Due to licensing agreements with cable channel owners, live TV streaming services demand high monthly rates. Xumo is unique since it’s free. However, it doesn’t replace premium live TV channels and livestreams. Instead, it provides a variety of on-demand material, including films, livestreams, and hobby-specific channels. The app supports itself via advertising and a badly designed web interface.
About Xumo
As said, Xumo organizes its material using over 180 channels, most of which are not like cable channels. On-demand content includes clips, short features, movies, and whole seasons of programming on many networks. Most channel streaming features are not live.
Features And Accessibility
The app’s potential to provide more functionality is severely limited since users cannot establish accounts. This restriction was mentioned before. Unlike Pluto TV, which likewise doesn’t provide any parental control tools, you have no such alternatives available to you. Sling TV is one of the few providers of live TV streaming that also provides parental control features.
Unfortunately, my research has shown that a significant chunk of the app’s content lacks closed captions. However, most of the main news networks and video-on-demand providers did provide them to their viewers. Pluto TV, in my opinion, is the best streaming service for providing closed captions for any content.
One of Pluto TV’s advantages is that, after you’ve signed up for an account, you may choose the channels that appear on your guide. You can’t set your favorite channels as defaults on the app, but you can on the mobile apps. This will put your chosen channels at the top of the list. This has been emphasized before. There is no limit to the number of devices from which a single user may access the app, since user accounts are not permitted. Comparing the app to other free live TV providers, we found that it shares their lack of DVR functionality.
Value And Dissemination Mechanisms
Although it is the only free service we’ve tried, the app isn’t the only option for watching live TV online right now. Pluto TV is the most direct competitor to the app. It provides a similar selection of specialized channels and feeds from other media outlets. Locast is yet another free-in-theory option, but it’s not easy to avoid the service’s monthly donation suggestion of $5. Locast, on the other hand, stands out since it allows you to watch your local channels online without a tuner or cable equipment.
Web User Interface: How To Get Started
Xumo does not allow registration, unlike many other free video-streaming services. Pluto TV, Tubi, and Crackle provide it, although they don’t need it. One benefit of these services is the ability to construct on-demand video watchlists. UI channels may be changed to suit your requirements. The app website is awkward, but the mobile app offers several customization possibilities, which will be described later in this article.
The Website Display
The app website is mostly displayed in a black and gray color scheme with hints of blue and white. The color scheme is quite elegant, however the interface is overloaded with unnecessary elements. The website also has irritating autoplaying content. The two key options for navigating the experience, Discover and On Demand, are located at the very top of the menu. Neither a search bar nor any customization options for your profile are available. At the very bottom of this page, you’ll find quick connections to our Support Center and our Frequently Asked Questions area.
The Experience
The app desktop web player is beautiful and has all the standard playback options, but the experience is different for live streaming and on-demand video. In addition to being able to adjust the playback resolution, you are given the option to rewind 10 seconds of on-demand content. If available, you may also set up closed captions from the video’s playing screen. This is relevant only if closed captioning is available. It’s a huge bummer that changing the video’s playback quality can’t be done in real time while it’s being broadcast. The video player provides a menu of keyboard shortcuts by right-clicking on it. This is a cool function of the player that deserves some attention.
Vpn And Xumo Both
Your data is encrypted and secured from your ISP when you use a VPN. A VPN lets you mask your IP address from websites. Some video streaming sites currently ban VPN usage, which might cause issues for companies that provide country-specific material. Xumo is currently in several nations, so this should be easier.
Conclusion
Since Xumo is free, trying it is risk-free. Due to its limited channels and live broadcasts, this option may not be suitable for cable customers wishing to cancel. It’s possible they will. The online interface is less helpful and beautiful than the mobile app. Xumo’s limited platform coverage and heavy on-demand advertising are limitations compared to competing streaming providers. Most material is available in 720p and streaming quality is consistent.