In this CracklePop TV Review, I’ll cover the streaming TV/VOD service, TV app, channel delivery, interfacing, and performance, including the pros and cons. By the time this review ends, you’ll have a clear understanding to decide if CracklePop TV is right for you.
Make no mistake, no TV/VOD service like this one is perfect. But what’s most important is that the upsides outweigh the downsides. Whether you are searching for an alternative to cable, satellite, or FiOS TV or living without paid TV, CracklePop TV addresses both types of TV viewers. The price is low but that doesn’t mean you lose watching many of your favorites.
There is a low-cost 24-hour trial to test everything and 7 subscription packages starting at $16.00 per month to choose from. I’ll cover this in the CracklePop TV review later on. What separates CracklePopTV from other IPTV/OTT or streaming TV/VOD services is its streaming content delivery, subscription packages, and optionality.
Basic Understanding
What Is CracklePop TV?
Unlike traditional TV (cable, satellite, FiOS), all the TV channels and VODs come from the Internet across your IP address. You don’t need to connect a receiver, antenna, or set-top box. You can read more about how IPTV is defined to further your understanding.
CracklePop TV delivers 1000s of live channels (movies, sports, TV shows, news, kids, etc.) and 1000s of VODs with movies and TV series. There is no contract, cancellation, or hidden fees. You simply install one of the supported TV Player apps, and pay for the low-cost 24-hour trial to test everything. Later if you decide, you can register for one of the 7 subscription packages–see further down.
There are two types of streaming TV/VOD (IPTV) streaming services and I will break each one down:
IP Lock
Some streaming TV/VOD services use an IP Lock system when connecting the TV app to the servers. You cannot change the IP address or use a VPN service. There are more limitations than using a No IP Lock system.
Once the app is installed on your device it gets locked into the Streaming TV service/server with your IP address. Therefore, taking your compatible device with the app installed to another person’s household won’t allow you to connect to the service. The other household will have a different IP address from their Internet service.
In most cases, you can use only one mobile device when traveling outside your IP address (household) that connects to a WiFi area. A portable device such as a laptop is not a mobile device that you can watch TV on the go when using an IP Lock IPTV service and WiFi. However, a very small number of these IPTVs allow using a tablet as a portable device to connect when traveling.
No IP Lock
One of the benefits of using CracklePop TV is that it uses No IP Lock technology which does the opposite of an IP Lock IPTV service. You can change your IP address when traveling to any location outside your primary IP address location. This is great for TV on the go because you can use any compatible portable or mobile device to connect to the service/servers.
This also means you can connect a VPN service to hide your IP address to keep other people, companies, hackers, or even your ISP (Internet Service Providers) from spying on you. Sometimes a VPN will provide better streaming performance. It can also prevent your ISP from throttling your Internet connection.
It doesn’t matter if you travel near or far or worldwide, you can use a compatible device such as a smartphone, laptop, tablet, or Firestick with the app installed. Just connect to the Streaming TV/VOD service to watch your favorites online.
Learn More about What is IP Lock and No IP Lock.
Who Is CracklePop TV For?
CracklePop TV caters to TV viewers living with or without paid TV from all walks of life. Anyone with Internet access can use this service. Those who want to downsize, cut the cable cord, ditch the dish, or want to say adios to FiOS TV can use this low-cost alternative.
If you are bilingual or multilingual, you can choose a subscription package with countries already preselected. Users can watch channels and VODs from their homeland whether living in that country or outside of it. No one is restricted from watching any channels/VODs from any country.
These kinds of services are best suited for individuals with some basic knowledge of using the Internet, emails, downloading/installing apps, and can follow setup instructions.
Requirements to Make it All Work
High-Speed Internet Connection. Minimum 30 Mbps but 100 Mbsp or higher is better to avoid buffering as much as possible. Also better to have when connecting multiple devices to the service and when most people are on the Internet using the same ISP (Inter Service Provider).
What Countries Are Included?
