Comparison

Astound TV+ vs Starting Gate

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Astound TV+

Stream live TV, cloud DVR recordings, and on-demand content from your home network or on the go. Access thousands of shows and movies, restart programs aired up to three days ago, and record multiple shows simultaneously. Integrated search helps you find content across all your sources.

Highlights
  • Watch live TV and recordings anywhere
  • Restart shows from the past 3 days
  • Cloud DVR with 125 hours storage
  • Integrated search across content sources
  • Simultaneous viewing on up to 5 devices
Read full description

With Astound TV, customers can download the Astound TV+ app* to a supported device and watch anywhere on your home network, or outside of the home via WiFi, instantly. Choose from thousands of shows and movies available – live TV, streaming, cloud DVR recordings* or On Demand – all together in one place. Miss a show or want to finish that hilarious episode? Restart a show that aired up to 3 days ago from the beginning without having to record it. Or with cloud DVR, you can record as many shows as you want at the same time. *Astound TV+ app only available to customers who have at least one Astound TV set-top box (IPTV) rental. Access to cloud DVR only available for residential customers. Subscription to video service from Astound Broadband is required. Top Features: • Need to take your kids to soccer and don’t want to miss a show? Access your channel lineup, from anywhere. Watch live TV & recordings on your supported device at home or on the go. • Start Over & Catch Up— Go back in time & start a show that aired up to 3 days ago. • Cloud DVR— Record as many shows as you want at once with 125 hours of storage included. Start the show on one device and finish on another. • Forgot to schedule a recording? No sweat. Click “record” in the Astound TV+ app on your mobile device, while on the go. • Integrated Search— Search across live TV, On Demand, streaming apps, and your recorded shows so you can find exactly what you want to watch, when you want to watch it. • Have multiple devices? Watch content on up to 5 devices at the same time and don’t miss a beat with your favorite show. You can register up to 12 devices. Get Started: 1. The Astound TV+ app is available to customers with Astound TV. Features and availability may vary depending on your TV service subscription and equipment (Astound TV set-top box (IPTV) rental required). 2. Subscription to Internet service, plus compatible Astound TV set-top box (IPTV) rental, is required to access the Astound TV+ app. 3. Create a username and password. • RCN – https://my.rcn.com • Grande – https://account.mygrande.com • Wave – https://my.wavebroadband.com/login 4. Download the app to your preferred device and login with your account username and password. 5. Start watching! Requires compatible device, internet service, at least one Astound TV set-top box (IPTV) rental and TV subscription for in-home use. Content restrictions may apply. Maximum combined 5 simultaneous Live TV and/or DVR streams per account. Astound TV customers visit www.astound.com for a complete list of compatible devices, support and more information. Start over feature only available up to 3 days. The ability to “start over” or “catch up” may vary by network, is dictated by the content provider and is subject to change at any time without notice. Fast forwarding may be disabled on some shows and is controlled by the content provider. Consider setting a OnePass to record a series to allow for fast forwarding in the future. Other restrictions may apply.

About

Starting Gate

Read full description

REAL RACE CARDS. HIGHLY PERSONAL CONFIDENCE. Your friend studies the form. You like the horse with the best name. There is room for both. Starting Gate mixes real US race cards, AI horse picks, and your race-day personality. Bring your lucky number. Pick your track. Give the group chat something to argue about. HOW SPICY? Keep it calm. Get bold. Go for the moonshot. Choose your energy, then choose what matters to you. THE FORM GETS A VOTE. SO DOES THE CHAOS. Mix race records with lucky numbers, great names, or a little "vibes only." Go through the choices. Make the pick your own. WHY THIS HORSE? When verified history exists, see a dated fact from a real past race beside your selected vibe. A past finish, a distance, or even a weight carried can give your gut feeling a receipt. No verified record? No invented history. MEET YOUR TOP THREE Get a lead pick, two runners-up, and AI commentary with a point of view. See suggested wagers in plain words. THE HORSES CLOCKED OUT. YOUR VIBES DIDN'T. When no live card is available, replay a real past card. Try the full pick process, with clear replay labels and no alerts for past races. SEND YOUR CALL Shareable sample ticket. Your horse, chosen energy, and personal race-day line. Give the group chat your top pick. POST TIME. ON YOUR TERMS. Choose race reminders for your selected track. Find each alert control and your AI choice under Settings. RACE DAY, WRAPPED Look back at your picks, favorite criteria, and race-day personality. The summary shows how you picked, not how you finished. Free to download and use. No account required. For entertainment. Adults 21+ only. Starting Gate does not accept bets, handle money, or link to betting sites. AI picks can be wrong and do not guarantee results. Race availability follows each track's schedule. Please gamble responsibly.

Screenshots

Astound TV+2 screens
Starting Gate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Starting Gate at every 8 days against Astound TV+'s every 12 months. Astound TV+'s advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Astound TV+ ships an update every 12 months, Starting Gate every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Astound TV+ versus Starting Gate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAstound TV+Starting Gate
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.6 (78 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews13.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings78 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size343 MB4 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperRCN Telecom Services, LLCSwanPowers, LLC

Bugs and requests

Astound TV+

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Stopped signing in and working on iPad
  • App never logs you in on older devices
  • Error signing into 5th generation iPad
  • App sits on loading screen forever
  • Cannot stream when connected to TV via HDMI
Show 7 more
  • App disconnects frequently
  • Cannot log out on Apple TV/Firesticks (Error C636)
  • App no longer works with recent iOS firmware
  • App doesn't show recorded programs
  • Cannot connect to DVR after update
  • Channels keep breaking up and freezing
  • App doesn't work for former WOW customers

Requested features

15 requests
  • Picture-in-picture option
  • Casting ability
  • Stream on laptop/PC
  • Remote function
  • Download option for offline viewing
Show 10 more
  • Auto-commercial skip
  • Quick mode functionality
  • Turn off autoplay videos
  • Easier channel lineup view
  • Support for older devices
  • Pop out picture support
  • Casting options
  • Picture in Picture support
  • Streaming on laptop
  • Keychain/FaceID support

Starting Gate

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Astound TV+

No in-app purchases

None

Starting Gate

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Astound TV+ free?
Astound TV+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Starting Gate free?
Starting Gate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Astound TV+ or Starting Gate have ads?
Neither Astound TV+ nor Starting Gate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Astound TV+ or Starting Gate?
Astound TV+ ships an update every 12 months, and Starting Gate every 8 days. Most recently, Astound TV+ was updated on November 3, 2026 and Starting Gate on November 13, 2026.

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