If the subscription cost of Tubi is too high, it might not be a good choice for streaming content. Several factors will influence the price. Some include free, ad-supported, 4K Ultra HD, and audio descriptions. Others may have to pay for premium features.
Free
If you’re looking for a streaming service that won’t break the bank, and watch movies online free, consider checking out Tubi. Although the service doesn’t have a monthly subscription fee, it does have a few limitations.
For instance, it doesn’t offer a huge library of shows, but you can queue content to watch later. The service allows you to leave the app, freeing you to watch your queued content on another device.
Unlike many streaming services, Tubi does not produce original content. Instead, it offers popular to. Some examples include Disney+’s The Mandalorian, Netflix’s The Witcher, and CBS All Access’s Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Paid services often have special collections of classic and international films, so Tubi may not be the best choice for those looking for more mainstream content. Pluto TV and Xumo are other options with free tiers that offer a wide selection of content.
Ad-supported
Tubi is a free streaming video service that features over 30,000 titles in over 25 languages. The service launched in the US and Canada five years ago and has since expanded to Australia. Currently, it is available on 25 platforms. It has a steady stream of updates, including more than 30,000 titles. It recently reported a 54% year-over-year growth in total viewing time. In addition to a steady stream of new titles, Tubi also includes live news and sports channels.
However, Tubi’s main revenue stream is advertising. It leverages its free service to draw customers and charges advertisers to reach them. Its ads are 15 to 30 seconds long and are usually unskippable. Since this service is free to use, viewers can stream the content of their choice in their own time. Though it may not have the huge library of content of competitors like Netflix, Tubi still boasts over 20 million monthly users as of June 2019.
Lacks 4K Ultra HD
Although Tubi is free, the catalog lacks 4K Ultra HD content. Most of the content is limited to 720p, which doesn’t look great on 4K TVs. Moreover, it doesn’t support audio descriptions, which many other streaming services do. Additionally, content on Tubi is often shot before the HD industry leaped HD. Consequently, it is unlikely to look as good on 4K televisions as on other platforms.
While there are no high-profile shows on Tubi, the service has an extensive library of cult movies and TV series. It has a strong anime selection, with titles such as Cowboy Bebop, Naruto, and Revolutionary Girl Utena.
It also offers a wealth of content from NBC’s Peacock TV, including The Office, 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights, Parenthood, and Parks and Recreation. In addition to these, Tubi also offers over 13,000 hours of content, including movies, TV shows, and sports.
Lacks audio descriptions
Tubi does not offer advanced accessibility features, but the service does support closed captions for most content. Users can also customize subtitles in the player. The advanced options are in the settings section of the app. Audio descriptions are also not offered by Tubi, but some other streaming services offer them. Apple TV+, Netflix, and Prime Video offer some of their content audio descriptions.
Standard audio descriptions require the source video to pause for the description. They are often difficult to understand due to the overlapping of audio tracks. But extended audio descriptions can be an effective solution for certain types of videos, like those with many pauses.
Isn’t aimed at mature audiences
Tubi is a relatively new streaming service that offers a variety of content for free. The service recently released its first original animated show, The Freak Brothers, which stars John Goodman, Woody Harrelson, Pete Davidson, and Tiffany Haddish. Tubi is not aimed at mature audiences but features many titles that appeal to younger viewers.
Tubi has many titles to choose from, including award-winning international films. Some titles are rated NR for children and PG-13 for mature content. The website also features a selection of kids’ titles and independent music. However, parents should be aware of the content, as some titles may contain explicit material.