We have another casualty for cinema lovers and Firestick “jailbreakers”, as the wildly popular home entertainment service Terrarium TV has been shut down. You can no longer download the app, and app support will no longer be provided by the developers, which left many streamers disappointed and searching for a new source of entertainment.
But, never fear, while Terrarium TV may be in app heaven, there are plenty of alternatives available that will allow you to watch your favorite TV and movies anywhere, anytime without the costly commitment of a cable subscription.
NitroXenon, the developer behind Terrarium TV, sent a notification to users stating:
It has always been a great pleasure to work on this project. However, it is time to say goodbye. I am going to shut down Terrarium TV forever. I knew this day would come eventually. I knew it would be hard to let go. But it is time for me to move on to other projects.
No other explanation was given regarding the abrupt site shutdown. However, many users speculate that it may be due to pressure from anti-piracy regulators. Terrarium TV was an unverified IPTV provider, and therefore unlicensed content may have been streamed through the site, prompting an investigation from regulators.
Terrarium TV may be gone, but there is still a host of high-quality APKs and IPTV providers ready and waiting to help you stream the best that entertainment has to offer. We’ve rounded up our favorite verified and unverified Terrarium TV alternatives so you can keep the party going.
CinemaAPK has been a longtime favorite in the community, and for a good reason. Like Terrarium TV, they regularly update their TV shows and films catalog, so you never miss a title. With this impressive lineup and regular refresh, you’ll find it hard to run out of things to watch.
Kodi bills itself as an all-in-one home box office, and honestly, it lives up to the hype. Its massive library of music, movies, TV shows, and games means something for EVERYONE. It also has tons of add-ons and plugins that allow it to function as a DVR, change its appearance, or even control it straight from your phone. Kodi is an impressive platform, and people that want a sleek and seamless entertainment platform need to look no further.
OneBox HD is a fantastic APK that offers a large library of TV and movie titles and is available for download to Android devices, iOS, and Windows-based systems. While it doesn’t refresh quite as frequently or have as organized of a UI as Terrarium TV did, it still offers plenty of options for anyone in need of free access to their favorite titles.
Titanium TV is effectively a clone of Terrarium TV, so if you were in love with Terrarium TV’s interface, features, and lineup, this is your absolute closest option. Titanium TV offers a wide library of tv shows and movies, refreshes just as often as Terrarium TV did, and works on pretty much all Android devices.
CyberFlix is pretty much a lighter-weight version of Terrarium TV. Thanks to the smaller package size, it’s garnered an impressive number of downloads and maintains a steady following of users. Its library is comparable to other APKs of this kind, not the biggest, but certainly not the smallest, with enough titles to keep you entertained.
If you loved watching TV shows on Terrarium TV but weren’t a huge fan of the security risks and delay in titles being updated, then a more traditional provider like Sling may be right for you. Sling not only offers an incredible lineup of live streaming channels, but it also has a built-in DVR so you can schedule and record your favorite shows to watch later. The downside of this service is that it is available only in the US. Fortunately, Sling can easily be unblocked by connecting to a US-based server using a VPN.
We love YouTube TV because it’s the best of both worlds when accessing high-quality content for a fair price. If you think that YouTube already has everything you might need, Youtube TV will surprise you. It allows you access to streaming channels, an unlimited DVR, and tons of VOD titles. YouTube TV promises a package of 85+ channels, including some of the most popular – PBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, and Nickelodeon, flexibility with your subscription (Cancel anytime), and no hidden fees. Just like Sling, since this is a verified service, you won’t have to worry about it suddenly disappearing or your data getting sold to unauthorized third parties.
Philo allows you to watch live and on-demand TV for a pretty low price. The one huge downside is that the service is currently only available in the U.S, but as it grows, it will likely expand to more regions. Both options of watching live TV and DVR (saved shows) are available on Philo. It’s one of the lowest-priced verified home entertainment services available, so if you’re in the U.S. – or using a reliable VPN to unblock Philo – and don’t want the hassle of using an unverified APK anymore, Philo is a great option.
DirecTV Stream offers four different packages, starting from $69/month, and each of them has its type of entertainment lover. It includes both live channels and VOD titles. So if you’re in only for the TV shows, the Basic Package is for you, and if you don’t want to lose your favorite team’s next match, then choose the packages with Regional Sports Network included. DirectTV is one of the most expensive options available, and their prices do resemble the ones of a traditional cable TV subscription. However, you have 65+ channels with the cheapest package and a flexible monthly subscription, which may justify the cost.
Now, diving back into our free services, we have Showbox. Showbox, like Terrarium TV, has a huge library and has so far resisted efforts to take it down. The downside is that moderators clearly have their eyes on this service, so it may not be able to continue to re-instate itself after another onslaught from regulators. However, if you’re looking for a service just like Terrarium TV that offers tons of entertainment for free, it might be worth giving Showbox a look.
They say nothing comes free, and while we’re enjoying an abundance of applications that allow us free access to the entertainment we love, they do come with some risks.Â
First, while these sites do not host any of their content and are not technically liable for pirated content making it through their service, they are still huge targets for anti-piracy groups and watchdog agencies.Â
That means if you happen to download or stream pirated content through these services, you may be on the hook for violating anti-piracy laws.Â
Second, whenever you download an application like Terrarium TV, your user data can be exposed not just to developers but to other malicious parties that find their way through firewalls. The developer of Terrarium TV himself said that if the law required it, he would turn over user data to the proper authorities. You don’t want your IP address and other sensitive information finding its way into that data dump.Â
VPNs conceal your IP address, making it much more difficult for other people to trace your online activity back to you. This is important when using filesharing sites, IPTV services, and other entertainment APKs that regulators may monitor.Â
ExpressVPN is an excellent VPN to use alongside your entertainment APK or IPTV service. To use ExpressVPN to protect you during file transfers, follow these four simple steps:
Note: If you plan on watching or downloading content on multiple devices, you’ll either need to install ExpressVPN onto each device OR install ExpressVPN directly onto your router. Installing ExpressVPN onto your router will provide VPN coverage to all devices connected to that network, not just devices with the ExpressVPN app installed. This can ensure that no matter which device you happen to pick up, you’re always protected (as is anyone else who connects to your network).Â
For most purposes, connecting to a server-based in the United States will do just fine; however, if you want to access content or apps that are only available in certain countries, you can set your VPN to that specific country to gain access. Â
In our example, we connected to a Canadian server to gain access to Canadian-exclusive content. You can use this trick to unlock additional content on both verified and unverified IPTV providers, such as Hulu and Netflix.
Using a VPN is a simple, straightforward process that hides your personal identifying information (such as your IP address) from any prying online eyes. You can use it to stream, download, and surf online securely.
Terrarium TV is like most other unverified content APKs, meaning it can be here one day and gone the next. Since they operate in a grey area of anti-piracy laws, the battle wages between people who want affordable access to their favorite content and agencies attempting to protect copyrighted material.Â
Since these apps can be struck down at any time for a host of reasons, so it’s important to keep a list of alternatives handy in case that happens to your favorite. It’s also doubly important to use a VPN like ExpressVPN at all times when using these applications to keep you and your personal data safe.