Switching to a cable TV streaming app is a straightforward means to economize whereas persevering with to look at your favourite reveals and films. Nevertheless, some streaming apps may be virtually as costly as your present cable plan.
Fortunately, Philo is an inexpensive approach to watch cable channels for less than $20 per thirty days. Whereas different providers might cost as a lot as $65 a month for an entry-level bundle, Philo makes chopping the wire cost-effective.
This evaluate might help you resolve if the service is best for you.
Abstract
Philo streams greater than 60 cable channels and affords limitless cloud DVR for $20 per thirty days. You received’t have the ability to stream sports activities or native channels.
Professionals
- $20 month-to-month price
- Limitless DVR
- Stream on three screens
Cons
- No sports activities or locals
- DVR solely final 30 days
- No parental controls
What’s Philo?
Philo affords over 60 channels for $20 a month, making it one of many least expensive cable streaming apps out there.
The service additionally affords:
- Limitless DVR with 30 days of storage
- Watching on as much as three gadgets at a time
- Creating as much as 10 person profiles
It’s vital to notice that you just received’t get sports activities channels or native stations with this service. Not having these channels could be an inconvenience when you’re a sports activities fan or don’t have a TV antenna.
That mentioned, Philo is a wonderful means to economize when you don’t watch sports activities or native programming.
Who’s Philo For?
In the event you watch way of life and leisure channels, Philo may very well be a very good resolution for you. It’s an amazing choice for family-friendly channels, and its limitless cloud DVR is useful for individuals with busy schedules.
This platform will also be a very good choice when you don’t wish to pay additional for sports activities programming. Sports activities packages are one of many essential causes that different cable TV options are considerably dearer.
For viewers who wish to watch sports activities or native stations, Philo may not be the correct cable different.
How A lot Does Philo Price?
Philo affords a seven-day free trial after which prices $20 per thirty days.
The streaming service solely affords one month-to-month plan that features 60+ channels and limitless DVR. This plan is called a “skinny bundle” because it solely affords a few of the hottest cable channels.
With Philo, you don’t must signal a contract. As an alternative, you pay month-to-month. There aren’t any cancellation charges to pause or cease your subscription.
You possibly can pay on your month-to-month membership with a bank card, debit card or PayPal account.
Add-Ons
In contrast to different cable options, Philo doesn’t provide many add-ons.
There are solely two out there channel add-ons, together with:
- Epix ($6/month)
- Starz ($9/month)
No extra upgrades can be found. For instance, you may’t pay extra for the power to stream on extra gadgets directly or additional cloud DVR storage.
How Does Philo Work?
Philo requires an web connection and an internet-connected gadget like a sensible TV, laptop computer or smartphone. Different streaming apps have the identical primary necessities.
You possibly can watch channels reside with normal commercials. It’s additionally potential to entry an on-demand library for a lot of channels and report reside programming with the cloud DVR.
Supported Units
Philo works on many gadgets, making it simple to look at your favourite reveals from almost wherever.
It’s potential to look at Philo on these gadgets:
- Roku: All present gadgets
- Amazon Hearth TV: All present gadgets
- Apple TV: 4th technology or later
- Android TV: 5.0 or increased
- Chromecast: 2nd technology or later utilizing the Philo Android cell app
- PC: Any supported internet browser
- Mac: Any supported internet browser
- Android cell gadgets: OS 5.0 or increased
- iOS cell gadgets: Utilizing the cell browser or the Philo cell app
- Amazon Hearth pill: OS 5.0 or increased
You possibly can watch Philo on virtually any TV or cell gadget that connects to the web. This implies you may watch at dwelling, throughout your commute or whereas touring.
Really useful Web Speeds
As much as three gadgets can stream on Philo concurrently. If every gadget is on the identical web connection, your web pace influences the video playback high quality and buffering frequency.
