Philo is one of the many multi-channel streaming service offerings in the community. It acts as a replacement for expensive cable and satellite plans offered by major companies and is referred to as “cord-cutting”. As time marches on, more and more watchers are dropping their high priced services in exchange for internet TV services. Philo came to the internet TV market early, launching its product in 2009. Of course, it has only improved with time. These days, there are several ways to watch these types of services. Those include Amazon Fire TV, Roku, smart TVs, and more. With so many options out there, it is hard to know what the best service is. If you like certain networks and shows, Philo may be a great solution for you.
In this review, we plan on telling you about the important items of the service. Even though Philo may not be as well known as others, you can find some great live TV choices as well as on-demand selections.
How Much Does Philo Cost?
Providing you do not get any of the extra channels, Philo is only $20 a month. If you are used to paying a high amount for your cable or satellite service, that is quite a savings. Additionally, you can add the premium channels of Epix, Epix Hits, and Epix 2 for $6 a month and Starz, StarzEncore, and Starz Kids & Family for $9 a month.
Does Philo Have a Free Trial?
Yes, however, they do it a bit differently than most services. You use your mobile phone number to sign up for the free, 7-day trial of Philo’s 60 channel package. After 2 days, you’ll have the option of extending the trial to a full week by entering payment information. That should give you a pretty good idea to see if the service is right for you.
What Channels does Philo Offer?
As you can see in the image above, there are quite a few things you can watch on-demand. However, we will take a look at the channels available with the service. Keep in mind that these channels may be subject to change. The channels are:
- A&E
- AMC
- American Heroes Channel
- Animal Planet
- AspireTV
- AXS TV
- BBC America
- BBC World News
- BET
- BET Her
- Cheddar
- CLEO TV
- CMT
- Comedy Central
- Cooking Channel
- Destination America
- Discovery Channel
- Discovery Family
- Discovery Life
- DIY Network
- Food Network
- FYI
- Game Show Network
- getTV
- Great American Country
- Hallmark Channel
- Hallmark Drama
- Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
- HGTV
- History
- IFC
- INSP
- Investigation Discovery
- Law&Crime
- Lifetime
- LMN
- Logo
- Motor Trend
- MTV
- MTV Classic
- MTV Live
- MTV2
- Nick Jr.
- Nickelodeon
- Nicktoons
- Oprah Winfrey Network
- Paramount Network
- PeopleTV
- REVOLT
- Science Channel
- Sundance TV
- Tastemade
- TeenNick
- TLC
- Travel Channel
- TV Land
- TV One
- UPtv
- VH1
- Vice
- WE tv
Does Philo Support DVR?
Yes. One of the great things about Philo is the ability to use unlimited DVR. You can save any of the shows you want to, and they’ll be available to view for 30 days. On those items, you can fast-forward through commercials. Now, we will talk about how to stream Philo on your TV.
How to Stream Philo on your TV
Even though you can watch Philo on your computer or favorite mobile device, watching it on your TV is easy to do. Just follow these steps.
- Access the menu on your smart TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, other others.
- Do a search for Philo and download the app.
- Start the free trial after signing up for the service.
- Enjoy your streaming service.
Is Philo Worth It?
That depends on what you are looking for. As you can see, there are a wide variety of different networks that you can watch on the network That said, it may not offer everything that you are looking for. It does allow up to 3 simultaneous streams, but that may not be enough for some families. If you are looking for specific channels, though, this one may work for you. The best way to answer this question is to decide what channels are the most important to you. If the list of your favorites matches up, you can’t go wrong with Philo. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of Philo.
Final Thoughts
The bottom line is that Philo is a solid service at a good price. If you do not mind the fact that there are no sports or local channels, you will find plenty to watch. When testing it, I have not had any problems with the service and of course, I have my favorite shows and channels that I prefer to watch. If you are not particular about the lack of channels I mentioned a moment ago, Philo is a good way to help you save money over traditional cable and satellite models.
