Is Pluto TV Safe?

Streaming services have become a useful way to catch up on the latest TV shows and series. However, many popular ones ask you to subscribe with a monthly fee to view their channels. On the other hand, for some streaming applications like Pluto TV, you don’t have to pay to access the movies on their platform. So, how does Pluto TV work?

Pluto TV is a free streaming service that only requires an internet connection to watch the available TV shows.

Still, it’s not uncommon to entertain doubts about this app. For example, is Pluto TV safe to use, Is the App even legal, and how can they offer free streaming services? This article would help explain that.

Yes, Pluto TV is safe. And although it contains numerous ads, there is no presence of malicious software or viruses on the Application.

Is Pluto TV Legal?

Yes, Pluto TV is legal. The streaming service is owned by Paramount and was launched in 2014. In addition, the content that you can access on their application is entirely from legitimate sources. They curate lots of old TV shows, series, and on-demand movies.

What’s more, since its launch the selection of movies has increased. And, recently the application interface has also been updated to improve every user experience.

Why Is Pluto TV Free? How Does Pluto TV Make Money?

Pluto TV is free because of the use of advertisements. When you watch the selected programs available on the platform, ads play at intervals. This allows the app to stay free and offer on-demand content.

A movie or show that plays for 30 minutes typically has four (4) commercial breaks and if it’s for an hour, these breaks increase to eight (8). The adverts usually last 20-30 seconds, and the whole experience is similar to watching Cable television. Pluto TV generates its profit through these adverts.

What Channels Do I Get with Pluto TV?

Pluto TV comes with a good selection of channels that you can either stream on the website or the downloaded app. These channels include:

News Channels such as CNN, Sky News, NBC News, Weather nation, Bloomberg Television, Top stories by newsy, CBSN, CBSN New York, CNET, Cheddar, Today news, etc.
Entertainment Channels are BET Pluto, MTV Pluto, ET Live, Demand Africa, People TV, Complex, etc.
Reality TV Channels and shows: MTV Dating, Love and Hip-hop, Black Ink Crew, Hell’s Kitchen, Survivor, Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, The Challenge, Fear factor, etc.
Crime and Drama Channels: CSI, True Crime, Forensic Files, The New Detectives, Unsolved Mysteries, etc.
Kids Channels: Nickelodeon and Nick Jnr.
Sports Channels: FOX sports, Major league soccer, NFL channel, etc.
Other Series and Movies include Baywatch, VH1 RuPaul’s drag race, Star Trek, Degrassi, The Terminator, 1000 ways to die, Family Feud, and a channel called Pluto TV 007 that shows only James Bond movies.

How Many Channels Does Pluto TV Have?

Pluto TV has 250+ channels, but this number varies based on the country you are watching it from. It also contains over 1000+ movies and an extensive library of TV shows that are still growing.

It is important to note that most news and sports channels of this service do not show live streams of events. Instead, it is often repeated news or the past highlights and analysis of important matches.

How to Watch Pluto TV If It’s Not Available in Your Country

Although Pluto TV offers exciting channels, it is only available for use in specific countries such as The United States, South America, etc. Alternatively, only some channels are gotten in the United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, and Germany.

Pluto TV is inaccessible in India, New Zealand, Kenya, Nigeria, other parts of Africa, etc. If you still want to watch Pluto TV despite the restriction in your country. We recommend that you do the following:

Download a VPN on the device that you wish to access Pluto TV.
Set up your VPN by filling in the required details
Choose a VPN server that is connected to the USA.
Go to the Pluto TV website to start streaming content or download the Application.

How Do You Watch Pluto TV?

To watch Pluto TV, you either go to their website or download the app on the Google play store or the App store. You can begin streaming your favorite shows immediately without signing in to the website. But if you’re using the app. It is required that you create an account before you would be able to access the platform.

And if you have doubted the app’s credibility by asking: Is Pluto TV safe, now you have your answer, which should undoubtedly be yes. This is because Pluto TV does not ask for your card information or any other sensitive details before you begin to use the streaming service.

Are There Any Sticking Points with Pluto TV?

Using Pluto TV comes with its advantages and disadvantages. And although Pluto TV is safe to use, free as well as legal. It has some sticking points that do not make it a top pick for some users. The cons of using Pluto TV are

The presence of multiple ads while watching a movie.
Hardly any new episodes of current TV shows. Pluto TV offers mostly reruns.
There are no live streams of sports.
There is no DVR functionality which means you cannot pause or rewind the show once it has started playing.

These reasons are why Pluto TV might not be everybody’s favorite, but we must remember that the streaming service is entirely free. Hence it is understandable why it would have some limitations.

What Devices Can I Use to Watch Pluto TV?

You can watch Pluto TV on these devices:

Amazon Fire TV
Android mobile phones
Apple TV on iPhones and iPads
Roku devices and TVs
Google Chromecast
LG Smart TVs
Samsung Smart TVs
Hisense Smart TVs etc.
Xbox One
Playstation4
TiVo
Oculus
PCs
Web browsers

How Much Data Does Pluto TV Use?

The amount of data used while streaming a movie on Pluto TV depends on the internet connection and speed. This figure is also affected by the device you use and the streaming quality. On average, a video of standard definition (480p) uses 700MB per hour to stream. For high definition (720p and above), it requires 900MB-2GB. Keep in mind that these are not specific values. Instead, it should serve as a guide.

Is Pluto TV Free with Amazon Prime?

