Review: FilmOn TV (Beta)
Guest writer Andy Hagon brings us a review of an application which is so new that it's still - technically - in beta. Yet the very nature of its existence means that now is as good a time as any to look at what it does and how it works (you know, before legal problems stick their oar in, etc.) We've included the link to the beta in the review, should you want to join in too...
Andy Hagon writes:
I’ve never really been a fan of watching video footage on my phone’s screen, even with the very capable Nokia Lumia 1020 with its beautiful and not-so-diminutive 4.5 inch screen. I’ve always just waited until I got home to watch something online on my computer, or better still, via online streaming through my Roku box straight to my large flatscreen TV. But I do see how sometimes, the desire to watch something on-the-go, as it were, can be quite strong, especially if you’re travelling and you’re a bit bored. For example on a long train journey, or when your flight is delayed at the airport. Sometimes, our phones are all we’ve got to keep us entertained. There are some great apps out there, and Windows Phone has a nice selection of 3rd-party YouTube apps to keep us amused. But if you’re after something a little bit more ‘now’, then along comes this brilliant little app.
FilmOn TV is from developer Charaf Hormi and allows you to watch live TV right on your phone. It very likely has regional settings so where you are in the world will dictate the choice of TV channels you can watch. Based in the US (and rather specifically in New York), I am able to watch local New York news channels such as NBC 4, ABC 7, Fox 5, as well as CW PIX 11 along with a whole slew of what I would call ‘the dross you get on cable but never watch’ – to give you some examples, there are various ‘film’ channels that show movie reviews, and even a ‘Bikini Beach’ channel (I will NEVER watch that!) ;^) hehe...
What else? Well you can rid yourself of large annoying ads by buying the opt-out option for just $1.29 and if you ask me, it’s well worth financially supporting the developers, but also it makes the whole viewing experience that much nicer without them. I like it when devs give you this option of either a free app or a paid app without the ads. I hate ads in my apps, so $1.29 is like one less Snickers bar I’ll buy today and my tummy will thank me for it.
Playback on my Nokia Lumia 1020 is (thankfully) totally smooth and stutter-free, and that is while using it inside a building where I’m picking up AT&T’s 4G LTE with 3/4 bars of signal. I was relieved to see the TV playback work so flawlessly, as a similar app (SPB TV) on Symbian was not at all enjoyable to use on cellular service (albeit on just 3G), and you could only use it properly and satisfactorily when connected to wifi.
The broadcast from the channels via FilmOn TV is clear - not pin sharp but definitely viewable, and sound was loud and clear as well. Turning your phone will give you full landscape viewing.
Other options include being able to record your favorite shows. It’s not clear to me at this early stage if shows are saved onto your physical phone storage, or if they are kept on the server of the app (a bit like the way Aereo works over here in the US). But however you’d prefer it to be there is a charge for this sort of service, which is roughly $10 a month or $100 for the year. To be honest, most people have DVRs anyway at home, or if they don’t, shows can be easily streamed via Hulu+ (again, in the US, at least - comparable to BBC iPlayer and other catch-up TV in the UK) so I can’t see this part of the app being too much of a crowd pleaser. This goes for the ‘a la carte’ section also, whereby users can choose particular shows to watch for a $1 fee or so. Again, if you subscribe to Netflix or Hulu at home, you can watch these shows for free, and on a much bigger screen!
While I am not swayed to start watching live TV while on the bus or train (there are safety and security concerns in big cities y’know!), I can see how this would be useful for a quick catch-up on the latest news headlines, for example, while you’re scooting around town. The really impressive aspects of this app for me are that it is smooth and opens quickly, and the end result is a decent TV image that you would actually want to watch. Gone are the days of choppy, pixelly images that seemed to be made for mobile. FilmOn TV gives you an excellent experience.
Thanks, Andy. You can look at FilmOn TV in the Store, but will probably also need to sign up to the beta here. Comments welcome as to what's available in your country!
Reviewed by Steve Litchfield at