truTV vs Spectrum TV
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
truTV
Stream live sports, full episodes of popular TV shows, and movies on demand. Sign in with your TV provider to access content from truTV and enjoy entertainment anytime, anywhere.
- Watch live sports
- Stream full TV episodes
- Enjoy blockbuster movies
- Sign in with TV provider
- Access truTV originals
- Watch anytime, anywhere
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ALWAYS HERE FOR A GOOD LAUGH The truTV app makes watching live sports, full episodes and movies easy! Sign in with your TV Provider to catch live sports like Mountain West football, MotoGP, MLB, NHL , and classic truTV originals like Impractical Jokers, Tacoma FD, Adam Ruins Everything, and more. Watch anytime, anywhere with the truTV app. Plus, enjoy blockbuster movies -- on any screen. The truTV app supports most TV Providers, including AT&T, Spectrum (incl. Time Warner Cable, Charter & Bright House), Comcast XFINITY, Cox, DIRECTV, Dish, Optimum, Suddenlink, Verizon, and many more.
Spectrum TV
Stream live and On Demand TV content on various devices. Control your DVR, set parental controls, and personalize your viewing experience. Access thousands of shows and movies anywhere with a connection.
- Stream live TV anywhere
- Thousands of On Demand shows and movies
- Cast to compatible TVs
- Personalized channel guide
- Search by title, network, actor, or team
- Control TV and DVR
- Set parental controls
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SPECTRUM TV Download the Spectrum TV App and get the most out of your Spectrum TV experience. Stream On Demand or live TV anywhere on your favorite devices. TURN ANY SCREEN INTO A TV • Stream live TV anywhere you have a connection. • Enjoy thousands of On Demand shows and movies. • Cast from your phone or tablet to a compatible TV with Chromecast. FIND YOUR FAVORITE PROGRAMS • Create a personalized guide by setting your favorite channels. • Search by title, network, actor or sports team anywhere in the app. • Add new and exciting Spectrum Originals to your Watchlist. CONTROL YOUR TV AND DVR • Change TV channels on your Spectrum Receiver. • Get showtimes and record your favorite TV shows and movies (with optional DVR services). • Delete, modify and play DVR recordings on your TV (compatible DVRs only). SET PARENTAL CONTROLS Turn on parental controls and set a PIN to block shows by channel or rating. The blocks you set apply across each device in your household. WHAT YOU NEED TO USE THIS APP Available programming depends on your Spectrum TV package. Some programming is available only when connected to your Home Spectrum Internet service. A Spectrum TV subscription, username and password are required to sign in. Please note: This app features Nielsen’s proprietary measurement software which contributes to market research, like Nielsen’s TV Ratings. Please see https://sites.nielsen.com/priv/browser/us/en/optout.html for more information.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Spectrum TV at every 9 days against truTV's every 3 months. Spectrum TV also leads on ratings volume (569K vs 14K) and chart position (#93 vs unranked). truTV's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Spectrum TV holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spectrum TV has 569K ratings behind it against 14K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 15% of truTV's written reviews are positive against 27% of Spectrum TV's.
truTV ships an update every 3 months, Spectrum TV every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.
| Parameter | truTV | Spectrum TV |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (14K ratings) | 4.7 (569K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 15.4% of reviews | 27.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 14K | 569K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #93 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 109 MB | 75 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. | Charter Communications |
Customer experience
truTV
Spectrum TV
User reviews
truTV
From 14K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Great content like Impractical Jokers and Adam Ruins Everything
- 👍 Decent user interface
Room to improve
- 🐛 Constant crashes and bugs
- 🔁 Endless ad loops and poor ad integration
- 📺 Inability to continue watching from where you left off
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find content
- 🔒 Frequent sign-out issues and login problems
Spectrum TV
From 569K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great remote TV experience
- 👍 Convenient for watching on the go
- 💡 Useful for catching up on missed shows
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent freezing, buffering, and sync issues
- 🔧 Navigation and UI changes make the app less intuitive
- 🔒 Restricted access to channels outside home network
- 💰 Expensive service with frequent price increases
Bugs and requests
truTV
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes when trying to watch episodes
- Freezes and becomes unresponsive
- Login screen issues and inability to sign in
- Video playback problems and constant buffering
Requested features
4 requests- Add ability to turn off closed captions
- Implement Chromecast/AirPlay support
- Add a 'continue watching' feature
- Improve overall app stability and performance
Spectrum TV
Reported bugs
3 issues- Black screens, audio-video desync, and other playback issues
- Inability to access guide and certain channels on mobile devices
- Inconsistent performance across different device models
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to pause, rewind, and fast-forward live TV
- Full access to all subscribed channels on mobile devices
- Improved guide and channel browsing experience
- Seamless integration across devices
In-app purchases
truTV
No in-app purchases
Spectrum TV
No in-app purchases