- USA (3,050 Channels)
- Canada (637 Channels)
- United Kingdom (1,022)
- Australia (80 Channels)
- Ireland (27 Channels)
- New Zealand (12 Channels)
- Caribbean (269 Channels)
- Africa (102 Channels)
- India (117 Channels)
- Indonesia (5 Channels)
- Malaysia (94 Channels)
- Pakistan (75 Channels)
- Philippine (40 Channels)
- Thailand 18 Channels
- Turkey (289 Channels)
- Vietnam (197 Channels)
- Albania (169 Channels)
- Armenia (12 Channels)
- Bulgaria (107 Channels)
- DE, FI, NO, SE (129 Channels)
- EX-YU (366 Channels)
- France (240 Channels)
- Greece (23 Channels)
- Italy (75 Channels)
- Germany (233 Channels)
- Poland (208 Channels)
- Portugal (206 Channels)
- Romania (136 Channels)
- Russia (101 Channels)
- Spain 112 Channels)
- Lithuania – Various Territories (112 Channels)
- Argentina (41 Channels)
- Brazilian (134 Channels)
- Mexican (97 Channels)
Compatible Streaming Devices, TV Apps Supported
CracklePop TV is compatible with a wide range of streaming devices and supports many TV apps. You probably already have a compatible device so you only need to install the supported TV Player app for that device. And I would think you already have High-Speed Internet.
Compatible Devices
- Android Devices (Box, TV, Smartphone)
- Devices with Android OS (NVIDIA Shield, Firestick, Fire TV) ***Must install apk version of the app, requires more steps
- Chromecast
- Tablet
- iOS Devices (iPad, iPhone)
- Smart TVs (LG, Samsung)
- Computers (Mac, Windows 10/11 & Up)
- Mag Devices
Popular TV/VOD Apps Supported Including Other Apps
- CracklePop TV Smarters (IPTV Smarters Pro rebranded with better design layout) ***Android devices & operating systems only
- IPTV Smarters Pro
- TiviMate IPTV Player
- IBO Player Pro
- Infinity TV
- NexTV
- Purple V12
- Edge TV
- TVHub
- Unity Streams ***Recommend VOD movies/TV series app
- Stream IT (VOD)
- Prime Flix (VOD)
- Web TV Player ***Opens inside a web browser
NOTE: M3u and EPG Playlist Supported.
Streaming TV/VOD Content, Delivery, Quality & Performance
When you test review CracklePop TV yourself after entering into the trial or subscription with all countries, you will come across 19,552 live channels in their respective categories and sub-categories inside the TV Player app. There are live channels to watch from any of the countries listed above. This includes local, national, and international channels to watch sports, shows, movies, news, kids’ shows, documentaries, and so on.
There’s a huge live sports package to watch any ballgame or sporting event of your choosing including USA Bally Sports and PPV events. You can watch all kinds of seasonal sports such as soccer, NFL Football, NBA Basketball, MLB Baseball, NHL Hockey, Soccer, NCAA, and so on. Watch the big fights/special events live.
Adult 18+ channels are optional when choosing the trial or any one of the 7 basic subscription packages.
The service connects you to many of the major TV networks where you are sure to find your favorite channels. There’s also a huge number of 24/7 shows and movies that provide even more entertainment. It’s best to get the trial so that you can see everything yourself and decide whether or not to subscribe later.
As for the VOD movies, you will find around 37,544 of them. The sub-categories include Recently Added, the current year VODs, 3D, 4K, and many of the popular genres. The VOD TV series has 2,459 of them and sub-categories that include Recently Added, 4K, and genres.
Streaming Delivery–Interfacing
The vast majority of channels stream/play quickly when selecting them and are easy to find using your eyes to navigate. You’ll find that most come without consistent buffering but you will come across some channels with this issue. A channel may have poor quality whereas there’s nothing the streaming TV/VOD service can do about it. However, nothing is stopping you from reporting any issue you find to CracklePop support.
Of course, VOD movies and TV series will play just a tad little slower which is normal. Just like for the very low number of live channels that don’t work, you’ll come across some VODs not working. When this happens, contact support if the content is something you want to watch.
You’ll find navigating throughout the TV Player app is easy to do which makes the interfacing very user-friendly.
