EvokeTV Eases Listing Pains
EvokeTV is a TV listings site that is trying to incorporate a community driven atmosphere. Even though I don’t have a television myself (imagine that), whenever I do need to know what’s on TV, it’s always a drag to go to the popular TV listings sites. I always end up clicking a few dozen times before I get to the show listing that I’m looking for.
In contrast, EvokeTV is focused on making the grid UI easy to navigate. Their AJAXified interface allows for quick (and pain free) perusal of the latest listings, using the classic two paned viewing approach. The other parts of the site are a little shaky in terms of presentation, but I’m willing to switch to using EvokeTV simply for their wonderful grid interface.
In addition to finding out when shows will be on, you can rate shows and episodes, and keep track of them on your recently rated list. This list can be shared via your website with a badge, or via an RSS feed that your friends can track. The idea behind this is to create a TV community that is based on the web, what the founders call “Soft Convergence.”
After you’ve rated shows, you can export these to your iCal, which can be handy if you want to keep track of when you’ll be viewing your favorite episodes. Currently, there’s no way to really browse other people’s profiles or favorite shows, although I’m willing to bet EvokeTV is working on it. Creating a social network around TV could allow people to discover new shows that they’ve never considered watching.
I also noticed that they have links for actors and shows. Currently, it’s a blank page with a Coming Soon sign. Yet again, EvokeTV could pull in data about people’s preferences on the show, more details about the show, and how the show relates to other shows. The data mining possibilities are endless. In terms of a business model, I already see that they have related Amazon links under each show and actor. This is an effective way to focus in on particular market segments that could potentially be their major revenue generator.
EvokeTV definitely gains me as a user for their grid interface. Time will tell whether they’ll be compelling enough to live up to their claim of being a successful TV community.
