CuriosityStream Review: The Ultimate Streaming Platform For Documentaries?

If you’re curious and are always searching for shows that answer unsolvable myths, equations, and historical events, CuriosityStream has you covered.

If you’re looking for documentaries, docuseries, or a streaming site that offers some educational content, CuriosityStream could be the streaming channel for you.

CuriosityStream puts a twist on the normal streaming content that is offered and offers a niche. If you want to expand your mind and challenge your IQ, this could be what you are looking for! Let’s take a deeper look at what it has to offer.

CuriosityStream At a Glance

Key Features:

• offline viewer
• 4K streaming support
• Mobile app
• Kids mode
• Simultaneous streaming
• Customer support
• Compatibility
• Subtitle Support
• Privacy and security

Product Specs:

• HD costs $3 per month
• 4k costs $10 per month
• 3000 titles

Pros:

• Thousands of titles
• Affordable for anyone
• Ad free

Cons:

• Niche content and doesn’t include any genre content.
• No DVR storage
• Only English subtitles

Rating: 8/10

Why Get CuriosityStream?

To answer any doubt in your mind that CuriosityStream is worth the cost, we will take a look at the key features to help you decide.

Offline Viewer

The majority of streaming sites provide their users with either a limited or an unlimited DVR storage feature. This feature gives the user the option to record any content and stream it at a later stage.

Other streaming sites that don’t offer the DVR storage option will generally have an offline viewing feature. It will allow its users to download content to their device and watch it.

The CuriosityStream service has an offline viewing feature that is only available on their mobile app. The feature allows users to download shows and films to their devices and later watch them without any internet access. This is perfect for users that are constantly on the go.

The offline viewer can be effortlessly accessed by users that have an Android or IOS operating device.

Here’s how it can be done:

1. First, download the latest version of the CuriosityStream app from either iTunes App Store or Google Play Store.
2. Install the app on your phone and sign in to your CuriosityStream account.
3. Find any show that you would like to watch.
4. There will be a “Save” button that will appear below the title of the content.
5. To access saved shows, navigate in the app to the “My Stuff” section, which can be found at the bottom of your screen.

The downloads feature gives users up to 10 hours of offline video streaming. This feature comes with some restrictions. One of the restrictions is that if users would like to view an entire season of a series, they will have to individually download each episode of the series.

Should users want to delete a show from their list of saved shows, all they need to do is:

1. Go into the app and find the “My Stuff” section located at the bottom of their screen.
2. Select the “Saved” category and find the show needs to be removed.
3. Swipe left on the show and select the “Delete” option.

Considering the offline mode is restricted to a mobile device, it’s a real pleasure for users to have and will save them countless amounts of data. However, it’s a pointless feature for users that access CuriosityStream with a different device.

Rating: 6/10

Streaming Resolution

It’s not often that users can find a streaming service that offers content in 4K resolution. Most streaming services offer 1080p resolution streaming of their channels but hardly stream in 4K Ultra HD.

One of the great features that CuriosityStream has got right is that it gives its users the ability to decide what streaming resolution they can use.

All CuriosityStreams titles are supported by both 4K Ultra HD and full HD.

CuriosityStream also has a feature that allows its users to adjust the resolutions of their videos. When a user is streaming a video, they can easily lower their resolution to cater to poor connectivity.

We think that the 4K Ultra HD streaming feature provides the best quality streaming that one could ever ask for.

Rating: 10/10

Mobile App

CuriosityStream has a mobile app that is compatible with Android and IOS operating systems. Users are able to download the app to their mobile devices and sign in or register an account.

For consumers to easily download the app on their Android or IOS operating device:

1. Navigate to the Home screen and find their app store.
2. Search for the “CuriosityStream” app
3. Download and install the app.

The app is user-friendly and allows access to content anywhere you go, with the offline mode feature.

Most streaming sites offer an app that is compatible with their users’ mobile devices, an essential feature for most users.

Rating: 7/10

Kids Mode

Protective measures and parental control tools, such as restricted viewing, must be implemented on devices that are accessed by children. It is imperative that streaming sites place restrictions on content that may contain harmful, graphic, or explicit content.

CuriosityStream is aimed at offering content that is of an educational nature. Not all educational content is suitable for younger viewers.

CuriosityStream users can restrict their children’s access to age-restricted content. To turn on the “kids mode,” the user must log into their account and go to the “settings” menu. The option to “Turn Kids Mode on” will appear.

The user must select this option and will be required to enter a 4-digit pin. All the devices that are connected to the CuriosityStream account will be restricted. To turn off the function, the user must go to the “Turn Kids Mode off” option under settings and enter their pin.

This feature is of the utmost importance — we think that all streaming sites should have this feature.

