Review: Pluto TV

(based on the VPN app) 

By Waiching

Pluto TV is an ad-supported free TV streaming service app that supposedly airs live, as well as on-demand content. If you don't mind ads and watching syndicated classic TV episodes and shows, Pluto TV might be for you.

Pluto TV is owned by Paramount Global (it was later acquired by Viacom CBS in 2019, four years after its launch in 2014 in Beta mode) and the majority of its U.S. content comes from Comedy Central, Paramount, and TV Land. It offers a wealth of content across 250 + channels and the channels are divided into subcategories and themes: these include Movies, Entertainment, News, Classic TV, Comedy and Food.  

Similar mobile apps that offer free TV content include Tubi, which contains TV shows and movies from Warner Bros, MGM, Paramount and Lionsgate, Plex and Roku. 

When I am not fussed and want to watch whatever is available and when it is available, I pretty much switch it on and around 9 times out of 10, I tend to find a show or movie I like or am interested in. Sometimes however, they air reruns of particular films or episodes of TV shows (these include South Park, Baywatch, Criminal Minds, and Survivor): I am not into these shows per se, so I cannot offer my personal opinions on each of them. 

Pluto TV has a wide variety of channels, but not so broad range of programmes and films. The U.K. service it offers isn't as impressive, nor appealing compared to its U.S. counterpart, based on its content, which is why I often use a VPN to access content from overseas regions. Although recently, it has upped its game with Come Dine With Me, The Drew Barrymore Show, MTV Classic, MTV Queens of Pop and K-Pop channels.

If you don't want to pay anything to watch TV, then Pluto is a good choice; there are no upfront or hidden charges, whatsoever, no monthly or annual subscription fees to contend with and whilst it doesn't quite replace Sky and Channel 4's On Demand service, other digital TV and may I add YouTube completely, it is a great way to waste time when there is nothing else on terrestrial or digital TV, - so long as you aren't too picky or fussy about what you find. It can be hit-or-miss and is a hodgepodge of the weird, wonderful, niche, the familiar and in-between. 

That, and you need to be wary that not all of the content is new and that they are reruns, repeats of episodes, and films of yesteryear that do not get made, any more. 

Pluto's On Demand selection of movies is reminiscent of what you will find on Netflix: the main difference is you pay nothing compared to Netflix and the films are general B-movies, direct-to-DVD stuff, yet you can also find the odd hidden treasure in there. Popular films may include Beverly Hills Cop, Forrest Gump, and Pulp Fiction and these are on a rotational basis. Its sports offerings in the U.S. version are neither conventional nor comprehensive; rather its choices are aimed at specialist or die-hard fans of that genre/brand such as TNA Impact, UFC, and Glory Kickboxing. Surprisingly, I noticed the U.K. Pluto TV lacks any sports channels; alas sports fans residing in Britain will be disillusioned.    

If there is one category that needs upgrading, it is food; as a lover of food, it feels underwhelming and it could do with episodes featuring the likes of Keith Floyd, Anthony Boudain, Bobby Flay, Ken Hom, and Ainsley Harriot to name. In the U.K. version alone, there are only three food-based channels and yet they all fall under the Living category. 

Pros +

- Is completely free, no sign-up is required

- Easy-to-navigate interface

- Available across all platforms: Android, iOS, online, smart TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire, Roku 

- When using a VPN, you have a much wider selection of channels to choose from other regions of the world

Cons -

- But for some exceptions, channels are not really live in terms of real-time

-  Ads are unskippable 

- Lack of variety in terms of channel and content choices 

- So-called Top-tier channels such as NBC News and BBC News are watered-down/scaled down  

Final Verdict: 

Pluto TV still has room to grow: it is cable TV for free and in terms of content, given it is free, is pretty impressive, so long as you can tolerate the ads. It needs more quality and diverse content to cater to different audiences whose market they have yet to tap into.

For those on a budget or who want to watch TV as and when they want without worrying about missing a particular show or film, this app has you covered. 

Score out of 10: 8 (based on U.S. content)

30 Favourite Polow da Don Songs

Polow da Don in 2011 (credit: BMI)

Born on October 15, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia, Polow- Freache Jamal Fincher-Jones, the cousin of singer Monica, who had a hit with Brandy on 1998's The Boy is Mine, is a music artist and producer going by the pseudonym of Polow da Don who emerged on the music scene in the mid to late 2000s as the next hot super-producer of Zone 4 Inc., with a string of songs for the likes of The Pussycat Dolls, Chris Brown, Rihanna and Mary J. Blige. 

