# TiVo vs FirstMedia

The clearest difference is ads: TiVo at none against FirstMedia's shown. TiVo also leads on ratings volume (3.3K vs 18) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). FirstMedia's advantage is iOS requirement (15.5 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 2.0 for TiVo against 2.1 for FirstMedia. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TiVo has 3.3K ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 11% of TiVo's written reviews are positive against 8% of FirstMedia's.

TiVo ships an update every 4 months, FirstMedia every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TiVo | FirstMedia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.0 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tivo/id401673976/reviews) | **[2.1 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/firstmedia-x/id743565901/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.3K** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | **10.7% of reviews** | 7.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 164 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [TiVo Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/401673979) | [First Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/1082239224) |

## What reviewers say

### TiVo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tivo/id401673976)

Control your TV experience from your mobile device. Discover new shows, schedule recordings, and stream live or recorded content anywhere. Search across multiple services to find exactly what you want to watch.

**Highlights:** Out-of-home & in-home streaming, Download recordings for offline viewing, Personalized 'What to Watch' dashboard, Remote recording scheduling, Mobile search across TV and streaming services, Integrated remote control functionality

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Works well
- 🚀 Streaming and downloading work well

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent login issues
- 🔍 Poor search and navigation
- 🔌 Streaming and downloading issues
- 🤖 App feels abandoned by developers

**Reported bugs**

- Constant need to re-login
- Streaming and downloading failures
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Picture-in-picture support
- Improved remote control functionality
- Easier episode and recording management


### FirstMedia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/firstmedia-x/id743565901)

Stream live TV channels and catch up on your favorite shows and movies on demand. Access thousands of hours of content, including TV shows, movies, sports, and documentaries, anytime and anywhere. This enhanced service also offers an advanced remote control for compatible set-top boxes.

**Highlights:** Live TV streaming, Catch-up TV, Video on demand, Extensive content library, Advanced remote control, Interactive TV guides

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TiVo free?

TiVo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is FirstMedia free?

FirstMedia is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, TiVo or FirstMedia?

FirstMedia is rated higher. TiVo averages 2.0 out of 5 from 3.3K ratings, while FirstMedia averages 2.1 from 18 ratings.

### Do TiVo or FirstMedia have ads?

FirstMedia shows ads; TiVo does not.

### Which is updated more often, TiVo or FirstMedia?

TiVo ships an update every 4 months, and FirstMedia every 3 months. Most recently, TiVo was updated on October 26, 2026 and FirstMedia on October 21, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*