Is Criterion Channel or Transistor better?

Neither clearly leads. Criterion Channel starts at $10.99/month and Transistor at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Criterion Channel or Transistor?

Criterion Channel starts at $10.99/month and Transistor at $19/month.

Does Criterion Channel or Transistor run on more platforms?

Criterion Channel runs on Web, Android, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Samsung TV, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox. Transistor runs on Web.

What is Criterion Channel best used for?

Criterion Channel is most often used for streaming classic, foreign, and independent films with curated collections and retrospectives, watching filmmaker interviews, commentary tracks, and bonus/supplemental content, following themed programming such as double features and director/actor spotlights, educational and film-study use due to curated context and extras. Of those, streaming classic, foreign, and independent films with curated collections and retrospectives and watching filmmaker interviews, commentary tracks, and bonus/supplemental content are not what Transistor is typically brought in for.

What can Criterion Channel do that Transistor cannot?

Criterion Channel covers Criterion films, 4K restoration, Essays, Special features. Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts, Private podcasting, Advanced analytics, Team collaboration. Both handle Web support.

Software · head to head

Criterion Channel vs Transistor

Criterion Channel

Software

Criterion Collection curated films

From: $10.99/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

Transistor

Software

Professional podcast hosting for businesses and creators

From: $19/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Criterion Channel maximum streaming quality is HD, no 4K or Ultra HD; Transistor starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
They diverge on capability: Criterion Channel covers Criterion films, Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Criterion Channel and Transistor actually diverge.

Attributes where Criterion Channel and Transistor differ
Attribute	Criterion Channel	Transistor
Starting price	$10.99/month	$19/month
Pricing model	Unknown	subscription
Platforms	Web, Android, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Samsung TV, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox	Web
Founded	1984	2018

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Transistor

Unlimited podcasts
Private podcasting
Advanced analytics
Team collaboration
Custom branding
API access
Apple Podcasts
Spotify

Both cover

Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Criterion Channel

Streaming classic, foreign, and independent films with curated collections and retrospectivesnot Transistor
Watching filmmaker interviews, commentary tracks, and bonus/supplemental contentnot Transistor
Following themed programming such as double features and director/actor spotlightsnot Transistor
Educational and film-study use due to curated context and extrasnot Transistor

Transistor

Hosting and distributing multiple podcasts from one accountnot Criterion Channel
Running private, subscriber-only podcast feedsnot Criterion Channel
Publishing podcast websites and inserting dynamic audio adsnot Criterion Channel

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Criterion Channel

Maximum streaming quality is HD, no 4K or Ultra HD
No PlayStation 4 app available
HDCP compatibility issues reported on some devices like Chromebooks and Xbox One
No live chat or phone support for customer service
Limited library compared to mainstream services like Netflix and Hulu

Transistor

Starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
Private podcast subscribers are capped at 50 on Starter and 500 on Professional
Dynamic ad insertion and auto-posting to YouTube require the $49 per month Professional plan or higher
Removing Transistor branding requires the $99 per month Business plan
Enterprise plans above 250,000 monthly downloads start at $199 per month and require contacting the vendor

Pricing, plan by plan

Criterion Channel

$10.99/month

Monthly$10.99/month
Annual$99.99/year

Transistor

$19/month

Starter$19/month
- Unlimited podcasts
- 10,000 downloads/month
- Basic analytics
Professional$49/month
- Unlimited podcasts
- 50,000 downloads/month
- Advanced analytics
Business$99/month
- Unlimited podcasts
- 150,000 downloads/month
- Full analytics
Enterprise$199/month
- Unlimited everything
- 300,000+ downloads
- Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Criterion Channel if

You need criterion films.
You work on Web, Android, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Samsung TV, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox.
You also want 4k restoration.

Criterion Channel review

Choose Transistor if

You need unlimited podcasts.
You also want private podcasting.

Transistor review

Questions people ask

Is Criterion Channel or Transistor better?: Neither clearly leads. Criterion Channel starts at $10.99/month and Transistor at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Criterion Channel or Transistor?: Criterion Channel starts at $10.99/month and Transistor at $19/month.
Does Criterion Channel or Transistor run on more platforms?: Criterion Channel runs on Web, Android, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Samsung TV, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox. Transistor runs on Web.
What is Criterion Channel best used for?: Criterion Channel is most often used for streaming classic, foreign, and independent films with curated collections and retrospectives, watching filmmaker interviews, commentary tracks, and bonus/supplemental content, following themed programming such as double features and director/actor spotlights, educational and film-study use due to curated context and extras. Of those, streaming classic, foreign, and independent films with curated collections and retrospectives and watching filmmaker interviews, commentary tracks, and bonus/supplemental content are not what Transistor is typically brought in for.
What can Criterion Channel do that Transistor cannot?: Criterion Channel covers Criterion films, 4K restoration, Essays, Special features. Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts, Private podcasting, Advanced analytics, Team collaboration. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Criterion Channel: Can I watch Criterion Channel offline?

No, Criterion Channel requires an active internet connection for streaming. The service does not offer offline viewing or download capabilities.

Source

Criterion Channel: What devices does Criterion Channel work on?

Criterion Channel works on Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Samsung TV, and Xbox. There is no PlayStation app or dedicated mobile app for iOS/Android.

Source

Criterion Channel: How much does Criterion Channel cost?

Criterion Channel costs $10.99/month or $99.99/year with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers.

Source

Criterion Channel: What is the maximum video quality on Criterion Channel?

Criterion Channel streams in HD quality only. The service does not offer 4K or Ultra HD resolution.

Source

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Criterion Channel vs Transistor

Criterion Channel

Transistor

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Criterion Channel

Only in Transistor

Both cover

What people use each for

Criterion Channel

Transistor

Where each one falls short

Criterion Channel

Transistor

Pricing, plan by plan

Criterion Channel

Transistor

Which should you pick?

Choose Criterion Channel if

Choose Transistor if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Criterion Channel

More on Transistor

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