Entertainment
Philo: Shows, Movies & Live TV
Live TV subscription with 70+ entertainment channels, unlimited DVR and a free tier of 120+ channels.
Get the app
Opens the official store page
- Developer
- Philo, Inc.
- Score
- 4.8
- Downloads
- 10K+ ratings
- Age
- Rated 12+
- Version
- 8.22.0
- Price
- Free
Screenshots
About this app
Live TV and on-demand streaming built around entertainment and lifestyle networks, aimed at people who want AMC, Hallmark, HGTV, MTV and Nickelodeon without a cable contract. The Essential plan carries more than 70 live channels and a large on-demand library; Bundle+ adds HBO Max (the ad-supported Basic plan), AMC+ and discovery+. Both paid plans include unlimited DVR, with recordings kept for up to a year and ad-skipping on playback. Up to ten profiles can share one account, each with its own login, saved shows and recommendations, and three devices can stream at once. Add-ons such as STARZ, MGM+ and Hallmark+ can be bolted on for a fee. There's also a free tier of over 120 channels with a 30-day DVR that needs no sign-up or card. New subscribers to Essential get a seven-day trial, and there are no contracts.
Philo: Shows, Movies & Live TV: the full guide
What the app is
Live television for people who want the entertainment and lifestyle channels without the sport or the cable contract. Philo's Essential plan has 70-plus live channels including AMC, Hallmark, HGTV, MTV and Nickelodeon, plus a big on-demand library. Bundle+ layers on the ad-supported Basic plan of HBO Max, plus AMC+ and discovery+.
Unlimited DVR comes with both paid plans, keeping recordings up to a year with ads skippable on playback. Ten profiles share one account, three devices stream at once, and STARZ, MGM+ and Hallmark+ can be added for a fee. A free tier of 120-plus channels, with a 30-day DVR, asks for neither a sign-up nor a card.
How it works day to day
Evenings run like a cable box without the box. The guide shows what is live, a recording from last week is waiting, and the ad-skip means a 60-minute show takes 42. Each person in the house has a profile, so recommendations and saved shows stay separate.
The DVR is the quiet workhorse: set a whole series to record and the year-long retention means a season can wait. On a tablet in another room, a third stream runs without conflict. The free tier is what a lot of people try first, flicking through its channels before deciding whether to pay.
Why people look for it
Cord-cutters who miss HGTV, Hallmark and AMC but refuse to pay for sports channels they never watch search for it, since Philo's whole pricing logic is leaving sport out. The unlimited DVR with ad-skipping and the no-card free tier are the two features that get mentioned most.
Look and feel
Live TV apps need a programme guide, and the five screenshots will show a guide grid, a channel playing, the DVR library and profile selection. The design has to make a long channel list browsable on a phone, so expect a dense grid with channel logos and a search bar. The look is functional rather than cinematic.
Updates and upkeep
Version 8.22.0 indicates an eighth major release with regular updates. Philo, Inc. is a smaller company than the networks it carries, but a 4.8 rating from 10K+ reviewers is high for a live TV app, a category where ratings often suffer from streaming complaints. No Play Store link is shown.