Quality and Performance
To stream SD, HD, FHD, or upwards to 4K resolutions when having a 30-50 Mbps Internet connection speed nowadays may not be good enough. But 100-150 Mbps or even higher would be the best way to go. You want to avoid consistent buffering as much as possible. But that doesn’t mean you won’t come across a bad channel at some point with a buffering issue.
You can contact support but I also suggest going to YouTube and searching for… iptv buffering or [name of your device] iptv buffering
CracklePop TV has the technology to avoid buffering issues as much as possible. It does a good job of that but again, you must have your end correct. No service like this one is perfect. This is why CracklePopTV offers a trial to test. Each person’s device and storage is different from another person including Internet connection speed.
Feature Enhancements & Optionality
There are many supported TV Player apps listed further up that can be installed on a compatible device. Nothing is stopping you from installing 2 or more apps on the same device. I suggest you do that if possible, as this can also be used for testing purposes. Each TV Player app will have a set number of features and not be the same features for every app.
Some of the basic features you will want to be included that CracklePop TV has in the apps supported:
- Add to Favorites
- Preview/Full Screen
- Search Tool
- Tracks what you watched previously
- EPG (Electronic Programming Guide)
For Android devices (TV, Box, Phone, Tablet) including Firestick, Fire TV, Fire Cube, and NVIDIA Shield, it’s suggested to install the CrackelPop TV Smarters app. This is a rebranded app of the IPTV Smarters Pro.
You can see from the image above that it has a sleek layout design which is quite different from the bland-looking IPTV Smarters Pro and Smarters Player Lite versions. You will find features included such as Multiscreen, Parental Controls, Record (not tested), Sort, Speed Test, etc.
The CracklePop TV review test used the Firestick 4K Max connected to the Samsung Smart TV 4K. The Firestick works great with all Streaming TV/VOD services that support that device. You’ll notice ‘CatchUp’ in the image above but there’s no CatchUP TV in the app to watch. You stand to get more streaming content when using an Android device or devices with the Android operating system, such as the Firestick.
Optionality – Preloaded of Countries to Choose & Bouquets
Each of the 7 subscription packages is preloaded with certain countries. You will see when checking out the breakdown of the trial and subscription plans below. You can choose the package with the country or countries you are interested in watching channels/VODs from.
During registration for the trial or subscription, you will come across the Select Bouquets button. A popup window opens with many boxes pointing to different types of content (countries, channels & VODs). You are to check the box for ‘Select All’ and then uncheck the boxes for the content you don’t want added to your playlist. In other words, content you don’t want to watch.
What to Do First…
The CracklePop TV website has a lot of information that answers a lot of questions. Just find the FAQs section and read through all of them. Also, read the Refund Policy, you’ll find that link at the bottom of the website.
Right above the trial and 7 subscriptions, you will see ‘What to Do First…’ where it’s suggested you do the following:
- Install the TV Player app to test and see if it installs correctly on your compatible device. Go to the Menu section >> Support >> Setup Guides
- Purchase the low-cost 24-hour trial ($3.00) to test the app and streaming TV/VOD service. If all is good, then you might want to go for the subscription
- CracklePopTV will send you 5 emails immediately. If you don’t see all 5 emails, check your Spam or Junk mail folder
You can read the rest when going to the Home page and reading above the trial and subscription packages
CracklePop TV Trial & 7 Subscription Packages
The trial is used for testing. The 7 basic subscription packages start you off by choosing the country or countries you want. There is a video tutorial link for the trial to watch how to register so that you know what to expect. Each subscription package includes two video tutorials. One shows how to register for the subscription and the other shows how to register for the subscription after the trial ends.
You can watch all the video tutorials Here.
The trial including each CracklePop TV subscription package has two buttons that let you choose Buy with Adult 18+ or Buy without Adult 18+. Either button you choose will then allow you to drill down to select the number of months and device connections you want. The price will vary ranging from $16.00 and up. So whatever your budget is, you can choose the plan that’s right for you.
The trial does not have automatic billing so when it ends in 24 hours, you will not be billed again. The subscriptions on the other hand do have automatic billing and you’ll be charged at the end of your billing cycle.
