CBS All Accessfor iOS

This is a subscription service that provides a whole host of CBS content. From live channels to movies, tv shows, and sports events, there is plenty to enjoy.

Just another streaming service

The idea is fantastic, but the CBS All Access app executes it poorly.

Since CBS make some of the most popular shows being broadcast, you can see why a streaming service would make sense. This app gives you access to all your favorites, like Star Trek and The Big Bang Theory. The original content and spin-off shows add value to this subscription service.

There’s a limited advert version of the service, or you can upgrade your subscription to go ad-free. You can also add the premium network Showtime. The app provides mobile viewing of these services, but if that doesn’t interest you, you can probably find them somewhere else.

The service sounds fantastic, and it’s sure to attract quite a few people. However, when you get a chance to use the app, you run into a slew of problems. When connecting to live streams, the app freezes frequently. These buffering issues also extend to on-demand content, which fails to load. Even more frustrating, is downloading a program only to discover it’s corrupted when trying to watch it offline.

Despite being easy to use, not all aspects were intuitive; you can’t add shows to a list of things you want to watch, and once you try out a program, it’s stuck on your ‘shows you’ve watched’ list.

Where can you run this program?

CBS All Access runs on iOS 11.0 or above. It’s also available for Android devices.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. The apps for Hulu, Prime Video, or Netflix provide a smoother experience.

Our take

While the content is good, the flaws that affect the delivery through the app makes the viewing experience difficult to enjoy.

Should you download it?

No. If you want to stream CBS shows, the app isn’t the best solution. For general entertainment needs, try another subscription service.