Wednesday, August 23, 2023

App Review: Paramount +

 


I decided to cut the cord back in 2017 and get rid of cable/satellite TV. Because I watch many of the CBS shows I decided to shell out for a CBS All Access (now Paramount +) subscription. You would only want to download this if you actually have (or plan on buying) a subscription, otherwise, it is basically useless. Yes, it is free to download the app, as most of the TV-based apps are, but in order to watch anything on it you have to subscribe separately to Paramount+. The subscription prices vary depending on whether you want the version with commercials or whether you want to shell out a bit more for the commercial-free version and/or add on a Showtime subscription. I have the app both for the Firestick and the Roku. I would say I like the app for the latter a bit more than this one, in part because navigating the menus tends to be easier. But that is as much a function of the Firestick remote vs. the Roku remote as anything.

To be clear if you have cable or satellite and DVR, and you have no interest in watching the shows that you can only see through the app (like The Good Fight, Star Trek Discovery, and the archived shows that are no longer on the air like Limitless) then there is no reason to get this. My main issue with the app is that for some series, it will allow you to watch every episode from season 1 on, and for others it only allows you to watch the current season. And for the late-night shows (at least Colbert) you can only go back for a couple weeks worth of episodes, so if you fall too far behind you cannot watch the older episodes.

The subscription is definitely a better deal for cord-cutters than those already paying for cable. Even for those people, it does give you access to some older CBS shows that are not on the air anymore, so if you did want to watch an older series without getting it on DVD, or do not subscribe to another service where the show might be available, it will give you that option. It also allows you to watch your local CBS station live. It is certainly not perfect, but if the circumstances are right for you, worth it.

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