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T-Mobile TVision streaming service shuts down after very short run

The live TV service debuted just five months ago. T-Mobile will instead offer $10 discounts on Philo and YouTube TV.

David Katzmaier Editorial Director -- Personal Tech
David reviews TVs and leads the Personal Tech team at CNET, covering mobile, software, computing, streaming and home entertainment. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what gadget or service to buy and how to get the most out of it.
Expertise A 20-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. Prior to CNET he worked at Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. He is known to two people on Twitter as the Cormac McCarthy of consumer electronics. Credentials
  • Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
David Katzmaier
2 min read
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Goodbye TVision, we hardly knew you. On April 29 T-Mobile will wind down its live TV streaming service, which launched just five months ago. Instead the wireless carrier will partner with other services, namely Philo and YouTube TV, by offering $10 off their monthly subscription prices. 

TVision was available to T-Mobile subscribers who wanted to replace a cable subscription with live TV channels streamed over the internet. Its base TVision Vibe package cost just $10 per month, making it the least expensive such option and an excellent value. Step-up packages, dubbed TVision Live, offered more channels, including local stations, starting at $40 per month.

Read more: Streaming services comparison: Which of the top 100 channels do they offer?

The new $10 discounts are available now to all current TVision customers, and will roll out to new T-Mobile and Sprint customers starting April 6. They cut the monthly cost of Philo in half, from $20 to $10, and bring a YouTube TV subscription down to $55 per month. Current customers also get a free month of either YouTube TV or Philo, depending on which package they chose. The carrier says the TVision Hub, an Android TV streaming device, will work with Philo and YouTube TV.

TVision launched amid controversy, with three of its partner networks -- Discovery, ViacomCBS and Comcast's NBCUniversal -- claiming the service was never properly vetted by them. Soon after the complaints surfaced, T-Mobile added more channels to its Live packages.

The passing of TVision is just the latest change in the fast-paced world of live TV streaming. Stalwarts Sling TV, YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV all raised prices by $5 recently and in January AT&T TV rebranded and consolidated its service -- and, yes, raised prices too. Now Philo, which starts at $20 per month with no sports or local channels, is the cheapest such service.