Philo is still one of the cheapest live TV streaming services. It is built for you if you mostly want entertainment channels. It covers lifestyle TV and reality shows.
You also get a good DVR without paying for a giant cable-style bundle. But a low price alone should not decide it for you.
Before you subscribe, here are five essential things to know.
1. Philo is cheap because it leaves out a lot of cable’s biggest categories
This service is not trying to be a full cable replacement.
It is built around entertainment, lifestyle, and factual channels. You get networks like:
- AMC
- Comedy Central
- Discovery
- Food Network
- Hallmark Channel
- HGTV
- History
- Lifetime
- MTV
- Nickelodeon
- Paramount Network
- TLC
- Travel Channel
- VH1
If that is the kind of TV you actually watch most nights, the service makes sense fast.
But Philo keeps the price down by skipping some of the channels many people expect from a full live TV bundle. It does not carry local channels. It also does not come with the big sports setup.
2. Philo now has two paid plans
Philo is no longer a one-plan service. It now has two main paid options.
The cheaper one is Essential. That is the plan most people should start with. It gives you the main Philo live channel lineup. It also has on-demand access and one-year DVR.
Then there is Bundle+, which costs more and adds extra value through included streaming perks. That plan folds in ad-supported AMC+ content, access to HBO Max Basic with Ads, and discovery+. If you already wanted those apps, Bundle+ could look like a very good deal.
The 7-day free trial they usually offer is attached to Essential, not Bundle+. So if you were hoping to test the fuller package for free, that is not how Philo now works.
3. Add-ons and billing choices can change the real cost
Philo is affordable, but your final monthly cost depends on how far you push the service beyond its base plans.
Maybe you want REELZ. You could also want a deeper movie lineup. Or you want Hallmark+ or STARZ. Philo can do that, but those extras are not just part of the standard price.
For example, REELZ sits behind the Movies & More add-on. Hallmark+ is separate. MGM+ is separate. STARZ is separate. There is even a separate ad-free AMC+ upgrade if you want the AMC+ content without commercials on Bundle+.
Billing method also matters. If you subscribe through a third-party biller like Apple, Roku, Amazon, Google, Samsung, or Vizio, you may pay a surcharge. Add-ons also work best when you are billed directly through Philo.
4. Stream limit is still something to watch
If Philo has one feature that still stands out, it is the DVR.
Both Essential and Bundle+ include unlimited DVR, and recordings stay saved for up to one year. That is much better than the short recording windows many older budget services used to offer. It also makes the service much easier to live with if you do not watch everything live.
Profiles are another plus. The service lets you have a maximum of 10 profiles on one account. For families or shared homes, that makes the app feel less messy.
The bigger limit is simultaneous streams. Philo allows three streams at once. If a fourth stream starts, the longest-running one stops. For some homes, that is fine. For others, it is the exact kind of small limit that becomes annoying on a busy night.
5. Philo works on most major devices in the U.S
Philo does a good job on device support. You can use it on practically any device connected to the internet.
Still, you should know the limits before you subscribe.
Philo is a U.S.-only service. You can only use it across the United States and U.S. territories.