Pluto TV is a free service from the get-go. So, you can use it alongside Amazon Prime. However, since Amazon Prime is a paid streaming service, it is sometimes recommended to use them both in order to have an additional selection of TV programs at no extra cost.

How Do I Activate and Watch Pluto TV On My Samsung Smart TV?

To activate and watch Pluto TV on your Samsung Smart TV. Follow these instructions:

Select the home screen on your Samsung Smart TV
Choose the App Store and search for Pluto TV.
Pick the option “Add to Home.”
Open the app and start streaming your preferred shows.

Can You Watch Pluto TV Offline?

No, you cannot watch Pluto TV offline. The service has made no provision for users to be able to download TV shows and watch them later. And, it is unlikely that this feature will be added later on, so for now, you would require a steady internet connection to stream the content available on Pluto TV.

How to Search for Movies and Shows on Pluto TV

Although Pluto TV does not come with a traditional search bar, there are other ways for you to look for movies and shows.

Option 1: Use the watch list feature

This is done by checking both the live channels and on-demand sections. When you see a movie or series you like, click on it and add it to your watch list.
Repeat this on any TV program that catches your fancy. Doing so would create a personal library of movies and shows that you can access easily. When you’re ready, click on this watchlist and make a pick of your preferred movies.

Option 2: Use Pluto TV Channel List

Is Pluto TV Safe? - Why It’s Free & How It Makes Money

If you’re interested in watching live channels on Pluto TV, then using the channel list is the advisable choice. This lineup from their website serves as a valuable guide.

What’s more, it also has the channel name and number alongside the category that they fall into. The only thing not stated is the time for shows, and you can find that out by checking the channel either on the website or app to see the list of programs slated for that day.

Option 3: Search Pluto TV using Google

This method is one of the easiest. Start by typing the name of the movie or TV series in the Google search bar.
Click on All watch options at the side of your screen. A list of all the TV subscriptions that you use will appear.
Check for Pluto TV and tap on Watch beside it. This would take you to the website or app to watch the selected movie.

Option 4: Browse Pluto TV by Categories

You can search by using categories. This is done for both on-demand content and live shows. Pluto TV groups similar content under the same category and so you would be able to find what you are looking for more easily. First, click on Live TV at the top of the screen.
For on-demand shows, you would see options such as Thriller, Horror, Discovery Channel, 90’s throwback, Animal planet, etc.
For Live shows, you’ll see options for Comedy, Sports, News, sitcoms, etc.

How to Use Pluto TV On Android

The steps to use Pluto TV on Android devices are as follows:

Download the app from the Google Play store.
Sign up with your email address and password for free.
Start using the app.

How to Remove Pluto TV On Windows 10

If you have had enough of Pluto TV and want to uninstall it from Windows 10. Do the following

Select Start or the Windows icon.
Click on Settings >> Apps >> Apps & Features.
Tap on Pluto TV and choose to uninstall.

How to Change the Language on Pluto TV

Watching Pluto TV in a language you don’t understand can be a bother. But unfortunately, you cannot change the language of the audio. What you can do is switch the subtitles to the language that you know. The process to do this differs in each device.

For Android

Go to Settings and select Accessibility from the available options.
Click on Captions.
Tap on Closed Captions (CC).
Open your Pluto TV App and select display.
Choose CC among the options and pick your preferred language.

For iOS and TVOS devices

Enable Accessibility on your Apple device.
From the menu, click on Settings >> General >> Accessibility.
Select Media and choose Subtitles & Captioning.
Then activate SDH + closed captioning.
While watching, tap on the screen, choose the CC icon, and select the language of your choice.

For Amazon Fire TV

Ensure that the accessibility settings on your Fire TV are turned on.
Click on the Captions column.
Turn on Captions.
Click on Pluto TV to open it.
Select the menu key on the TV remote.
Pick your preferred language from closed captions.

For Roku TV and Devices

Select Pluto TV on your Roku device.
Play the movie or audio that you want.
Click on Star and then Options.
Pick the window that has Closed Captioning.
A list of captions would appear. Use the right and left buttons to choose.

How to Turn OFF Subtitles on Pluto TV

The steps to turn off subtitles on Pluto TV vary slightly for every device. However, once you previously enabled closed captioning (CC), you can toggle it off to remove the subtitles from your screen.

Go to Options/Settings >> Subtitles >> Closed Captioning (CC) >> Turn it OFF.

Best Movies to Watch on Pluto TV

While Pluto TV has a vast selection of movies, there are some that you should definitely check out

They include:

Safety not guaranteed (2012)
Super 8
Frank (2014)
Short term 12 (2013)
Wind River.
Birdman
Eve’s Bayou (2011)
The Kids Are Alright (2010)
The Skeleton Twins (2014)

Can You Record Pluto TV?

No, you cannot record Pluto TV. This is due to the absence of the Cloud DVR feature in the streaming service provider. Cloud DVR helps customers store content and record shows simultaneously, so the lack of it makes recording impossible.

Conclusion

Downloading Pluto TV is a good choice because it offers a lot of value despite being a free streaming service. In addition, questions like “Is Pluto TV safe?” and “how does the parent company make their profit?” have already been addressed.

Consequently, if you’re looking to watch movies while on a budget, going for Pluto TV could be a worthwhile solution.

John Adebimitan

John follows everything happening in the tech industry, from the latest gadget launches to some of the big-name moves in the industry. He covers opinionated pieces and writes on some of the biggest names in the industry. John is also a freelance writer, so he shares articles on freelancing every now and then. email: john@tekpip.com

Is Pluto TV Safe? – Why It’s Free & How It Makes Money