-Mobile TVision.

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What is TVision?

At the end of 2017, T-Mobile announced that it would take over the small cable television company Layer3. At the time, the carrier said it would use the technology developed by Layer3 as the foundation for a disruptive cable television service that would challenge competitors like Comcast and Charter.

In 2019, Layer3 was renamed TVision and cable television was offered in some major US cities for $ 100 per month. However, telecommunications have now decided to offer something similar to the many Internet-based TV services for the nationwide rollout of TVision. On the surface, this will give T-Mobile customers a solid way to cut the cable, albeit with some caveats.

Prices for T-Mobile TVision

• TVision Vibe: ($ 10 per month for two simultaneous streams)
• TVision Live: ($ 40 per month for three simultaneous streams)
• TVision Live Plus: ($ 50 per month for three simultaneous streams)
• TVision Live Zone: ($ 60 per month for three simultaneous streams)

All of these package prices are available today, November 1, 2020, for subscribers to T-Mobile postpaid accounts. They will be available to older Sprint subscribers later in November. In 2021 prepaid T-Mobile customers and non-T-Mobile customers will be able to access TVision, but prices may differ.

T-Mobile customers who register for TVision Live Plus or Live Zone before December 31, 2020 can secure one year of Apple TV Plus free of charge. You can also purchase an Apple TV 4K set-top box for the discounted price of $ 99.

TVision Packages: Affordable, but with some missing channels

Let’s go through the different packages you can get with TVision.

TVision vibe

TVision Live

TVision Live Plus

Everything in TVision Live plus the following channels:

• ACC network
• Big Ten Network
• ESPN College Extra
• ESPNews
• ESPNU
• Golf Channel
• NFL network
• Olympic Canal
• SEC network
• Nat Geo Wild
• TCM
• Regional NBC sports channels (if available)

TVision Live Zone

Everything in TVision Live and TVision Live Plus as well as the following channels:

• Longhorn network
• MavTV
• NFL Redzone
• Outside the TV
• CNBC World
• Fox deported
• ESPN deported
• Universo

There are a few things that make TVision channel selection and its pricing tiers different. T-Mobile has included a ton of popular entertainment channels in its own very affordable pricing package. 33 entertainment channels as well as a news channel (BBC World News) are available in the TVision Vibe package for only $ 10 per month. This could be attractive to T-Mobile customers who want to try the service but don’t want to spend a lot of money.

If you want one or more of the TVision Vibe channels and still want to sign up for the TVision Live package for $ 40 per month, you must also add the Vibe tier. This means your bill is at least $ 50 per month.

The TVision Live package offers a mix of entertainment, news, sports and local TV channels. A major exception is the lack of support for local CBS channels. This means that T-Mobile customers have to register for CBS All Access if they want their local CBS partner. In some cities, your local ABC or Fox partner may not be available on TVision Live, but you will still receive the national live feed from these networks.

After TVision Live, the packages will become more specialized. The TVision Live Plus tier offers a range of sports channels and some entertainment channels. The TVision Live Zone level adds a mix of Spanish language, news, and sports channels to the mix.

In addition, you can purchase some pay cable movie channels as additional packages. Epix is ​​available for $ 5.99 per month, Starz can be added for $ 8.99 per month, and Showtime can be purchased for $ 10.99 per month. We are sorry! There is no HBO included. You have to pay for HBO Max to get this content.

TVision App: Good user interface, but nothing spectacular

If you are a T-Mobile customer, you can download the TVision app to access the service. It is available for Android, iOS, Apple TV as well as for Android TV and Amazon Fire TV sticks, set-top boxes and smart TVs. Unfortunately, there is no web browser support for PCs. Roku owners are also unlucky.

The service also has a cloud DVR function that allows you to record up to 100 hours of television. However, you can’t keep it forever. The content disappears from the cloud DVR nine months after recording. It comes with all plan tiers except the Vibe plan, which is an additional $ 5 per month.

We had to test the iOS version of the app with an iPad Pro tablet that was provided to us by T-Mobile. The app’s homepage offers a general overview of the current TV shows and films of the day. As you scroll down, you will be presented with certain categories of content like comedy movies and more. You can also see which channels are being deployed at your package level.

There is a separate guide page for all of your live TV channels. You can quickly record any live TV show or movie on your cloud DVR, or schedule a future show or movie to be recorded. There are also separate pages for on-demand TV and movie streaming.

Parents will be happy to know they can create a PIN that locks out all adult-rated programs when their kids use the app. You can have up to 10 different profiles in one account so that all family members can easily use the service. Overall, the TVision app’s user interface and features are solid, but not exactly groundbreaking.

TVision Hub: A solid Android TV device

In addition to the streaming service, the network operator also sells the $ 50 T-Mobile TVision Hub. It’s an HDMI dongle with Android TV and pre-installed access to TVision. It comes with its own remote control, with quick access buttons to the TVision homepage, channel guide and your cloud DVR recordings. It is certainly a solid Android TV if you don’t have a smart TV. It supports television and shows a resolution of up to 4K. Inside there is 2 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage as well as an ARM-based processor with a clock rate of 1.8 GHz. The device can also be powered from a USB port if your TV has one on hand.

With the dongle, TVision customers can receive services that are not included in the channel packages (such as CBS and HBO). You can download and access standard subscription streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, as well as completely free services like Pluto TV. The Google Assistant also offers voice commands to find a channel, streaming service, or a specific movie or TV show. In practice, the remote is quite easy to use, although we don’t think the number buttons below are required.

Continue reading: The best Android TVs

TVision Hub’s user interface shows what you’ve just watched, and you can customize the streaming apps you want from the home screen. The home page also has links to the manual and the DVR. The user interface is very responsive when you use the remote control, so you won’t experience huge delays or loading times.

The recent launch of Google Chromecast with Google TV has made us more choosy about Android TV devices. The latest dongle from Google has the new Google TV Content Hub skin for Android TV. This allows you to customize your homepage, but you can also download the same TVision app for Android TV on Google’s device. It also costs the same as the T-Mobile device. Even though the TVision Hub is a solid device again, we think it’s better to get the new Chromecast with Google TV instead and just install the TVision app.

If you are a T-Mobile customer and want to cut the cable on your cable television or satellite television system, the TVision packages are a very affordable way to get live and on-demand cable television channels. We would like CBS channels to be in one of the packages, and the lack of Roku and web access is a bit of an issue. For most customers, however, this shouldn’t be a problem. The TVision Hub is really not needed here either; Just get a Google Chromecast with Google TV and you’re done.

Frequently asked questions about T-Mobile TVision

Q: When will TVision be available?
ONE: The service is currently only available to T-Mobile postpaid customers. Later in November, older Sprint customers will be able to add TVision to their accounts. In 2021, it will be available to T-Mobile prepaid customers and the general public.

Q: Do I also have to get the TVision Hub?
ONE: No. The TVision Hub is optionally available. You can download the TVision app for Android TV, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV for your TV if you already have hardware to run it on.

Q: Will all of my local TV channels be available?
ONE: No. TVision plans are missing from CBS and the CW networks. Some Fox and ABC partners in certain cities may not be available, but the statewide feeds for these networks can still be accessed.

Q: Can I access TVision on my PC?
ONE: No, the service does not yet allow web access on a PC platform.