It’s possible you’ll get the next video decision with these bandwidth speeds:
- 13+ Mbps: Stream HD video on a number of gadgets on the identical community
- 7 Mbps: Stream one HD video (a number of gadgets might buffer or have SD)
- 3 Mbps: Stream SD video on all gadgets however might expertise buffering
- Beneath 3 Mbps: Lowered video high quality which will buffer or load slowly
These advisable web speeds are just like different streaming apps.
The video high quality is 720p for reside content material and 1080p for on-demand content material. Different streaming apps have related video high quality.
It’s price testing the playback high quality for Philo earlier than canceling your TV service to keep away from potential cancellation and reconnection charges.
What Channels Does Philo Have?
You possibly can stream over 60 way of life, leisure and information channels to simply watch reside TV.
A few of the finest channels embrace:
- A&E
- AMC
- Comedy Central
- DIY Community
- Hallmark Channel (together with Hallmark Drama and Hallmark Motion pictures & Mysteries)
- HGTV
- Historical past
- Nickelodeon
- Oprah Winfrey Community (OWN)
- Paramount Community
- Science Channel
- UPtv
Subscribers can watch reside programming from the 60+ cable channels for reveals and films.
Whereas family-friendly programming is out there, the service at present doesn’t provide parental controls.
The reside broadcasts use the Japanese time zone content material schedule. It’s potential to report reside reveals to look at as much as 30 days later due to the DVR characteristic.
Free Channels
Subscribers can even combine free channels into their Philo membership.
The next choices are at present out there:
- Bloomberg Tv
- Cheddar
- Crackle
- Revry
These channels can be found immediately from the supplier. For instance, Crackle streams free reveals and films when you’re keen to look at commercials.
Premium Channel Add-Ons
There are two premium channel add-ons out there which will please film followers. The Epix and Starz platforms every provide unique reveals and films unavailable on different cable channels.
It’s additionally potential to purchase these add-ons exterior of Philo for a similar worth. That mentioned, you could have to obtain a standalone app to look at the channels with out this streaming service.
Epix
The Epix add-on affords a free seven-day trial. After the trial ends, it prices $6 per thirty days.
With this add-on, you may watch Epix, Epix Hits and Epix2.
Starz
Just like Epix, Starz additionally affords a seven-day free trial. As soon as the trial expires, Starz prices $9 per thirty days.
This add-on consists of Starz, Starz Encore and Starz Children & Household.
Excluded Channels
Earlier than signing up for Philo, it’s vital to verify your favourite channels aren’t excluded from the lineup.
Some widespread cable channels are lacking from Philo embrace:
- CNN
- Disney
- ESPN
- Fox Information
- Fox Sports activities Community
- Native channels (i.e., ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and PBS)
- SyFy
As an alternative of watching the information in your native affiliate, CNN or Fox Information, there are some options. Two choices embrace BBC America and Newsy.
If channels like Disney and ESPN are vital to your loved ones, contemplate Sling TV. The Sling Orange bundle prices $40 month-to-month and consists of the Disney, ESPN and CNN channels.
Key Options
Listed below are a few of the finest Philo options that include every subscription.
TV All over the place
It’s potential to stream Philo from virtually any TV, pc or cell gadget. The service is out there in all 50 US states together with the territories and commonwealths when you use the Philo app.
Nevertheless, chances are you’ll choose the comfort of the TV All over the place app. It companions with most cable networks and streaming apps to reside stream channels in your subscription plan.
TV All over the place may be handy when you subscribe to a number of reside TV providers as you solely want to put in one app as an alternative of an app for every service. You possibly can change accounts between Philo and different platforms.
One draw back of the TV All over the place app is that not each channel is out there for every gadget. You will want to make use of the Philo app to look at the 60+ channels on any gadget.
DVR Capabilities
The service affords limitless cloud DVR for any present or film on the streaming schedule. Recordings self-delete after 30 days.
Since not each program affords on-demand playback, the DVR characteristic can make sure you don’t miss your favourite present or film.
Different streaming platforms restrict space for storing to a particular variety of hours. It could be potential to pay additional for limitless DVR storage with the opponents, however Philo doesn’t provide this feature.
