TV Forecast HD Review

Thursday, July 21, 2011

TV Forecast HD Review

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TV Forecast HD Review

By Kevin Stout on July 21st, 2011
Our Rating:

:: USEFUL
iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad

TV Forecast HD is shows a calendar view of new episodes of favorite shows.

Developer: Big Bucket Software
Price: $2.99
Version Reviewed: 1.4.1
Device Reviewed On: iPad 2

iPad Integration Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
User Interface Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars
Re-use Value Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.58 out of 5 stars

Many of us simply can't just sit down and watch a TV show. Before my iPad and iPhone, I would sit with my laptop in front of me while watching TV (some shows, like Heroes, were able to capture my full attention). Now my iPad has become my TV-watching companion. One function my iPad performs is keeping track of the shows I watch and when they are airing. I've used various TV guide apps (like iTV) but TV Forecast HD is the first one I've used that's main function is keeping track of new episodes.

The calendar view of shows was what immediately drew my eye to the app. This feature alone makes TV Forecast worth the $2.99 to buy. The app places a picture of the show on the calendar day it airs with the time it's airing. If there are multiple shows for that day, the app transitions between them every few seconds. The other view is a list view which, while not as eye-catching, is just as useful. Adding shows is as easy as pressing the plus sign and searching. The app will not add a show that is no longer on air.

The app is far from perfect. Don't expect to be able to see reruns with TV Forecast; the app shows only new, upcoming episodes. Tapping on a show will reveal an episode list where it's possible to bookmark the last episode viewed. I have a problem with the bookmark feature. If it's possible to bookmark the last episode viewed, then the app should track down the next time the next episode (not necessarily the newest episode) will be playing. Otherwise there's nearly no point to bookmarking an episode. Another issue I encountered was time zones. While the app didn't ask for permission to use location services, the times were in my time zone (double checked with a TV guide application). This must mean that the default time zone is Eastern time and users in other time zones must manually adjust the apps settings to view their own time zone.

The app would really benefit with a few additions: a link to Netflix and/or Hulu if the show is available on either site, a link to IMDB instead of just TVRage.com on the show page, suggested/featured shows, and a TV guide view. But as I said earlier, the calendar view alone is probably worth the $2.99 for most people. An iPhone version is also available, though it seems to be lacking the calendar view.