Free ad-supported streaming TV is growing in popularity as subscription-based streaming continues to raise prices and cycle between different business owners.
One of the best features of the FAST service is its role as the unofficial national archive, documenting classic programs from decades of television history.
Just a few years ago, many classic shows were either difficult or impossible to find on streaming channels or physical media formats.
Hundreds of these historical programs now have their own dedicated live channels on various FAST services, or are available on-demand.
But which FAST service is best when you really want to relive your memories on TV?
Well, it depends on which branch of memory lane you wish to wander.
A virtual journey back in time might mean simpler technology, a decades-deep on-demand library, or a plethora of classic live channels to scroll through.
All FAST services meet these requirements to some extent, but one service is the best choice for many needs.
analog memory channel
Viewers frustrated by the current pay-streaming landscape may be nostalgic for the days of the late 20th century, when television was free, accessible, and still full of surprises.
Even back then, cable television cost money, but the three major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) and PBS were free to anyone with a television. Navigation is easy, with fewer channels and remotes to track.
The FAST service taps into the same low-tech, easy-access vibe of years ago.
Popular FAST services such as Roku, Freevee, Pluto, and Tubi are almost identical in terms of setup and ease of use.
Related: Freevee has a great live streaming channel. Here’s a sample of what we love!
Each room has a home screen listing on-demand movie and TV options in various categories, as well as access to live TV channels.
These live channel lists are where the time travel magic really happens, because nothing says “traveling back in time” like scrolling down an endless list of TV channels with your remote control.
Easy to navigate
All these live channels and on-demand services can be overwhelming without some guidance.
The FAST service has general categories (like romance or comedy) for more fun and specific subcategories (like “Nostalgia TV” or “Couch Classics”).
These subcategories simplify navigation and provide opportunities for discovery. You probably know what’s going to happen with “The 80s TV Show,” but “Canceled Too Soon” may have some welcome surprises.
Even Roku’s pragmatic “Not on Netflix” category titles are charming and helpful.
Related: Will Netflix abandon its cancellation-happy ways of the past?
The FAST service can search for specific program titles, but there’s a lot to be said for being able to easily browse different categories and have the opportunity to find new and “old” favorites you never knew existed.
Classic TV library size
Some classic shows overlap on all FAST services (fans of That Girl and I Love Lucy, rejoice!), but some shows have a longer timeline of TV history than others.
Tubi’s Classics category is perhaps the deepest, with many familiar and lesser-known offerings from the 1950s, such as the pre-Twilight anthology series Lights Out (1951). It also had earlier shows like “Death Valley Riders” (1941) and the lovable gangsters of “Our Gang” (1926).
Another aspect of television history is that reality television has been around long enough to be considered classic television.
Fans of the genre will be pleased to know that FAST’s library of reality content continues to grow across all services, but especially on Freevee, where live channels include Bravo Vault and Olympics Classics Channel.
Classic game shows are another branch of reality TV, and there was a recent post on Twitter about a supermarket-sweeping couple from the 90s.
These old game shows truly provide an education on pop culture, the cost of consumer goods, and the clothing choices people made decades ago.
Comfortable and classic
Each decade has its own iconic show that evokes nostalgia for when it originally aired. But they also trigger a longing for a time that might have been very different when we first watched these shows.
Related: Nostalgic Era: Why younger viewers are looking for old TV
Some of these popular shows have their own channels, such as Little House on the Prairie and She Wrote Murder on Pluto.
Some FAST services offer the same classic shows, but with different numbers of seasons available. In addition, FAST content may vary depending on the company that owns them.
Freevee is owned by Amazon, and now that advertising has seeped into the Prime Video subscription model, both services are technically ad-supported. As it stands, content is regularly streaming from Prime Video to Freevee, which is good news for those on the FAST track.
Pluto is owned by Paramount, and while it doesn’t offer all seasons of The Twilight Saga (that service will be Freevee), it has a wealth of Star Trek content.
But never be afraid! Pluto is the only FAST service to stream all ten seasons of Beverly Hills, 90210.
Where you visit most
The similarity in functionality between FAST services makes ease of navigation the biggest reason to choose one over the other.
A vast library of classics isn’t much use if it’s hard to find something to watch.
Many popular FAST services have either too few category options (and too broad) or too many (and too specific).
Each extreme leads to viewers spending more time scrolling through the wrong content instead of watching what they want.
An easy way around this is to know exactly what show you’re looking for and enter it into the service’s search box.
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But many times, viewers just browse in an uncertain mood and don’t know what they want before seeing it.
While the FAST service can’t yet read people’s minds, Tubi’s combination of a large library, easy navigation, and targeted search categories is the closest. Tubi also excels in the number and quality of live and on-demand channels.
Tubi’s categories include retro TV, book adaptations and modern classics. The service also has a Classic Doctor Who section, where you can watch the first seven seasons of the series.
Ultimately, any FAST service offers some great options when you want to reminisce.
But in terms of its wide selection of classic libraries and ease of use, Tubi is hardly the go-to FAST service.
