The Best Philo TV Alternative for Samsung Smart TVs

Many will be surprised to learn that Philo TV is not available on Samsung Smart TVs. With Samsung TVs representing 50% of all TVs sold, this is a major omission by the brass at Philo.

We recommend Sling TV Orange as a good streaming alternative for would be Philo TV users who own Samsung Smart TVs.

When I used Philo TV for a number of weeks to compile research for our comprehensive Streaming Jungle review, I was surprised to learn that the Philo app is not available on Samsung Smart TVs.

When I visited the app store on my Samsung TV, I searched for “Philo” but all I found was Philippines TV Live, which is interesting programming. but not what I was looking for.

Most cord cutters will change streaming services before they change TVs, so what is the best alternative for a reasonably priced live TV streaming service that is compatible with Samsung Smart TVs?

We recommend Sling TV.

Sling TV is compatible with Samsung Smart TVs

If you’re looking for a budget pick for streaming live TV, and a library of on-demand titles, and have a Samsung Smart TV, we recommend Sling TV as a good alternative to Philo TV.

Unlike Philo TV, Sling TV is compatible with Samsung Smart TVs.

Sling TV is an affordable live TV streaming service that is similar to Philo in terms of price, but that offers three packages, instead of Philo’s singular offering for $25 per month. Sling’s three levels of membership are listed below:

• Sling Orange ($35 per month)
• Sling Blue ($35 per month)
• Sling Orange + Blue ($50 per month)

Assuming that the lack of news channels will appeal to some Philo users looking to “tune out bad news,” we have highlighted Sling TV Orange as our best Philo alternative.

Sling Orange has fewer channels than Philo, but the addition of ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3 will be hard to turn down for sports fans, especially at the $35 per month price tag.

A note for cord cutters on Philo channels: although the total number (71) seems impressive at first glance, many of the channels offered are from more obscure networks, or carry redundancy across brands. For example, Philo offers subscribers MTV, MTV 2, MTV Classic, and MTV Live. Technically, this is 4 channels, but most viewers won’t need 4 different MTV options. Similarly, even Hallmark Channel enthusiasts (like my Mom) won’t need Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

If you want more news options

If you want more news options, Sling Blue could be an attractive alternative to Philo TV.

Sling Blue comes with the major cable news providers (CNN, Fox News, MSNBC), as well as local channels Fox and NBC in some major markets that have dedicated local affiliates for these channels. This means you can access some NFL games that you otherwise wouldn’t have access to on Philo TV.

Sling Blue also comes with more channels out of the box (43) and, like Sling Orange, you can upgrade to the combo package (Sling Orange + Blue) and get all of Sling’s programming, or add on certain premium channels a la carte.

The bottom line

The bottom line is that Philo is a ton of fun for the right user. The app offers a unique library of content, and unlimited DVR, for a low price of $25 per month. If you love Philo just the way it is, you won’t find an exact replica.

However, the Philo app does have some drawbacks, the lack of local channels, sports, and most news stations being the obvious ones. If you have a Samsung Smart TV, and want a reasonably priced streaming service to watch, Sling is definitely your next best choice, and is superior to Philo in many ways.