INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Thanks to streaming services like Sling TV and YouTube TV and their over-the-top channel bundles, it's possible to cut the cord and still
get live television channels wherever you please
Philo, formerly known as Tivli and backed by the likes of Mark Cuban, is just like those services, but with one very big perk: a lower
To that end Philo shuns traditional network channels and skimps on sports and their pricey package fees, but the end result is a skinny,
entertainment-centric channel bundle that costs less than $20 a month to start
And that's with DVR support included.Does that make Philo a great deal, or will this bundle be too slim to satisfy most users Here's a look
37 streaming channels and costs just $16 per month
You can bump up to 47 total channels on Philo for $20 a month
You'll find a full listing of channels in the next section.The channels stream live just like they'd air on a cable or satellite plan, and
have commercials along the way
If you watch something on-demand, it'll also be punctuated by ad breaks
For example, I watched the movie Ghost Rider from the start via AMC, and there was a four-minute chunk of commercials after every 15-or-so
There also isn't a huge focus on news channels, although there are a couple in the base package.Philo is more focused on entertainment
channels, including popular options like Comedy Central, MTV, Food Network, Nickelodeon, HGTV, and AMC
The expanded $20 bundle adds a handful of extra channels, some of which are pretty niche in appeal.These are the 37 channels available in
the $16 bundle:AE, AMC, Animal Planet, AXS TV, BBC America, BBC World News, BET, Cheddar, CMT, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, DIY
Network, Food Network, FYI, Game Show Network, HGTV, History, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, Lifetime Movies, MTV, MTV2,
Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., OWN, Paramount Network, Science Channel, Sundance TV, TeenNick, TLC, Travel Channel, TV Land, Velocity, VH1,
Viceland, WE tvThe $20/month package, meanwhile, adds these channels to the list above for a grand total of 46 channels:American Heroes
Channel, BET Her, Cooking Channel, Destination America, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, Logo, MTV Live, NicktoonsPhilo offers a free
seven-day trial via its website
You can try it for two days by just inputting a phone number, and can extend the rest of the free trial by adding a form of payment to your
you'll find it on Roku set-top boxes, sticks, and TVs.See a few gaps in there Currently, Philo isn't available natively on Android (you can
watch via Chrome), plus it's not on Apple TV, Android TV, or Amazon Fire boxes
You also won't find it on non-Roku smart TVs or any game consoles
Curiously enough, there isn't a native iPad app either, despite the Philo app for iPhone.They'll fill a couple of those holes soon: the
Android app is slated to launch soon, with Apple TV and Amazon Fire apps coming this summer
It's seemingly just a symptom of a small company expanding out bit by bit, but the slim set-top box access and lack of an Android or native
to watch a few dozen streaming channels for $20 or less per month, making it the cheapest of the live bundle services today
And you can always access network channels via an affordable HD antenna.Unlike some competing services, the base bundle includes DVR
also lets you watch up to three simultaneous streams across multiple devices, and that's a standard feature on either bundle
Even a paid service like Hulu requires an additional fee to watch on more than one device at the same time.Philo also recently rolled out TV
Everywhere support, meaning that you can login to each channel's dedicated apps using your Philo info and access additional on-demand shows
less per month, complete with on-demand content, cloud DVR support, and three simultaneous streams.Philo isn't for sports fans, serious news
buffs, or anyone seeking streaming broadcast channels, and it lacks the kind of premium extras seen with some services' add-on packages
Apple TV, Android TV, or Amazon Fire TV device, plus a native Android app is still M.I.A
and the iOS app is only optimized for iPhones
Those drawbacks should be alleviated in time, however, and there's no doubt that Philo's core price-to-content offering is plenty
appealing.Ready to start your free seven-day trial Head on over to sign up at Philo's website.Looking for a console-friendly streaming
service Check out PlayStation VueWV8PPi6HbDqthr8fFNGdp.jpg#
