DirecTV MyEntertainment vs. Sling Blue vs. Philo: Battle of the Budget Live TV Streamers

When you think of live TV streaming services, the first offerings that come to mind might be the most-subscribed-to options, such as YouTube TV and Hulu Plus Live TV. However, the streamers with extensive channel lineups are two of the priciest picks for cord-cutters. Depending on what channels are essential to you, a more affordable, entertainment-centric live TV service may be a better alternative.

When it comes to low and mid-budget live TV streaming services that cover entertainment channels, there are three similarly-priced packages you need to know about. The first is MyEntertainment, a $35-per-month streaming bundle that DirecTV launched this year. The other two are more established: there’s Philo, which costs $33 per month, and Sling Blue, which runs between $46 and $51 per month. To learn more about what each service offers, here’s an in-depth guide and channel comparison.

MyEntertainment is one of DirecTV’s five Genre Packs that offer genre-specific channel lineups. The other packs are MyKids, MiEspanol, MyNews, and MySports. For $35 per month, DirecTV MyEntertainment allows you to stream channels such as Bravo, CNN and Food Network. You also get access to the ad-supported versions of HBO Max and the Disney Plus and Hulu bundle.

Sling Blue is one of Sling’s base services. You can also choose Orange or Orange and Blue, but Blue’s price and channels make it the most comparable to Philo and MyEntertainment. Live channels you get with Blue include Fox Sports 1, NFL Network and Discovery. You can also potentially get local FOX, ABC and NBC with Sling Blue, depending on where you live.

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Read our Sling review.

Philo is another option that could appeal to budget-conscious cord-cutters who want to browse a selection of live channels like Hallmark, A&E and Nickelodeon. The streaming service has a channel guide, where you have the option to “save” shows and movies to record them, and also offers on-demand titles with ads. Philo recently raised its price while simultaneously adding access to ad-supported HBO Max and Discovery Plus. However, it remains the most affordable option among the trio, costing $33 per month.

Read our Philo review.

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What channels do you get with Sling Blue, Philo and MyEntertainment?

A comparison of live TV streaming services wouldn’t be complete without a detailed channel breakdown. Note: The following focuses on the channels included with your paid subscription, although you’ll likely notice free channels (aka FAST channels) available as well when using the guide. This doesn’t include channels you can add-on for an additional cost. Sling offers Extras, which are mini channel collections, and DirecTV has Mini Packs that you can add to base packs.

Let’s start with some offerings Philo, Sling Blue and DirecTV MyEntertainment have in common. All of them supply heavy hitters A&E, AMC, BET, Comedy Central, Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, History, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime and TLC.

Philo and MyEntertainment both have Hallmark, but you won’t get the channel with Sling Blue unless you pay extra for a mini channel collection called Lifestyle Extra. Bravo comes with Sling Blue and MyEntertainment, but the channel isn’t in Philo’s lineup. 

MyEntertainment and Sling Blue are the strongest of the three for news, as they both offer CNN, Fox News Channel and MS Now (formerly MSNBC). You can also watch CNBC and Fox Business Network with MyEntertainment.

For kids, Philo offers Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Discovery Family and MeTV Toons, while Sling Blue offers Nick Jr. and Cartoon Network (via the Cartoon Network & Adult Swim channel). Kids channels aren’t MyEntertainment’s strength, but you get an assortment with another DirecTV Genre Pack, MyKids. 

One of Sling Blue’s big draws is its local channels. You can get local ABC, NBC or FOX, depending on where you live, but your Blue could also cost $5 more than others’ as these channels are only offered in select US cities.

Sling Blue’s exclusives could be a reason for sports fans to swing for its pricier service (reminder — you’re spending $13-$18 more a month on Blue than Philo). Fox Sports 1, NFL Network, TBS, TNT, TruTV and USA Network all come with the Sling base plan — no add-on needed. 

