Editor's Review
Dropout is the streaming service built by the comedy studio formerly known as CollegeHumor, which walked away from ad-supported video and rebuilt itself as a subscription owned by the people who make the shows. The catalogue is improvised comedy and long-form actual play: the tabletop campaigns of Dimension 20, panel and party formats, sketch, and the older CollegeHumor material that most viewers remember from free video sites.
The app itself is deliberately plain. Browse or search, tap, watch, with offline downloads, casting to a television, subtitles and a continue-watching row. Episodes land on a weekly schedule instead of being dumped as whole seasons, which suits shows built around a returning cast and a live audience for jokes.
The catch deserves stating early: the download is free and close to useless without a paid Dropout subscription. There is no advertising-supported tier and no rotating free selection, so an install without a subscription is a shop window. Availability varies as well, since the service streams internationally but individual titles are restricted by region and the rights on older material are not uniform.
For the audience it aims at, a 4.94 average is no surprise. A small, opinionated catalogue with no advertising and a predictable release day is exactly what those subscribers wanted. For anyone who has not seen the shows, this is not a general entertainment app and there is little point installing it just to browse.
Features
Full Dropout catalogue including Dimension 20 campaigns and panel comedy
Weekly episode releases rather than whole-season drops
Offline downloads for watching without a connection
Casting to a television, with subtitle support
Advertising-free playback throughout
Pros
No advertising and no ad-funded tier interrupting episodes
The catalogue is curated rather than sprawling, so browsing takes seconds
Downloading and casting carry no extra charge
Cons
Nothing plays without an active paid subscription
Some titles are unavailable depending on your country
A very narrow catalogue if this style of comedy is not already to your taste
Questions people ask
Is the Dropout app free?
The download is free, but playback needs a paid Dropout subscription. There is no advertising-supported tier and no free rotating selection to sample first.
Can I watch outside the United States?
The service streams in many countries, but the catalogue is not identical everywhere and some episodes are limited by licensing. Check what is listed in your region before you subscribe.
Can I watch without a connection?
Yes. Subscribers can save episodes to the device for offline viewing, and cast them to a television once back on a network.