You can choose 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 device connections and 1, 3, 6, and 12-month plans when you drill down.
24-Hour Trial: $3.00
Each of the 7 subscription Packages: $16.00-$550.00
Types of Subscription Packages:
- All Countries TV/VOD
- Americas TV/VOD (North, Central & South)
- Canada TV/VOD
- English Countries TV/VOD (US, UK, CA, AU, IE, NZ, Caribbean, S. Afrika)
- US Premium TV/VOD
- USA-CAN-UK TV/VOD
- Mag Devices (All Countries) TV/VOD
CracklePop TV Review: Pros and Cons
The upsides and downsides are common to all Streaming TV/VOD services like CracklePop TV, some just have better technology than others. CracklePopTV is not perfect but strives to bring the best of web TV entertainment without interruptions. It has a very high uptime percentage (99.5%) which makes them reliable.
PROS…
I already provided the upsides and benefits of using this service. Overall, you want the best performance and delivery of streaming TV/VOD content. Crackle Pop TV doesn’t fall short of doing that. You want to watch your favorite channels/networks, shows, movies, news, or whatever interests you. I think you may find this service to be worth your while when checking everything out inside.
The trial lets you in for a few dollars to test everything so that you can see what countries, channels, VOD movies/TV series are included. The website provides a lot of information that answers questions and guides you to the starting and finish lines. There are Setup Guides and Video Tutorials that you get access to without having to register first.
The optionality lets you choose the country or countries you want. For English-speaking individuals, you might want to choose the English Countries package. This includes the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and other English-speaking countries. This means more channels, movies, sports, and TV series. Or, you can choose the USA/CAN-UK package.
The US Premium package does not include Canadian, UK channels, and other countries.
CONS…
I’ll start by getting at the issues common to all these streaming TV/VOD services out of the way first.
You are bound to come across some non-working channels and videos out of 100s or 1000s depending on which subscription package you choose. Some channels and VODs may cause some or constant buffering issues. You can always contact support about these issues should they occur. However, I suggest making sure your end is correct.
It’s best to have 100 Mbps or more Internet Connection Speed. If you are experiencing poor streaming performance, you should visit YouTube and search for… IPTV buffering
The Multscreen (4 PIP) feature is nice to have but you may come across an issue when trying to add the 4th channel. I found this to be true when using the CracklePop TV Smarters player. The same issue probably occurs in the IPTV Smarters Pro app as well. Perhaps there won’t be an issue on your. You have to test.
You should be ok with loading 3 channels in the Multiscreen. The Record feature has not been tested entirely and there are no instructions on how to use it at the moment. However, it’s best to use an external storage device because the device you are using will not have enough storage.
CracklePop TV does not deliver CatchUp TV but most of these services don’t. But you do get a lot of 24/7 shows and movies which gives you extra entertainment to watch including the free VOD movies/TV series apps. If you don’t find a movie or TV series you’re looking for inside the TV Player, you can install the VOD app on any Android device including the Firestick, Fire Cube, Fire TV, or NVIDIA Shield. You may find what you’re looking for there.
Conclusion
Whatever your TV and/or VOD demands may be, CracklePop TV does its best to meet all or most of them. No doubt you’re probably wondering do they have the channels/networks, shows, or sports that interest you. The only way to find out is to register for the trial and see. Hopefully, your interests are wide range and not focused on just one thing.
Movie and TV series lovers will have access to both live channels and on-demand with their favorite shows, sitcoms, TV series, movies that are recently added, and movies from the current year. Sports lovers will have all they need to watch any kind of ballgame, or sporting events including playoffs, championships, tournaments, sports talk, highlights, Olympics, you name it.
Now that you know CracklyPopTV uses a No IP Lock system, there are no restrictions on how you want to watch TV online. Watch from a friend, family, or neighbor’s home, or take your TV on the go near or far. Whatever your budget is I don’t think $16.00 per month will break the bank unless you are flat out broke. There’s something for the entire family to watch on their separate devices whereas you can connect up to 5 devices at one time.
CracklePop TV is an all-in-one streaming TV and VOD service that caters to global TV viewers who want to save money without losing watching their favorites.
