If you’re a Philo subscriber then you might be now considering signing up to the new Core Package. If you do, you’ll end up paying a minimum of $3 more each month. Considering existing Philo subscribers have never encountered a price increase, the exact cost of upgrading will depend on how much you’re currently paying.
The question is should you upgrade? Is there enough of a difference to warrant an upgrade? Well, it depends.
You Will Get Free AMC+
The very big selling point with the new Core package is that it includes AMC+ at no additional cost. Although the Core plan costs $3 more than the Legacy plan, a standalone AMC+ subscription costs a minimum of $5 a month, resulting in a $2 saving each month.
Philo is also offering the option to upgrade to an ad-free AMC+ subscription for an additional $4 a month. At $32 for Philo Core and ad-free AMC+, Philo Legacy subscribers will still be saving $2 a month compared to continuing to pay for their existing Philo subscription and AMC+ separately.
For reference, an AMC+ subscription not only unlocks access to additional AMC content, but also Shudder, Sundance Now and IFC Films Unlimited as well. If you are interested in gaining access to any of this additional content, or are already paying for AMC+, then it makes sense to upgrade from the Philo Legacy plan to the new Core package.
Extra Channels Included With Philo Core
Technically, the new Philo Core package includes some channels that you won’t get with Philo Legacy. However, if you are not interested in AMC+, then the additional channels are unlikely to matter all that much.
The reason for this is that Philo Core includes live AMC+ channels. These channels are just linear versions of the content included with an AMC+ subscription, so whether they are of value depends on how much value you place on AMC+ to begin with.
Additional Philo Core channels include:
- AMC+
- IFC Films Unlimited
- Shudder TV
- Sundance Now
- The Walking Dead Channel
A DVR Upgrade For Some Subscribers
If you’ve been subscribed to Philo for long enough, then you may still be limited in terms of the DVR. Specifically, how long you can keep recordings for. When Philo increased the base plan price to $25, it also increased the length of time recordings can be stored up to one year.
Similar to the launch of the Core package, existing Philo subscribers had the choice of upgrading to the $25 plan to unlock access to the upgraded DVR or stick with their current package and price.
If you are one of those subscribers, and now considering upgrading to Core, then you will also benefit from the DVR upgrade when switching to the Core plan. This also likely means you’ll encounter a price increase greater than $3 a month.
So, Should You Upgrade To Philo Core?
Again, it depends, and mostly on how much you are already paying. If you are happy with your existing channel lineup and DVR, and don’t want AMC+, then there is probably not much point in upgrading to Philo Core.
Even if you are interested in AMC+, if you are paying less than $23 a month for Philo, signing up for a standalone ad-supported AMC+ subscription works out to be the same price.
$5-8/mo
- Shudder
- Sundance Now
- IFC Films
While you will need to use two different apps and manage two subscriptions, you will retain the option to keep your existing Philo price point. This is not only preferable if you decide AMC+ isn’t right for you and cancel, but it may also protect you from the next Philo price increase – whenever that might be.
All that said, if you are currently paying $25 a month for Philo, and think AMC+ would be a good addition, switching to the new Core package is cheaper than subscribing to both services separately. Likewise, if you are already subscribed to AMC+ and plan to keep the subscription, it makes sense to combine the two through the new Core plan and save a couple of dollars each month.
$28/mo
- 70+ channels
- AMC+
- Unlimited DVR
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