Rating: 9/10

Simultaneous Streams

The advantage of having the ability to simultaneously stream from a separate device adds substantial value to a streaming services package.

The number of devices that can connect to a stream varies from streaming services. The standard and acceptable amount of simultaneous streams is three devices at one particular time. There are streaming sites that offer more, and there are some that offer only one device at a time.

CuriosityStream provides an exceptional feature that caters for consumers with large families. The simultaneous stream feature will enable users to share their accounts and register an unlimited amount of devices. However, only five devices can connect to an account at one time.

Considering the number of devices consumers can connect to the site, it will be hard for consumers to ignore this feature.

Rating: 9/10

Privacy and Security

When users register with CuriosityStream, they are required to link their email addresses with their accounts. Should users forget their password, CuriosityStream will send them an email that they will need to verify.

The privacy and protection of users’ information is a priority for CuriosityStream.

Rating: 8/10

Customer Support

Streaming sites are not immune to technical problems, all sites will experience technical malfunctions. When users can’t access their streaming service due to an unforeseen error or have forgotten their password, it is important that there is someone who can assist them.

Live chats and 24-hour support lines are designed to assist users instantly and get them back to streaming as fast as possible. Many sites offer an email alternative in case there is a problem with the live chat interface.

CuriosityStream has a call center that will assist its users with any problems that they may experience. However, the call center isn’t available 24 hours a day. There is an alternative email address that users can use to query their problems with a technical consultant.

There are pre-recorded answers available on the CuriosityStream website that cover the most commonly frequently asked questions by their users. This feature is very informative and should be able to answer all of their problems.

Rating 7/10

Compatibility With Different Devices

There are an array of devices that are able to connect to streaming services. However, not all devices are compatible with every streaming site. It’s important for users to know what devices are compatible with their streaming service.

CuriosityStream service can be accessed through two medians. The first median is a mobile app that is compatible with Android and IOS operating systems. Their website app is the second median for which a wide diversity of streaming devices are compatible.

The current list of devices that the website app supports are:

• Amazon Fire TV
• Roku
• Xbox
• Playstation
• Android TV
• Apple TV
• Smart TV’s
• Chromecast
• Android and IOS operating devices
• Any desktop or Mac

CuriosityStream is also available as an add-on feature to other streaming sites such as FuboTV, Sling TV, Amazon Prime, and Comcast.

In this day and age, compatibility should never be an issue, but it does help subscribers’ confidence knowing that their streaming service is compatible with their devices.

Rating: 8/10

Subtitle Support

CuriosityStream offers subtitle support. Almost all of the content under the library offers English closed captions only. The English closed captions are available on both the mobile and TV app platforms.

Videos that have a closed caption will be labeled “Subtitles available in English.” Users can switch on the close caption by selecting the “settings” icon at the bottom right of the video.

The closed caption feature is useful for videos with poor audio quality. Older consumers prefer streaming sites with a closed caption feature.

Rating: 8/10

Video Content Management

The CuriosityStream library on their app is listed in categories. Users simply have to click on the genre and search for the specific show. Subscribers that know the title of the content can use the search bar.

The app will locate files that have a similar title and display all the possible options for the user to scroll through. The video management feature makes the app user-friendly for the user and takes the hassle out of searching for content.

Rating: 8/10

Cost

Premier streaming services can charge up to $150 dollars per month for their top packages. They also offer more affordable packages that are half the price. The trick is to choose a package that fits the subscribers’ needs.

CuriosityStream doesn’t offer the standard local channels that users should expect from a premier streaming service. What they can expect are educational shows, documentaries about the plant, and series about history.

If subscribers directly sign up with CuriosityStream, there is no free trial period. There is the option of adding CuriosityStream to Amazon Prime for an additional fee. In addition, they will get a free seven-day trial.

When users sign up with CuriosityStream service, they have two plans to choose from. The standard CuriosityStream plan costs $2.99per month, or they have the option to pay $19.99 per annum. This plan gives them the ability to stream over 3000 titles in 1080p(HD).

The premium plan currently costs $9.99 per month or $69.99 per annum. This package gives their subscribers access to 4K Ultra HD streaming of all your titles.

CuriosityStream is for a niche market and it’s reasonably priced for the content and streaming quality that it offers. Users can always add it to their current streaming service as an add-on.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion

CuriosityStream is a documentary streaming service that provides streaming in 4K Ultra HD for a fraction of the price that any other streaming service charges. There are over 3000 titles available for their subscribers to stream.

CuriosityStream stream focuses on providing educational content for its subscribers. They offer an offline viewing mode, and the whole family can connect to one account with the simultaneous streaming feature.

The parental safety feature and easy-to-use mobile app make this streaming service value for its dollar.