How well does VidAngel clean up streaming services?
How well does VidAngel clean up streaming services?
What do our experts really think about the VidAngel filtering service? See our review below.
There are plenty of drawbacks to watching TV on broadcast or cable channels, but there is one clear advantage that content-sensitive viewers know all about: every show and movie on linear channels comes with a rating code that warns the viewer about the adult content included in that title. There are also legal restrictions on traditional TV channels that ensure viewers will never see certain levels of nudity, violence, or other adult content.
Streaming services are not subject to the same content guidelines, in large part because subscribers have to be over 18 to sign up for them. But those who prefer to watch streaming without the large amounts of adult content that can be included in streaming titles can check out VidAngel, a filtering service that can help viewers cut out the language, violence, and other bad stuff they don’t want to see.
But how does VidAngel really work? We gave the service a thorough test to see if it’s really worth it. Find out everything you need to know about VidAngel, including our detailed thoughts regarding its effectiveness below.
Everything you need to know about VidAngel
All the essential facts about VidAngel
VidAngel is a video filtering service that allows viewers to skip and mute offensive content that they don’t want to see or hear while watching top streaming services. Viewers can link supported subscriptions to their VidAngel account, then watch the title they want through the VidAngel app to apply the filters they choose.
The platform has two plans:
- A monthly subscription option for $10 per month.
- An annual plan for $100 per year.
Subscribers can download the VidAngel app on a number of devices, including Android, iOS, and iPads. The service is also available on Android TV, Apple TV 4K, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku devices. Currently, only movies and shows without ads can be filtered on Roku, Google Cast, or AirPlay, however. VidAngel can also be used on the Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox web browsers.
Which streamers does VidAngel work with?
VidAngel does not work with every streaming service on the market, but it is compatible with some of the largest streamers out there. Viewers can filter content from Apple TV, Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, and Prime Video with a VidAngel subscription. Currently, Disney+, HBO Max, and Hulu are not supported on the VidAngel app.
Viewers who subscribe to select Prime Video add-on channels can also watch content from these channels with VidAngel. This includes AMC+, BritBox, Hallmark+, MGM+, Paramount+, PBS Masterpiece, and STARZ. Keep in mind that, with the exception of Paramount+, viewers cannot filter these services with VidAngel if they subscribe directly.
How detailed are VidAngel’s content filters?
There are five main filter categories available with VidAngel:
- Language
- Intimacy
- Nudity
- Violence
- Substances
There’s also a More category available with VidAngel, which allows viewers to set filters for opening and closing credits, Human Functions/Medical scenes, Vulgar Gestures, and Objectionable/Disturbing/Scary images.
Each of the five main filter categories also has subcategories that allow viewers to apply more specific filters to their watching session with VidAngel; for example, the Language filter includes profanity, blasphemy, and sexual reference and innuendo subcategories. Viewers can even choose from dozens of specific words they want to filter out of their viewing experience, offering a deep level of customization overall. Subscribers can even filter individual instances of adult imagery or language with a VidAngel account.
That level of customization can come in handy, even for viewers who prefer to watch shows mostly as they are. For example, I don’t usually mind violence in the right context in a show or movie, but explicit medical scenes are usually an automatic skip. VidAngel even has filters for these kinds of shows, letting the viewer pick exactly what they want to see — or not see.
What’s the watching experience like with VidAngel?
As I mentioned above, viewers get to watch all the content available in their supported subscriptions through the VidAngel app. The account linking process is pretty quick, and I was able to link my Netflix and Paramount+ accounts in just a few minutes.
Once I had my chosen filters set, I was ready to start watching the titles included with my subscriptions. Viewers can set filters before diving into a browse, or from an individual title’s detail page before jumping into the stream. That gives subscribers the option to apply some filters to all titles, then switch up settings for individual episodes if they prefer.
The playback controls on VidAngel are pretty straightforward, with play, rewind, fast-forward, and pause. It’s not as detailed an interface as other streaming services offer, but subtitles and other settings are still available via settings. Once a scene with filtered content comes up, VidAngel will either mute the language a viewer doesn’t want to hear, or skip a scene of violence or sexual content automatically.
For the most part, I find that VidAngel doesn’t skip too far ahead past the scene I want to censor. Language filters are even more seamless, since VidAngel doesn’t try to dub over bad words — just a quick mute you’ll barely notice, and the show rolls on.
Is VidAngel worth it?
If you find yourself wanting to watch streaming titles without all the adult content that so often comes with them, VidAngel is probably one of the services you’ll use the most. With so many filters available, VidAngel truly allows the viewer to set their preferences and watch without worrying about seeing or hearing something objectionable.
Even for someone who only has a few specific things they don’t like seeing in the course of a streaming binge, VidAngel can be useful. And for families with kids, or viewers with strict religious beliefs, a VidAngel subscription can unlock a huge selection of titles that sensitive viewers might otherwise decide to skip altogether.
To be sure, VidAngel is only right for the segment of the collective audience that wants someone else to do the content policing for them. But for customers who find themselves clucking their tongue at their television all too often while streaming TV and movies, a VidAngel subscription can be absolute heaven.
VidAngel
VidAngel is a video streaming service that taps into your streaming subscriptions and filters out all the “bad stuff.” With customizable filters, language that you don’t want to hear or images you don’t want to see are automatically removed from what you are watching. While it doesn’t work for every service, movie, or TV show, there are thousands of titles available to filter – ranging from new releases to older films.