Grounded Reason looked at all of the Live TV streaming services side-by-side to determine the overall best option. Now we are going to give you a more direct one-on-one comparison, to see how they measure up in depth. This week we see how Philo TV compares to Hulu + Live TV.
Philo vs Hulu Live TV
Winner: Philo on value
Philo providers 59 channels for $25 a month, but no offers no news or sports channels. Hulu Live TV channel offering is more like a cable TV package but starts at $76.99 per month. Hulu Live TV is the better service when it comes to channels available but you will pay more than double of Philo
The Tale of the Tape
Comparing Philo to Hulu Live TV is a lot like watching the movie Rocky. In one corner, you have Hulu Live TV playing the part of Apollo Creed. Hulu has everything you would want in a live TV service: a DVR, regional sports networks, and the vast Hulu on-demand streaming library. However, like Rocky, Philo finds imaginative ways to go the distance and make you root for them in the end.
Price Comparison
Price is one area where Philo’s imagination strikes multiple blows against Hulu Live TV. Philo provides 63+ channels for just $25 per month. Philo keeps its price low by offering entertainment channels and leaving out sports and cable TV news. On the other hand, Hulu has most of the channels one would want in a TV streaming service but starts at $76.99 per month.
Both offer free trials when signing up, but with Hulu live TV costing nearly triple Philo’s price. It’s easy to award this category to Philo.
Channel Comparison
There are stark contrasts when it comes to the channel offering of each service. For example:
- Philo does not carry News and Sports channels like ESPN, FS1, Fox News, CNN, or MSNBC. All of these channels are on Hulu + Live TV
- Philo also does not carry local broadcast networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox. Hulu carries those channels live in most areas of the country.
- Hulu offers HBO, Showtime, Epix, and Starz as add-on packages. Philo only offers Starz and Epix.
- Hulu Live TV also carries regional sports networks from NBC and Fox. Those are not on Philo
That said in our channel lineup value analysis, Philo performs much better when you consider the price in relation to the channels you receive. It’s true you get more channels with Hulu. However, you still get some decent quality channels with Philo, for less than half the price. As you can see in the table below, the popular cable channels available on each service varies widely
If you would like to see an in-depth channel list of each service, please see the following articles.
DVR Comparison
The Philo TV DVR is included in the $25 monthly subscription to Philo. Philo allows you to record any number of shows and saves each recording for up to a year. Storage is unlimited as long as you watch a recording within 1-year of saving the episode.
The Cloud DVR on Hulu Live TV is standard and allows subscribers to save up to 50 hours of recorded storage, great for live sports games, daily news broadcasts, or special events that may not be available on demand. Hulu’s DVR storage can be increased to 200 hours with the Enhanced Cloud DVR for a $9.99 a month add-on.
While Philo has a 1-year limit, it allows you to record unlimited shows. Hulu only lets you record 50 hours and charges an extra $10 a month if you want more storage. Ultimately, Philo’s DVR is a much better deal.
Number of Screens
The winner of this category comes down to your needs. Philo allows you to use their service on 3 devices simultaneously. You can install Philo on as many devices as you like, but you can only watch on 3 at a time. This is standard with the Philo TV service, so if you need more screens, you can get another subscription. $40 per month is still a lot cheaper than most Live TV streaming services.
Hulu Live TV starts with the ability to stream on two simultaneous screens, and for $9.99 a month more, you can stream on unlimited screens. For $14.99, subscribers can combine the Enhanced Cloud DVR and unlimited screen features (all of these upgrade options include a free one-month trial).
While Hulu does offer viewing on unlimited devices, the price tag is $65 per month. You could watch on 9 devices through 3 different accounts with Philo for $5 less per month.
Device Compatibility
Hulu easily wins out here. The service is simply supported on more devices. However, both work on the most popular streaming devices like Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. Below is a more detailed list of devices supported by both services.
Hulu Live TV Devices:
- Mac & PCs
- Roku (select models)*
- Apple TV (4th generation)*
- Apple/IOS devices
- Android phones and tablets
- Amazon Fire TV and stick
- Chromecast
- Xbox (One & 360)
- Samsung & LG smart TVs
- Nintendo switch
- Xiaomi Mi box
Philo Device Support:
- Amazon Fire TV
- Apple TV
- Roku
- Chromecast
- Mac and PC on a web browser
- Apple iPhone and iPad (running iOS 9 or newer)
- Android phones and tablets (running 5.0 or newer)
Bottom Line
While we award Philo the victory on value, these two services are for two different types of cord-cutters. If you are looking to save money and have a way to watch your local broadcast networks, Philo is the choice for you ( check our guide to watching local channels if you don’t.) However, if you are looking for a streaming service that offers local channels, cable news, regional sports, and entertainment, then Hulu Live it one of the best options around.
