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What Is The Quibi App & Can You Watch It On Your TV?
Quibi is now available to download offering yet another streaming service for users to get involved with. However, one of the major caveats with this new service is its device support is not quite as varied as some of the other services.
Quibi has been in development for some time and although it has now been released during the coronavirus outbreak, April 6 was always when the app was due to launch. One of its major selling points is that it offers short-form videos where the content is never more than ten minutes in duration. Different to the likes of YouTube, or any other short-form platform, Quibi looks to tell longer stories it is just they are broken down into more manageable sessions for quick consumption. As part of the launch process, Quibi is currently offering subscribers the option to stream for free for the first ninety days.
With a focus on such short-form content, it is understandable that Quibi is being positioned as the streaming service for your phone. The short segments, along with other mobile-oriented features makes the service ideal for those looking for a way to watch content while away from home and on a smartphone. However, the question many will probably want to know is whether you can watch Quibi on a larger screen when actually at home?
Can You Watch Quibi On Your TV?
The short and direct answer is no. Quibi is not currently designed to be streamed on a larger screen, such as a 4K TV. Although the service can be downloaded through Apple's App Store and Google Play, those apps are not compatible with Apple TV or Android TV. The same is true for other smart TV platforms and set-top boxes as well. Quibi is just not designed for those devices and it remains to be seen if that’s going to change anytime soon.
Adding to the direct lack of support, while many might assume they can get around the issue by utilizing features within the app, that’s not going to happen either. For example, the Quibi mobile apps also do not currently support either AirPlay or Chromecast so users cannot share their app's screen with their TV - like they might with many other mobile apps. The same is also true when it comes to web browsers as while most services allow subscribers to watch through a web interface, Quibi does not.
It’s worth adding that although this is the current situation, there’s nothing to say the company won’t eventually add TV support to the experience. After all, if the uptake in subscribers is not as good as the company hopes, and there does appear to be a clear desire by the user base to watch on a TV, then it would make sense for the feature to be added. As of right now, however, Quibi is a streaming service designed for your phone, that can only be accessed on your phone.
