Switching to a cable TV streaming app is an easy way to save money while continuing to watch your favorite shows and movies. However, some streaming apps can be almost as expensive as your current cable plan.
Luckily, Philo is an affordable way to watch cable channels for only $25 per month. While other services may charge as much as $73 a month for an entry-level package, Philo makes cutting the cord cost-effective. I also like that you can watch similar shows at a fraction of the cost.
This review can help you decide if the service is right for you.
Summary
Philo streams more than 60 cable channels and offers unlimited cloud DVR for $20 per month. You won’t be able to stream sports or local channels.
Pros
- $20 monthly cost
- Unlimited DVR
- Stream on three screens
Cons
- No sports or locals
- DVR only last 30 days
- No parental controls
What is Philo?
Philo offers over 70 channels for $25 a month, making it one of the cheapest cable streaming apps available.
The service also offers:
- Unlimited DVR with one year of storage
- Watching on up to three devices at a time
- Creating up to 10 user profiles
It’s important to note that you won’t get cable news, sports channels or local stations with this service. Not having these channels might be an inconvenience if you’re a sports fan or don’t have a TV antenna.
That said, Philo is an excellent way to save money if you don’t watch sports or local programming.
I find my news through other online platforms and like being able to watch my favorite shows and movies through this platform with reduced commercials, too. I can temporarily subscribe to other services to watch my favorite sports teams and still spend less than a year-round cable subscription.
Who is Philo For?
If you watch lifestyle and entertainment channels, Philo could be a good solution for you. It’s a great option for family-friendly channels, and its unlimited cloud DVR is helpful for people with busy schedules.
This platform can also be excellent if you don’t want to pay extra for sports programming. Sports packages are one of the main reasons that other cable TV alternatives are significantly more expensive.
For viewers who want to watch sports or local stations, Philo might not be the right cable alternative.
I like this streaming service as my family can watch new programming like the latest Hallmark Christmas movie, reruns of popular sitcoms, and timeless movies on demand. Having over 50 free channels is also convenient to avoid downloading more streaming apps for extra content.
How Much Does Philo Cost?
Philo offers a seven-day free trial and then costs $25 per month.
The streaming service only offers one monthly plan that includes 70+ channels and unlimited DVR. This plan is known as a “skinny bundle” since it only offers some of the most popular cable channels.
You can add a few premium movie channels for an extra monthly fee.
With Philo, you don’t have to sign a contract. Instead, you pay month-to-month. There are no cancellation fees to pause or stop your subscription. I like this flexibility as I tend to watch TV in the winter months but am outside the majority of summer instead to have fun at night.
You can pay for your monthly membership with a credit card, debit card, or PayPal account.
Add-Ons
Unlike other cable alternatives, Philo doesn’t offer many add-ons.
There are only three available channel add-ons, including:
- Movies & More ($3/month)
- MGM+ ($6/month)
- Starz ($10/month)
No additional upgrades are available. For example, you can’t pay more for the ability to stream on more devices at once or ad-free streaming.
How Does Philo Work?
Philo requires an internet connection and an internet-connected device like a smart TV, laptop or smartphone. Other streaming apps have the same basic requirements.
You can watch channels live with standard commercials. It’s also possible to access an on-demand library for many channels and record live programming with the cloud DVR.
I like looking for videos on demand (VOD) as the commercial breaks are one minute. In comparison, live broadcasts and DVR replays have approximate three-minute commercial stretches. The show or movie page highlights VOD options with limited advertisements.
You can also stream free TV apps through Philo to satisfy your content needs. This convenience also prevents having multiple viewer accounts to remember passwords for or install on new devices.
Supported Devices
Philo works on many devices, making it easy to watch your favorite shows from nearly anywhere.
It’s possible to watch Philo on these devices:
- Roku: All current devices
- Amazon Fire TV: All current devices
- Apple TV: OS 15.0 or later
- Android TV: 5.0 or higher
- Chromecast: 2nd generation or later using the Philo Android mobile app
- Samsung TV: 2017 models or later
- PC: Any supported web browser
- Mac: Any supported web browser
- Android mobile devices: OS 5.0 or higher
- iOS mobile devices: OS 15.0 or higher
- Amazon Fire tablet: OS 5.0 or higher
You can watch Philo on almost any TV or mobile device that connects to the internet. This means you can watch at home, during your commute or while traveling.
Recommended Internet Speeds
Up to three devices can stream on Philo simultaneously. If each device is on the same internet connection, your internet speed influences the video playback quality and buffering frequency.
You may get the following video resolution with these bandwidth speeds:
- 13+ Mbps: Stream HD video on multiple devices on the same network
- 7 Mbps: Stream one HD video (multiple devices may buffer or have SD)
- 3 Mbps: Stream SD video on all devices but may experience buffering
- Below 3 Mbps: Reduced video quality that may buffer or load slowly
These recommended internet speeds are similar to other streaming apps.
The video quality is 720p for live content and 1080p for on-demand content. Other streaming apps have similar video quality.
It’s worth testing the playback quality for Philo before canceling your TV service to avoid potential cancellation and reconnection fees.
I find the playback quality to be competitive with other streaming services. Since my internet connection speed is slower due to living in a rural area, I can connect up to two devices at once without buffering or SD playback.
What Channels Does Philo Have?
You can stream over 70 lifestyle, entertainment and news channels to easily watch live TV.
Some of the best channels include:
- A&E
- AMC
- Comedy Central
- DIY Network
- Great American Family (including Great American Faith & Living)
- Hallmark Channel (including Hallmark Drama and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
- HGTV
- History
- Nickelodeon
- Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN)
- Paramount Network
- Science Channel
- TLC
- Travel Channel
- UPtv
Subscribers can watch live programming from the 70+ cable channels for shows and movies.
While family-friendly programming is available, the service currently doesn’t offer parental controls. As a parent of young children, I wish the app would offer this feature to help block out some of the programming that’s only appropriate for adults.
The live broadcasts use the Eastern time zone content schedule. It’s possible to record live shows to watch up to 12 months later thanks to the DVR feature. To me, the on-demand library is impressive if you enjoy watching older shows and movies. These perks make it easy to fight inflation at home.
Free Channels
Subscribers can also integrate over 20 free channels into their Philo membership.
The following options are currently available:
- Cheddar News
- Chicken Soup For The Soul
- Cinevault
- Crackle
- Ebony TV
- Gusto TV
- Nashville Channel
- Outside
- RetroCrush
- The Bob Ross Channel
- USA Today
- Vevo
These channels are available directly from the provider and appear automatically in the channel guide. For example, Crackle streams free shows and movies if you’re willing to watch commercials.
