INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
If you're not keen on spending money on subscription-based streaming video services like Netflix and Hulu, there's a growing number of
alternative options that provide free, ad-supported movies and TV shows
Crackle and Tubi are two of the biggest current options, and you can also add Pluto TV to that pile.With all three, you get something for
things a bit differently than those other services by bringing together a wide array of content, including web-based and bespoke channels
curated from licensed TV shows, as well as movie "channels" with on-demand films.Despite the unique approach, the end result is the same:
Pluto TV offers a large amount of streaming content, it's available to watch on a lot of different devices, and it's completely free of
You don't even need to sign up for an account to start using Pluto TV: the first time you click over to Pluto TV's website or load up one of
the apps, you'll have a channel up and running right away.Pluto TV is entirely ad-supported, and you'll encounter these commercials in
different ways while watching
At times, I've fired up the website and watched 2-3 minutes' worth of ads before the content started - or occasionally after flipping
In other cases, the streams started right away without any sort of commercials preempting the movie or TV show.The streaming TV channels
have their usual commercial breaks every so often, and if you're watching something and click to go back earlier in the content, you might
be forced to watch a couple minutes of ads before playback resumes.The ads themselves are usually short, between 15-30 seconds apiece, but
you're reading this article on can access Pluto TV
It's pretty widely available across desktop, mobile, and set-top box devices, as well as smart TVs, even if it's not as ubiquitous as
something like Netflix.First and foremost, you can access the Pluto TV website from a web browser
There's also a desktop app available for Windows and Mac computers, if you plan on using Pluto a lot and would rather have something native
installed.If you're on an iOS or Android phone or tablet, you can download the official app from each respective store
Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV devices all have apps available, as well, plus smart TVs from Vizio, Samsung, and Sony offer
That's the main thrust of it, obviously
But Pluto TV isn't the only ad-supported service out there, so what makes this one distinctThe way the Pluto TV presents its offerings is
Rather than just open up access to a vault full of on-demand stuff, Pluto is set up like a cable or satellite package, with a channel guide
full of various channels to flip between
However, these mostly aren't the same kind of channels you'll find on any pay service or even over the air.There are a few familiar live
channels in the mix, such as Bloomberg and CBSN
But some channels feature familiar names and content, but aren't like - like an NBC News/MSNBC hybrid that airs repeat episodes from past
days, and a Fox Sports channel that does much the same.Elsewhere, some of the channels are themed, original Pluto TV creations that cobble
together existing content from other sources
For example, sports channels like Fight, Impact! Wrestling, and Stadium show sometimes years-old events
Anime All Day, meanwhile, really does show anime all day.There are channels for the World Poker Tour and Rifftrax, as well as channels that
curate web content from places like The Onion, IGN, GameSpot, Nerdist, and CNET
None of that content appears to be exclusive to Pluto TV, but it's another way to check in on your favorite sources for web video - or find
new favorites by channel flipping, of course.All told, there are more than 75 different channels spread across categories like News, Sports,
Comedy, Geek + Gaming, Chill Out (mostly music and nature-themed stuff), Entertainment, Life + Style, Curiosity (science and documentaries),
and finally a chunk of music and radio channels at the bottom.There are themed movie channels, as well, with names like Pluto Movies, Flicks
of Fury, and Horror 24/7 that deliver a mix of options
the beginning like on-demand content, even when the listing shows them nearly completed
You can click "live" to jump ahead to that spot.On the other hand, when watching from the iPad app, the movie channels would just drop us in
at the current spot in the schedule
But that's seemingly because the app has a separate "Free Movies + TV" on-demand section, where you can load up those movies whenever you
It's an odd discrepancy between platforms, even if the end result is ultimately the same.As of this writing, the movie selection features
major flicks like Shutter Island, Hugo, True Grit, and The Fighter, along with a mix of older fan-favorites (Bill Ted's Excellent
Comparing their content libraries, it's a clear slam dunk for Netflix
Not only does Netflix have a massive and ever-swelling library of completely original and exclusive content, but it also has more recent
films on offer, a large selection of great television shows, and other fun curiosities to discover
Netflix also has an excellent selection of kids' content, while Pluto TV has bits and pieces.Pluto TV, on the other hand, cobbles a lot of
its content together from other disparate free sources, and has a lot of stuff you've probably never heard of beyond its small, headline
layer of noteworthy films
But it's free, and it's something to watch if you're not choosy
It can complement a Netflix subscription, too, if you just want another option for stumbling onto something you might not have queued up
Cats 24/7 is, quite literally, an all-day channel about cats: documentary shows, YouTube-like cute kitty clips, and even "Cats Gone Wild"
episodes of shows like Bleach, One-Punch Man, and Saint Seiya: Soul of Gold
like a nicely random bit of nonsense
While watching, Vibes went in one moment from odd short films backed by thumping electronic tunes, then segued to a few minutes of The
Little Rascals, and then ultimately showed adults riding homemade tricycles down steep hills
