LiveNow! TV Plus is one of the very few apps that actually allow access to streaming live TV on Android tablets or smartphones. Unlike other apps, there is a large selection of TV channels for you to enjoy. Google has started cracking down a lot of good TV apps for Android. LiveNow! TV Plus is fortunately still up and running. This app is not well known; probably that is why it is still safe from Google’s wrath.
The Good
LiveNow! TV Plus has a very clean interface and allows easy access to the channels you want to see. There’s a dedicated TV section on the app that helps you narrow down the shows you like. The channels are also categorized very well making it easy to find something to watch. While I can’t quite check the claim of being Live, the app certainly feels that way. There is also recording feature, similar to a DVR, which can be activated after you pay a small fee.
The Bad
Some of the channels are only available in standard definition. The lesser quality picture makes watching them on full HD screens a genuinely painful experience. A small number of the channels will require a subscription fee. The recording function is locked behind a paywall in this app. The recording feature is something you may want to consider because of the live nature of the shows. Without the option to record, if you see a show you like, you’d need to be available at that time to watch the entire show.
The Bottom Line
LiveNow! TV Plus works like a charm. Each and every channel I tested on this app worked flawlessly. Sure sometimes the stream would take a little while to load, but the end results were amazing. If you like free entertainment, you have to give this nifty free TV app for Android a shot.
Installation and First Boot
Head on over to the Google Play store page and tap the install button. The app will automatically start downloading on your device. The app comes in a tiny package and can easily be downloaded in just seconds depending on your connection speed. After you launch the app, there is no elaborate tutorial here. Although it may seem like the app is offering a tutorial, it is really just pointing to the On Demand icon. It’s also letting you know that there are more than 45 thousand movies and shows for you to purchase and watch. Other than that, there’s no help whatsoever.
Interface
Right after the advertisement for the On Demand content, you will be taken to the main screen. As you can see, this is not exactly what we call a main screen. It is just a list of genres and categories this app has to offer. I think this straightforward approach to content works well. I was able to select the categories that interested me the most and I was taken right off to the channels. These are the free sports channels listed in the app. I tested the first five, and they worked really well.
Features
The app is not exactly loaded with features; although it doesn’t need to be pumped full of features. The app does offer a lot of free channels to watch, so in my opinion that is the best feature of the app. Tap on the little TV icon on the right side of the channel listing and you can see more information. From there, if you’ve opted to pay for it and signed in, you can select the record option. This feature is available for a small fee though. But the app allows you a few tries before asking for cash. It’s a helpful feature when you want to record a program.
Usage and Quality
Thankfully all the channels worked when I tested the app. I played around 20 to 30 channels from various sections, and they all streamed. One or two time the stream did take a while to buffer. In the end, the streams worked flawlessly. There are also some channels that offer HD resolution content. Those channels are in no way mentioned in the listing, and you will have to discover them yourself. After a stream starts, you don’t have many options at your disposal. You can pause or resume the stream by tapping the center of the screen, but that’s about it. The SD and HD buttons are displayed in the top right corner of the app. Tapping them will start the stream with your preferred resolution. Here you can see the iconic Indiana Jones in HD resolution. This Android free TV app does an exceptional job of keeping streams running well. I had no problems at all with the stream buffering while using the app. The “Live” button on the bottom-right side of the screen is displayed when the show is not a video on demand. What I mean is, if you are watching a show like “I Love Lucy” and pause it, the show will keep playing in the background. Pressing pause isn’t interrupting the show; you are only stopping the stream on your device. When you unpause it, you return to the stream where it is, not where you left off.
Permissions
The app can determine your locations. Your location is visible to the app because the it asks you for this permission when you sign up. Signing up is an entirely optional process that you can easily skip. However, the recording features will be disabled if you do no sign up for an account.
Conclusion
LiveNow!TV Plus is a great TV app for Android. I’m sure that you’ll have a great time watching an almost limitless number of TV and movies on this app. One important point is that the app has a dedicated tablet interface that works even better than the smartphone one. And we all know that video watching is better suited for tablets. All in all, I would recommend this great app to everyone who is seeking free entertainment. When you try watching free TV shows on your Android, let us know what you think in the comments below. Did you come across a remarkably cool station that you or your kids can watch for hours?