Channels you’ll find in only one place

Philo, Sling Blue and DirecTV MyEntertainment have a lot of channel overlap, but they also offer some content that their competitors don’t. Here’s a look at some channels you can get with one streamer in the trio, but not the other two. 

No-cost HBO Max and other streaming services

Sling Blue’s mix of entertainment and locals could mean it’s currently the frontrunner for you. But there’s another major factor to consider: Free access to more streaming services. 

Yes, it might seem surprising, but you can get HBO Max, Hulu, Disney Plus and AMC Plus through a live TV streaming service subscription if you so choose to. DirecTV MyEntertainment includes access to ad-supported HBO Max, as well as the ad-based Hulu and Disney Plus bundle. Meanwhile, Philo offers ad-supported HBO Max, Discovery Plus and AMC Plus.

HBO Max, Hulu and Disney Plus with DirecTV MyEntertainment: HBO Max carries HBO shows like The Chair Company and Warner Bros. movies like Weapons. The Disney/Hulu bundle includes titles like The Fantastic Four: First Steps and High Potential. 

HBO Max, Discovery Plus and AMC Plus with Philo: AMC Plus’ library includes Dark Winds, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, and the Shudder horror movie Good Boy. Discovery Plus lets you stream content from brands like HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, Animal Planet and Discovery Channel. You can watch AMC Plus content within the Philo app, and Philo plans to offer Discovery Plus and select HBO content in its app early next year. 

Currently, you’re limited to the ad-supported versions of every streaming service except AMC Plus, which can be ad-free if you pay an additional $4 per month. However, both DirecTV and Philo say ad-free upgrades are in the plans.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

DVR, interface and other notable differences

I checked out the Sling TV, DirecTV and Philo apps on a TV using a Roku device and found them all painless to use. Sling TV and DirecTV had selections like “Home” and “Guide” on the left side of the screen, and Philo had the options at the top. 

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If you want a budget live TV streaming service that lets you flip through a channel guide, watch on-demand content and record shows and films to watch later, Sling Blue, MyEntertainment and Philo all check that basic box. If the guide is where you’ll spend the most time, I’d recommend Sling TV or DirecTV — with Philo, I didn’t see a way to sort channels besides favoriting and drawing them to the top.

Sling TV has a neat interactive tool called “Channel Surfing,” a slick way to browse channels outside of the guide. All three streamers displayed pause ads by default, but Sling TV had the option to turn them off in settings. One aspect of DirecTV kind of perplexed me. When I put on a channel and pressed left or right on my remote — an action I usually associate with fast-forwarding or rewinding — it changed the channel instead. 

Philo and MyEntertainment are the sole services with an unlimited DVR, which could be a difference-maker if you like to record and skip through commercials. Sling Blue comes with 50 hours of DVR storage, and you can upgrade to unlimited storage for an additional $5 per month. MyEntertainment and Sling Blue both save recordings for 9 months, and Philo keeps them for a year.

All three streaming services supply three simultaneous streams, though MyEntertainment provides unlimited in-home streams. When it comes to profiles, Philo is on top with 10, followed by MyEntertainment with five and Sling Blue with four. MyEntertainment is the sole streamer with a free trial, but you don’t have to pay to watch Philo, Sling Blue or MyEntertainment’s free channels.

Which live TV streamer should you choose?

If you want to stream entertainment and news live TV channels, there are live TV streaming services that might better fit your budget and preferences than $90 Hulu Plus Live TV or $83 YouTube TV. 

Sling Blue’s higher price compared to Philo and MyEntertainment might take it out of the running for you, or its sports channels and locals could put it over the edge. While it lacks kids’ channels in its lineup, MyEntertainment is the only streamer that offers access to the ad-based Disney Plus and Hulu bundle, which could also tide the kids over. 

Given its price and offerings (and free trial) as of this writing, MyEntertainment’s service is hard to resist. Still, it’s worth revisiting the channels and free streaming perks that Sling Blue, Philo and MyEntertainment offer, and considering what you’d prefer to spend time watching.