You may have heard of Popcorn Time, a Netflix-like app with an even bigger selection of more
current movies and TV show, but sadly we cannot sanction the use of this app.
Popcorn Time is illegal folks: try out some of the other options below
instead.
U.S.
Hulu
It was only
in recent months that Hulu brought its streaming service to Android, which lets
users watch premium TV shows and movies on their smartphones or tablets without
paying a subscription fee. Hulu comes packed with current and classic TV shows,
Hulu originals, movies and plenty of Kids shows, making it a perfect family
tablet companion. Of course, if you want full access to the Hulu library you
will need to pay a 7.99 USD monthly fee, but there are plenty of gems to find
in the free version too!
Canada /
U.S.
Crackle
Crackle is a
hugely popular free app available in the US and Canada which is updated monthly
with new TV shows and movies. Created by Grouper but later bought by Sony, the
app features ads which run at regular intervals throughout the content, but as
a compromise you get an excellent selection of media and an app which functions
far better than some of the other TV service ports on the list. Watch Seinfeld
or Talladega Nights again, for sure.
UK
iPlayer
This catch
up service has been going strong for a number of years now and the slick
Android app is a great way to watch TV series and movies. It doesn’t have a
whole list of archived TV shows and series to sift through, but the catch up
service has recently been extended to 30 days, meaning you have a month to
catch up on almost anything recently played on any BBC channel. With some
excellent programs like Sherlock and Call the Midwife, iPlayer is one of the
best free TV services currently available on Android.
ITV Player
The ITV
Player app suffered a woefully bad introduction to the Play Store with it being
essentially broken on many devices. It’s been turning a bit of a corner with
recent updates, but it still has a long way to go. The ITV Player app let’s you
stream ITV channels live to your device, as well as catch up on any shows you
may have missed from the past week.
4oD
Another app
which has struggled with its launch is 4oD. While supplying a fantastic back
catalogue of TV shows, and being a firm favorite among many Windows/Mac/console
owners, the smartphone experience has been somewhat lacking. Hopefully this
will only get better with future updates, as the amount and quality of full
series they offer for free is fantastic. All you Peep Show fans owe it to
yourself to install it.
Demand 5
Don’t forget
that Channel Five’s premier catch-up service Demand 5 is also now available on
Android. The updates aren’t as regular as we would like, but nonetheless Demand
5 offers a wide selection of Channel 5 shows and archived programmes to
re-watch on your Android smartphone or tablet. The programming quality is
arguably lower than the standard offered by Channel 4 and the BBC, although it
provides a viable free alternative.
Worldwide
SPB TV
The Android
SPB TV app is not necessarily region specific, offering content from around the
world via a selection of weird and wonderful stations. It’s not the kind of app
you will use to watch the latest Hollywood blockbuster, and you won’t find NBC
or Showtime on there, but if you want to take a chance on a wild card then this
is it. Be warned, however, a few of the stations definitely appear to be of a
more adult nature.
LiveNow!TV
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LiveNow!TV
offers a broad range of channels from around the world to stream live, as well
as a variety of classic/B movies. The movies available are mostly a mix of
bizarre horror and Kung Fu movies; LiveNow!TV is a free service supported by
ads and of course it doesn't have the same clout as something like Netflix or
even Hulu. However, the streaming of live TV worked surprisingly well, and I
don't exactly understand how something like this is available when the likes of
Popcorn Time and Show Box are banned. Still, for now, it's a great option for
streaming a number of well-known channels.