It’s possible you’ll contemplate recording reside content material to quick ahead by way of commercials or once you don’t have time to take a seat down and watch the reside broadcast.
On-Demand Library
Along with the cloud DVR, Philo affords over 60,000 reveals and films out there on demand. Most of this content material comes immediately from the cable channels.
You possibly can watch new and basic productions. It could even be potential to quick ahead by way of commercials for many on-demand content material.
72-Hour Rewind
Many reveals can be found to look at once more inside 72 hours of airing. These choices may be completely different from the on-demand library and handy when you neglect to schedule a DVR recording.
Cell App Distant
The Philo cell app for Android and iOS gadgets streams all channels. It may possibly additionally double as a distant management when streaming from a TV.
Positives and Negatives
Listed below are some explanation why chances are you’ll or might not select to make use of Philo.
Professionals
- Over 60 channels
- On-demand reveals and films
- Limitless cloud DVR
- Low month-to-month price
- Stream on three screens directly
Cons
- Just one plan choice
- No sports activities or native channels
- Requires quick web connection to stop buffering
- DVR recordings delete after 30 days
- No parental controls
FAQs
Need to know extra about how Philo works? Listed below are a number of generally requested questions.
Clients can contact Philo by on-line chat or calling a customer support quantity to troubleshoot issues. There’s additionally a primary on-line data library.
Sure, it’s potential to stream on as much as three gadgets on the similar time. Customers can even report reside reveals and films with the DVR characteristic to look at later.
Sure. One approach to spend much less with Philo is by referring pals to make use of the app. You and your buddy every save $5 on the following invoice when utilizing your referral hyperlink.
T-Cell subscribers can even save $10 month-to-month for the primary 12 months of utilizing Philo. Certified prospects can go to the T-Cell promotions part to activate this provide.
Sure. Because you pay for Philo month-to-month and there’s no contract, it’s simple to cancel.
To cancel a Philo subscription, go to the account administration web page, then faucet the “Cancel my account” button to finish the cancellation course of.
Canceling the subscription will cease the auto-renew characteristic and received’t invoice your fee card on the following due date.
The cancellation course of is analogous for the Epix and Starz add-ons.
Options to Philo
Philo is likely one of the least expensive streaming apps, however its comparatively restricted channel lineup might provide you with a cause to think about one other service.
Sling TV
Sling TV is probably the most inexpensive Philo different with two packages that price $40 per thirty days or $55 to bundle each. Every bundle has completely different channel lineups, however each provide 50 hours of cloud DVR.
Beneath are the premier channels from every Sling bundle:
- Blue bundle: FX, FS1, NFL Community and choose Fox and NBC native channels
- Orange bundle: Disney, ESPN and Freeform
Learn our Sling TV evaluate to match the channel choices to Philo.
Hulu
Hulu affords an on-demand plan for $5.99 per thirty days. This allows you to watch most reveals and films sooner or later after airing. It additionally offers you entry to the Hulu Originals library.
Paying $64.99 month-to-month for the Hulu + Stay TV plan gives real-time entry to native and cable channels. The on-demand library can be normal.
Whereas the reside TV plan prices extra, you get native and sports activities channels. You may additionally have the ability to stream Hulu free of charge.
FuboTV
Sports activities followers can discover the perfect content material with fuboTV to look at US and worldwide sports activities. Many native channels can be found as nicely.
The entry-level Starter plan begins at $64.99 per thirty days and consists of:
- 112 channels
- 4K video high quality
- Watching on three screens directly
- As much as 250 hours of cloud DVR
YouTube TV
YouTube TV prices $65 per thirty days and affords greater than 85 channels, together with native channels.
The service additionally affords limitless cloud DVR and on-demand content material. This streaming plan generally is a higher choice to get sports activities and native programming.
Abstract
Philo is a straightforward means to economize whereas watching your favourite channels. Having the ability to stream on a number of screens and the limitless DVR storage are additionally good perks.
Nevertheless, different platforms may very well be higher if you wish to watch sports activities or native channels. Be sure you determine the channels you want earlier than selecting a streaming service and chopping the wire.
