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Philo Rating
Philo Review
Philo (R) is an online streaming video service. Philo started as a service that offered streaming channels on college campuses but is now available to everyone. The company was founded by Harvard Unversity and includes investors such as HBO, Facebook co-founder Andrew McCollum, and Mark Cuban. Philo is a no-contract live TV streaming service that delivers live television through your internet connection to devices such as computers, tablets, smartphones, or streaming devices. It requires no installation, there are no extra fees, and you can cancel anytime.
Philo is arguably one of the best streaming services available. Philo is a little different than most streaming services because it does not offer sports channels or local channels. Due to this, the price of the service is incredibly inexpensive and affordable. Philo is compatible with Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch mobile devices, Roku, and from your computer’s browser. This means you can watch Philo at home or on-the-go.
Philo Packages and Pricing
Subscribers can choose from up to two different plans: Philo Base and Philo Plus. Philo does not offer any add-on packages. The Basic package costs $16/month and the Plus package costs $20/month.
| Package Type | Monthly Price | Channels | Simultaneous Streams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philo Basic | |||
| Philo Plus |
Philo Channel Listing
The Philo Basic plan contains 43 different channels. Philo does not offer any sports or local channels and caters specifically to the entertain and lifestyle cord cutters. Here is a list of channels offered by Philo.
- A&E
- AMC
- Animal Planet
- AXS TV
- BBC America
- BBC World News
- BET
- Cheddar
- Cheddar Big News
- CMT
- Comedy Central
- Discovery Channel
- DIY Network
- Food Network
- FYI
- Game Show Network
- Hallmark Channel
- Hallmark Drama
- Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
- HGTV
- History
- IFC
- Investigation Discovery
- Lifetime
- Lifetime Movies
- MotorTrend
- MTV
- MTV2
- Nickelodeon
- Nick Jr.
- Oprah Winfrey Network
- Paramount Network
- PeopleTV
- Science Channel
- Sundance TV
- Tastemade
- TeenNick
- TLC
- Travel Channel
- TV Land
- VH1
- Viceland
- WE tv
The Philo Plus plan contains 56 channels. This plan contains all of the channels in the Basic package plus the ones listed below:
- American Heroes Channel
- aspireTV
- BET Her
- Cooking Channel
- Destination America
- Discovery Family
- Discovery Life
- Law & Crime
- Logo
- MTV Live
- Nicktoons
- REVOLT
- UPtv
Devices Compatible With Philo
Philo is supported by a wide array of devices leaving subscribers with many options. Users have the flexibility to watch their favorite shows and movies in a variety of different ways such as at home on your television or on your phone while you’re on the go. However, compared to other services Philo may be a little lacking. For example, the only way to watch on TV without using smartphone mirroring is with a Roku (which we highly recommend anyway) and there is no native Android app, you must use Chrome.
The following are supported devices:
- All current models of Roku.
- All current models of Fire TV.
- Apple TV, 4th generation or later.
- PC using supported browser.
- Mac using supported browser.
- Andriod 7.0 or higher using Chrome.
- iOS using our mobile app. You can also use Safari, Chrome, or Firefox on your iOS device to manage your account and settings.
Philo is not compatible with Google Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Switch.
Other Philo TV Features and Information
Streams
Philo gives you three simultaneous streams at one time across multiple devices on either the Philo Basic or Philo Plus plan. Some streaming services require an additional fee for more than one stream so this is an above average benefit.
DVR
Philo offers a free, unlimited cloud DVR storage. There are some limitations such as you are only allowed to keep a show for 30 days and you cannot record single episodes, only the entire series. Also, if you start recording after you tune into a channel the recording will start from the beginning of the program. Most other services will charge an additional fee for cloud DVR and most services are not unlimited making this one of the best DVR benefits available vs other streaming services.
Features
Additional features include access to 37 different “TV Everywhere” channel apps such as Comedy Central, Food Network, HGTV, and more. Another great feature includes 72-hour rewind which allows subscribers to watch shows that you didn’t record for up to 72-hours after the show has aired.
Technical Information
Philo has a very stable connection reliability. The service recommends 5 Mbps for each HD stream. Streams are delivered in 720p at 30 fps. This is not as clear as some other services but is more than acceptable considering its non-sports programming. All audio is in standard stereo audio. There is a 25-second delay behind cable TV. It takes about 4.5 seconds to channel switch making it a little slower than most TV viewers are used to.
Philo vs. Cable Cost Calculator
This calculator is designed to demonstrate what your typical cost savings would be if you canceled your cable subscription and signed up for one of Philo’s streaming plans. First, enter the cost of your current plan and then choose which plan you would like. Click here to see our 2018 Cord Cutting Calculator that includes all services.
