Alright, let’s talk about something I spent a chunk of time messing with recently – these free streaming services, the ones they call AVOD, you know, with the ads. It all started because, frankly, the monthly bills for all the other streaming things were starting to look ridiculous. Felt like I was paying for cable all over again, just sliced up differently. So, I thought, what’s the deal with the free options?
My Dive into the Free Zone
First thing I did was just search around, see what names kept popping up. You see the same ones mentioned a lot. So, I decided to just jump in. Didn’t want to read a million reviews first, figured I’d just try using them like a normal person would.
I started with Pluto TV. Heard about it ages ago. Fired it up on my smart TV. The first thing that hit me was, wow, it looks like old-school cable. Channels lined up in a grid. Kinda nostalgic, actually. I clicked around. Found some old movie channels, news, even some weird niche stuff like channels dedicated to one specific old show. Watched a bit of an old sci-fi movie I vaguely remembered.
Then came the ads. Yeah, they’re there. Sometimes felt like they popped up at weird times, not always where a normal TV commercial break would be. But hey, it’s free, right? Can’t complain too much. The selection was okay, lots of older stuff, but you can find some decent things if you dig.
Trying Out the Others
Next up, I installed Tubi. Seemed like another big name. The layout felt more like the Netflix-style thing, browsing rows of categories. Signed up for a free account, which they said helps keep track of what you watch and gives better recommendations. Okay, fair enough.
What I noticed with Tubi was the library felt… bigger? Maybe? Especially with movies. Found some surprisingly decent films I hadn’t seen in ages, and even some newer-ish B-movies that are fun for a laugh. The ads felt pretty similar to Pluto, maybe a little less frequent sometimes, but still noticeable. Spent an evening watching some terrible monster movie on Tubi, good times.
Then there was Crackle. Remember when that was Sony’s thing? It’s changed hands I think. Anyway, downloaded that one too. Felt a bit smaller in terms of library compared to Tubi. Found some original stuff on there, but mostly older movies and TV shows again. User interface was alright, nothing special. Ads were present, of course. It kinda felt like the underdog compared to the other two I tried.
I also poked around with things like Freevee (that’s Amazon’s free one, used to be IMDb TV). Needed my Amazon account, naturally. It had some originals which was interesting, and a decent mix of licensed stuff. Felt a bit more polished, maybe because Amazon’s behind it. Ads were there, standard drill.
So, What’s the Verdict?
After spending time clicking through these, here’s what I found:
- Content is king, even when free: It’s mostly older shows and movies. Don’t expect the latest blockbusters or prestige TV dramas you get on paid services. But there’s a ton of comfort food TV, old classics, and weird stuff you won’t find elsewhere.
- Ads are the price: You gotta be willing to sit through commercials. Sometimes they are repetitive. Sometimes they break the flow. It’s the trade-off.
- User experience varies: Some feel slicker than others. Some have that old cable guide feel, others are more modern.
- Discovery is key: You need to spend time browsing. Stuff isn’t always surfaced perfectly. You might find a gem hidden away.
Honestly, cutting the cord completely and just using these? Probably not for me. I still like having some ad-free options for newer stuff. But using them to supplement? Absolutely. Found some old shows I loved as a kid, watched some decent movies I missed, and didn’t pay an extra dime. Saved a bit on the overall entertainment budget that month, which was the whole point.
It’s funny, reminded me of when I first got broadband years ago, hunting for free mp3s on Napster or Kazaa… okay, maybe not exactly like that, but that feeling of digging for free treasure. These AVOD platforms are like the modern, legal version of that bargain hunt. Worth checking out if you’ve got some patience for ads and like digging for content.