IBL Network vs RetroGuide.TV
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
IBL Network
Discover exclusive creative content from independent filmmakers and artists worldwide. Stream live broadcasts, browse on-demand videos, and find new recommendations. Share your favorite content with others.
- Live stream broadcasts
- Programming guide access
- Video on demand (VOD)
- Search functionality
- Share functionality
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The IBL Network is an independent film and entertainment platform that is a hub for the independent artist which promotes imagination and creativity. Join the channel that brings you exclusive creative content by independent filmmakers and artist globally who each share messages that elevate, empower and inspire while entertaining the audience. Key Features: ● Live Stream Broadcasts: Enjoy live stream broadcasts directly from the homepage by clicking the "PLAY" button! ● Programming Guide Access: Click the 'DETAILS' button on the homepage to go directly to the live tab, where you can view the live broadcast schedule with show times and titles. ● Video On Demand (VOD): Browse video categories and click on a thumbnail for video details. To play the video, click the "PLAY" button. ● Search Functionality: Click the search icon to find specific videos or get random recommendations from our library. ● Settings and Info: Click the settings icon to access contact information, learn more about the app, and review our privacy policy. ● Share Functionality: In the live tab, under the date, you'll find a share button. This allows you to easily share a deeplink that directs users to the app's tab if they have it installed.
RetroGuide.TV
Transform your Plex media library into a live TV experience with automatically generated channels. Enjoy curated content, a program guide, and a built-in player that supports various media formats. Customize your viewing with themes and advanced scheduling options.
- Automatic channel creation from Plex library
- Customizable genre, decade, and show channels
- Cable-style program guide with live preview
- Built-in player for various media formats
- Multiple themes and CRT scanline options
- Support for multiple Plex servers (Pro)
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RetroGuide.TV turns your Plex library into live TV. It builds dozens of always-on channels from the shows and movies you already have: comedy, anime, sci-fi, 90s TV, 24/7 marathons of your favorite series, and more. Turn it on and something is already playing. Flip channels with a swipe or the Siri Remote, drop into whatever's on mid-episode, and browse what's next in a cable-style program guide. AUTOMATIC CHANNELS Genre, decade and format channels, plus channels for each library, TV network, collection and long-running show. The lineup scales to the size of your library and skips channels with too little to air. CUSTOM CHANNELS Combine genres, shows, networks, collections, decades and libraries, with a live preview of what your channel will air. One custom channel is free; RetroGuide Pro adds as many as you like. REAL TV SCHEDULING Every channel runs on a fixed clock, with Shuffle, Block Shuffle, Show Rotation or Marathon ordering and optional start times on the half hour. PROGRAM GUIDE AND SEARCH A focus-driven guide with a live preview, show logos and artwork, and search with live results that tells you what's on now and when it airs next. PLAYS NEARLY ANYTHING A built-in player handles MKV, HEVC, AV1, Dolby Vision, DTS, TrueHD and styled subtitles directly, so your server doesn't have to convert anything. Audio and subtitle tracks follow your Plex language preferences. MULTIPLE SERVERS (PRO) Mix your own server with ones shared with you. Titles on more than one server are kept once, and each server has its own quality settings for watching away from home. MAKE IT YOURS Twelve themes, from Classic Cable to Local Forecast, VHS and Teletext, and optional CRT scanlines on menus. FREE AND PRO RetroGuide.TV is free, with a small banner under the menus and an occasional full-screen ad between programs on iPhone and iPad. RetroGuide Pro, a one-time purchase, removes ads and adds multiple servers, unlimited custom channels, every theme, and schedule order and start-time controls, on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. Works on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. Requires a Plex Media Server you own or that is shared with you. No accounts or tracking. RetroGuide.TV is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Plex, Inc.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: IBL Network at none against RetroGuide.TV's 1. IBL Network also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and device support 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. RetroGuide.TV sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. IBL Network asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for IBL Network against 5.0 for RetroGuide.TV. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
| Parameter | IBL Network | RetroGuide.TV |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | — | Every 2 days |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | TvStartup Inc. | Adam Hunt |
Customer experience
IBL Network
RetroGuide.TV
In-app purchases
IBL Network
No in-app purchases
RetroGuide.TV
- RetroGuide Pro$9.99









