Philo Review
Philo is a live TV streaming service designed for entertainment lovers which includes 58 channels for $20 per month.
You’ll get major channels from A&E Networks, AMC Networks, Discovery/Scripps, Hallmark, and Viacom. These include A&E, AMC, BET, Comedy Central, Discovery, HGTV, MTV, and Nickelodeon.
They recently consolidated their plans into a single $20 plan, so now you get channels like Cooking Channel, Destination America, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, LOGO, and Nicktoons.
While it doesn’t include any local or sports channels like ESPN, Fox Sports 1, or NBC Sports Network, it is the cheapest option for live entertainment-only TV.
Review
We tested Philo and other live TV streaming services for more than 100 hours. Philo is compatible with Roku, Android Phone/Tablet, iPhone/iPad, Web Browsers, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.
Features
Unlimited Cloud DVR
Philo has Unlimited DVR storage, but you can only keep shows for 30 days. You can only record an entire series, not a single episode.
If you start recording after you tune into a channel, the recording will start from the beginning of the program.
While it’s still recording, you can watch from the beginning but you won’t be able to fast forward through commercials.
Up to 3 Devices
Philo allows you to stream on up to 3 devices simultaneously.
33 TV Everywhere Apps
Philo gives you access to 33 different TV Everywhere apps.
List of Compatible Apps
- A&E App
- AHC Go
- AMC App
- Animal Planet Go
- BBC America App
- BET NOW
- CMT App
- Comedy Central App
- Destination America Go
- Discovery Life Go
- DisneyNow
- FYI App
- Hallmark Channel Everywhere
- IFC App
- Investigation Discovery Go
- Lifetime App
- LOGO App
- MTV App
- Nick App
- Nick Jr. App
- Paramount Network App
- Science Channel Go
- SundanceTV App
- TLC GO
- TV Land App
- VH1 App
- VICELAND App
- Watch Cooking Channel
- Watch DIY
- Watch Food Network
- Watch HGTV
- Watch Travel Channel
- WE tv App
On Demand
There is a variety of on demand content to stream within the Philo app.
No Parental Controls
There are no parental controls for Philo.
Only AT&T TV NOW, Hulu Live TV, and Sling TV have parental control features.
72-hour Rewind Feature
This feature allows you to watch shows that you didn’t record, for up to three days after it aired. This feature adds a lot of additional shows that aren’t normally available on demand.
Compatible Devices
Philo is compatible with these devices:
Philo is not compatible with Google Chromecast, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, Samsung Smart TV, VIZIO Smart TV, or LG Smart TV.
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iOS 9.3+
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7.0+
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Phone & Tablet Apps
Philo has an iPhone app, but does not currently offer an iPad app (you can use the iPhone app on iPad though). The look and feel mimics their other apps, but there is no standard channel guide.
While on Android, there is not a native app, you can play using Chrome on Android 7.0+. The interface looks similar to a native platform, but feels more sluggish.
TV App
Philo has support for Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV. They don’t support Android TV, Chromecast, or AirPlay. While they have a alphabetical grid of currently live shows, they don’t have a standard channel guide.
Computer
You can watch Philo on Mac and Windows computers using most major browsers. It is the only platform that includes a standard channel guide.
Screenshots
Channels
Local Channels
Top Cable Channels
Philo offers top cable channels from A&E Networks, AMC Networks, Discovery, Scripps Networks, and Viacom.
You get 18 of the top 35 cable channels.
The top 35 cable channels are listed below. For a list of all channels, look at Philo’s full channel lineup.
Sports Channels
In order to keep monthly pricing low, Philo doesn’t include access to any national sports channels, regional sports networks, or college or pro networks.
National Sports Channels
Regional Sports Networks (RSNs)
Philo doesn’t include access to regional sports networks (RSNs) as part of their service.
RSNs in Other Markets
Philo
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Altitude -
AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh -
AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain -
AT&T SportsNet Southwest -
Fox Sports Arizona -
Fox Sports Carolinas -
Fox Sports Detroit -
Fox Sports Florida -
Fox Sports Indiana -
Fox Sports Kansas City -
Fox Sports Midwest -
Fox Sports New Orleans -
Fox Sports North -
Fox Sports Ohio -
Fox Sports Oklahoma -
Fox Sports Prime Ticket -
Fox Sports San Diego -
Fox Sports South -
Fox Sports Southeast -
Fox Sports Southwest -
Fox Sports Sun -
Fox Sports Tennessee -
Fox Sports West -
Fox Sports Wisconsin -
LA FC Sports Network -
Longhorn Network -
MASN -
MASN2 -
MSG -
MSG+ -
NBC Sports Bay Area -
NBC Sports Boston -
NBC Sports California -
NBC Sports Chicago -
NBC Sports Northwest -
NBC Sports Philadelphia -
NBC Sports Philadelphia+ -
NBC Sports Washington -
NBC Sports Washington+ -
NESN -
Orlando City SC Sports Network -
Root Sports Northwest -
Seattle Sounders Sports Network -
Spectrum SportsNet -
Spectrum SportsNet LA -
SportsNet NY -
SportsTime Ohio -
YES Network
Pro Sports
College Sports
Other Sports Channels
Premium Channels
Philo doesn’t currently offer the ability to add premium channels.
Tech Specs
- The service currently offers 720p / 30 fps across all channels.
- Limited buffering or playback issues in our testing.
- Changing channels only takes 4.5 seconds, which was slower than most services.
720p HD
Most live streams are broadcast in 720p HD.
30 FPS
Live TV streams are broadcast in 30 fps.
Stereo Sound
Live content has stereo audio.
Reliability
Philo was generally stable for both live and on demand content. We had no issues when streaming content.
Philo recommends at least 5 Mbps for each HD stream.
Live Delay
Live Delay
Live content is about 25 seconds behind cable TV, which is similar to the other services.
Channel Switching
Channel Switching
It takes about 4.5 seconds to switch between channels, which is slower than most of the other services.
User Experience
- Simple and consistent design across apps to switch from Home, Live, & Saved.
- Channel guide is informative, but feels odd because it lists channels horizontally. Unfortunately, it’s not available on mobile.
- Search works well and offers quick access to both live and on demand content.
Home Screen
The Philo app’s home screen gives personalized suggestions of shows to keep watching, those you’ve saved, and top shows on Philo.
TV Guide
On most platforms, Philo channel guide lists all available channels alphabetically in a grid, but does not include a standard channel guide.
Search
The Philo search interface is very intuitive. Series, episodes, and people appear as you type.
Show Details
The show details page displays episodes currently live, on demand, and upcoming on a future date. You can automatically record future airings by clicking “Save”.
Playback
When you tune into a live channel, Philo takes you to the beginning of the show. You can skip ahead to live, but you may be shown commercials if it’s also available on demand.