Philo is now gaining deeper Google TV integration and making it easier to find content to watch directly from the home screen. Although Philo is a much cheaper live TV streaming service compared to others, it has been routinely adding new features and offers plenty of comparable features, making it a live TV option worth checking out.
While many of the major live TV services tend to charge around $65 and more each month, a standard Philo subscription costs just $25 per month. In addition to the selection of live TV channels included with a subscription, the service has focused on the user experience, offering an unlimited cloud DVR and a varied degree of device support. The latter of which already included Chromecast with Google TV, the first device to properly showcase the newer Android TV experience.
As part of that existing support, Philo has confirmed that it is now in the process of rolling out deeper integration with Google TV. Many subscription services already take advantage of this support, and Philo is the latest to go all-in. As Philo explains in the announcement, this will make it much easier for subscribers to view even more customized recommendations from Philo directly in the “For You” tab.
What’s probably more important is that Philo will also now be accessible under the “Live” tab. Previously, this level of live TV integration was only available to YouTube TV and Sling TV subscribers. Following the latest update, Philo subscribers will also have the option of accessing the live TV guide without having to first navigate to and launch the Philo app.
For reference, Android TV is still in the process of fully becoming Google TV and that means the newer interface with the various Google TV search and discovery improvements are only available on select devices. In the case of Philo support, that means subscribers can take advantage of the deeper integration on the Chromecast with Google TV, as well as newer Sony BRAVIA XR TVs with Google TV, and TCL 5 and 6-Series TVs with Google TV.
For those with a compatible device, the greater Philo integration is rolling out “over the next couple of days” and will need to be manually enabled by the user through the Google TV settings.
