ITV Hub

ITV Hub is the app that brings ITV experience to your phone or tablet. Download ITV Hub to watch the programs you have missed on-air, to schedule your next TV evening with the guide, or to watch the programs via Chromecast or Apple TV on any device!

Design 4/5

Like most TV apps, ITV gives most of the screen to the video itself, with a dark black background to tint it. When you are watching in landscape mode, the video goes full screen. If in portrait, the app also displays the previous and the next show. Selecting ITV channels is made easy by swiping or tapping tabs. It’s harder, though, with multi-episode shows, because getting to a certain episode may take much scrolling.

Usability 5/5

The services provided by ITV online are quite common: it’s live streaming channels plus on-demand shows, movies and programs. To watch it, you can trust the channel streams, synced with those on-air, or search for certain titles with the built-in search system. The video quality is decent even with low settings, but if you want to enjoy the HD quality, the app is not the option, because it only supports SD video. Maybe it’s for the better because even with this, it sometimes freezes and experiences problems with buffering.

As it’s a free-to-air sort of television, one doesn’t have to register, though registration gives you some advantage of personalization. For example, you can mark your favorite channels. In the guide you can set up reminders not to miss important programs.

The app is compatible with rather old devices (Android 4.4, or iOS 7). It’s a great option to reprofile your old tablet, making it a compact TV set with the ITV app. Again, their displays with lower resolution won’t suffer because of low stream quality.

Features 5/5

The ITV programs are primarily meant for the British audience, covering both world and local news. It’s logical to have all the menus and most authentic programs in British English, though American content is also aired frequently. The ITV company now operates more than a dozen channels, with regional nuances and varying content. Channels offer popular shows like Love Island, Cannonball, Ninja Warrior UK, various movies and shows, sports and news.

In-app purchases 5/5

The basic experience is as free as the aired version of the same broadcasts. Still, if you want to improve it and get rid of commercials, you can subscribe to ITV Hub Plus for £3.99 (as a British service, it sets prices in pounds), with 7 days of the free trial. Still, you don’t have to; it’s covered by generic TV license.

The Bottom Line

If you are an ITV watcher, this app will bring the complete ITV experience to your smartphone or tablet. Stream the TV and watch it just like you do on-air, and if you don’t mind paying a bit, go ad-free.

• Graphics 4
• Gameplay 5
• Controls 5
• Replay Value 5

Pros

Full ITV experience;
Shows and programs on-demand;
Built-in TV guide;
Ad-free (optional, paid);
Low system requirements.

Cons

Only available in the UK;
No HD streaming.