After a brief stint in Jim Crow, he, later on, became a producer and songwriter and worked with Interscope Records: the label home to Eminem, Lady Gaga, and Dr Dre. As one of the producers of The Kingpinz, his earlier efforts were released in the late 1990s by the likes of Monica and Ludacris. Polow earned 'Songwriter and Producer of the Year honours at the 2008 and 2009 annual pop awards, as well as the BMI Urban Producer of the Year award in 2010.

 

He credits King Edward as an inspiration source for his production style; 'Edward J would take R&B songs, mix them with rap songs, or take two songs that didn't go together and put em' together'. Polow's style seems to fuse southern bounce with uptempo contemporary RnB and pop beats and futuristic space-pop on this side of Timberland (sources: Last. fm, Rated RnB, Apple Music). 

The Way You Love Me - Keri Hilson (2010) - raunchy, feisty, the high point from No Boys Allowed LP, the song evokes energy and is a club banger with its bounce feel

Glamourous - Fergie feat. Ludacris (2007) - lyrics dealt with staying rooted and not being driven by fame and money; samples Raheem The Dream's 'if you ain't got no money'; became Fergie's second number 1 single in the U.S hot 100 and stayed at the top for two weeks. Glamourous was later sampled by Jack Harlow for First Class in 2023. 

Woohoo - Christina Aguilera feat. Nicki Minaj (2010) - samples the 1972 song, 'Add mar uram az esot by Hungarian singer, Kati Kovacs; the song, about oral sex, sounded like a blend of Kelis' Milkshake with Lil' Mama's Lipgloss, as stated by The Village Voice's Rob Harvilla. Far from the dirtier cousin of Rude Boy, but rather dirtier than Xtina Aguilera's Dirty, her worldwide smash, it is a love-it-or-hate-it song. Totally unexpected, yet it turns out to be one of her most fun yet left-field efforts.

Forever - Chris Brown (2008)

Outta Here - Esmee Denters (2009) - the only hit from Esmee Denters with a little help from JT (Justin Timberlake)

Change Me - Keri Hilson feat. Akon (2009) - seventh song from Keri's first album, In a Perfect World, and one who never thought there was a video to go with it 

Fading - Rihanna (2010) 

Like This - Kelly Rowland feat. Eve (2007)

Lay it Down - Lloyd (2010)

Area Codes - Ludacris feat. Nate Dogg (2001)

Wait - Chris Brown feat. Trey Songz and The Game (2009) - similar in a way to the single, I Can Transform Ya in terms of composition, only a tad better 

Remember Me - T.I. feat. Mary J. Blige (2009) - Mary J. slays this track with T.I going hard with his verses. Instrumentally, Remember Me pulls no punches. Song reminds us that no matter how many times we fall down, it's how we get back up that truly matters 

Back to the Crib- Juelz Santana feat. Chris Brown (2009)

Bad Girl - Rihanna and Chris Brown (2009) - Pussycat dolls recorded this song, but Chris Brown and Rihanna did it originally

Baby by Me - 50 Cent feat. Ne-Yo (2009)

My Heart - Jennifer Hudson (2008)

Medicine - Piles feat. Keri Hilson (2009)

Buttons - Pussycat dolls feat. Snoop (2006) - taken from their debut album, penned and co-produced by Polow and Sean Garrett and third song of theirs to feature a rapper (first with Busta Rhymes for Don't cha and will.i.am for Beep. Decent song, though it's not as fun as Beep

London Bridge - Fergie (2006) - samples Tower of Power's Down to the Nightclub with Polow providing backing vocals, it sounds sort of like Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani. Received a mixed reception, it is another love-it- or- hate-it type of song, courtesy of the producer and Fergie 

Sex Therapy - Robin Thicke (2009)

Stronger - Mary J. Blige (2009) - with backing vocals from Chris Brown and written by Brown and Ester Dean, Stronger featured on the soundtrack to the basketball-based documentary, More than a Game based on the story of Lebron James. Song deals with issues surrounding people standing by one another through thick and thin

Love in this Club - Usher ft. Young Jeezy (2008)

Heaven - El DeBarge (2010)

Gone - Jennifer Hudson (2011)

You II - Lloyd (2011) - samples Cameo's Word Up 

Lost in Love - I-15 (2007); formed by Polow da Don in 2006, 1-15 were a short-lived trio. Decent song though

Whatever U Like - Nicole Scherzinger feat. T.I. (2007) - a promo single taken from her unreleased album, 'Her name is Nicole' 

Last Minute Last Night - Kane Brown (2015)

Lay In My Bed - Mario (2007) 

Pimpin' All Over The World - Ludacris feat. Bobby Valentino (2005)