Tuesday, March 24, 2015

A Comparative Review of iOS TV Trackers

UPDATE (2016-08-13): Despite the comparison below and TV Show Tracker 3 taking the crown, I have since switched back to iTV Shows 3. Even though there are flaws in it as outlined below.... at the end of the day, I felt like the iTV app was a little more polished and user-friendly. I'm still looking for a better app if you have one to suggest but for now, I'm okay with using iTV Shows 3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
In this article, I'll be comparing three TV tracker apps that I have installed on my iPhone:
  1. iTV Shows 3 (3.4.2)
  2. TeeVee 3 (3.3)
  3. TV Show Tracker 3 (3.5.3)
I'll have a look at the main features of each TV Tracking app and compare them. I'll then provide my final verdict and recommendation.

Round One: Viewing upcoming and recently aired shows
 

iTV Shows 3


Pros:
  • Visually appealing.
  • Shows the number of days until the next show airs, not just the date.
  • Shows both upcoming and past shows.
  • Shows the network the show is aired on.
  • Has the most accurate information out of the three apps that shows when the next season of an episode will return.
Cons:
  • Upcoming and past show are on two different lists which seems unnecessary.
  • Tapping the name of the show takes you to the episode list instead of the show details. You can still access the episode details by tapping the episode in question from the episode list but this seems unnecessary.
     

TeeVee 3


Pros:
  • Visually appealing.
  • Shows the number of days until the next show airs, not just the date.
  • Shows how many shows you have yet to watch.
  • Tapping the name of the show takes you to the episode details. You can tap a button to get to the episode list if desired.
Cons:
  • Doesn't show you past shows which is especially annoying when the shows air that day and disappear from the list.
  • Doesn't show the network the show is aired on.
  • Doesn't show the name of the upcoming episode.
     

TV Show Tracker 3


Pros:
  • Shows both upcoming and past shows. Past shows can be found by scrolling up.
  • Shows the network the show is aired on.
  • Tapping the name of the show takes you to the episode details. You can tap the back button to get to the episode list if desired.
Cons:
  • Very plain presentation of the shows on the schedule.
  • Doesn't show you the number of days until the next show airs.
     

Verdict (Round One: Viewing upcoming and recently aired shows)

Despite the lack of graphical imagery on the schedule and the lack of the countdown clock, TV Tracker 3 wins this round as it handles both past and present shows in one list. The list defaults to today's shows. You scroll one way to see upcoming shows; you scroll the other way to see past shows. The UI makes perfect sense. It's too bad that the countdown clock is missing as I really like that feature but I can live without it.
 

Round Two: Episode Tracking
 

iTV Shows 3


Pros:
  • Visually appealing.
  • Groups episodes of the same show together.
  • One button press away from the schedule. 
Cons:
  • There is no option to turn grouping off.
  • There have been numerous occasions where a show that I've checked as watched will suddenly appear again as unwatched. This seems to occur after software updates but I'm not sure if it is related.
  • To access the schedule, you have to hit the menu button and select "My Shows". An option for one-button press to switch back and forth would have been more convenient.
     

TeeVee 3


Pros:
  • The schedule and episode tracking list are one and the same. To mark a show as watched, you have to tap the show and press the Episodes button. This gives you a list of episodes to check off.
Cons:
  • The combined to-watch list doesn't include any episode details.
  • Requires two button presses to get to the episode list.
     

TV Show Tracker 3 


Pros:
  • Lists all unwatched episodes in a row, one after the other. It only shows 5 episodes at a time for each show unless you click to view more.
  • One button press away from the schedule. 
  • Tapping the episode in this list will take you to the details of the episode that you selected. You can easily access the episode list from here too.
Cons:
  • Tapping the latest episode doesn't ask you if you want to mark previous episodes as watched. This feature is only available in the episode list view.
  • Very plain looking.
     

Verdict (Round Two: Episode Tracking)

This round goes to TV Tracker 3 which handles show tracking quite well despite its plain appearance. TeeVee doesn't have a specific section for episode tracking. iTV Shows handles this well but keeps losing track of watched shows and groups shows together. TV Tracker 3 is the clear winner for me in this round.

Round Three: Episode List
 

iTV Shows 3


Pros:
  • Tapping the latest episode asks you if you want to mark previous episodes as watched.
  • Shows the date, title and episode number.
Cons:
  • The episode list can only be accessed from the "My Shows" section. It's not accessible from the Schedule or episode details page.
  • Doesn't display how many episodes you have left to watch.
     

TeeVee 3
 



Pros:
  • The episode list is accessible from the show details page.
  • Shows the title, part of the description of the show and the episode number.
  • Shows you how many episodes you have to watch.
Cons:
  • Tapping the latest episode does not ask you if you want to mark previous episodes as watched.
  • Does not show the date of the show. You have to go to the show details to find this information.
     

TV Show Tracker 3



Pros:
  • Tapping the latest episode asks you if you want to mark previous episodes as watched.
  • Shows the date, title and episode number.
  • Shows how many episodes you have left to watch.
Cons:
  • The information displayed on the episode list pages could be condensed.
  • The episode list doesn't fit in with the rest of the app (look and feel) - it supports swiping left and right to switch shows but also has a back button if you look at the detail of an episode. This can cause confusion as swiping back will switch episodes instead of going back to the episode list.
     

Verdict (Round Three: Episode List)

I'd say that this one is a draw between TV Show Tracker 3 and iTV Shows 3. I like the look of iTV Shows 3 but the functionality is the same in TV Shows Tracker 3 and it also tells you how many episodes you have left to watch.

Round Four: Episode Details
 

iTV Shows 3 


Pros:
  • Shows a description of the show, episode number, date and network.
  • Shows a countdown clock for shows that are coming up and a count-up clock for shows that have already aired.
  • Allows fans to submit comments and like the episode.
Cons:
  • This page would benefit from an image from the episode.
  • There is a play icon on the page which opens Safari but doesn't load anything.
  • There is no direct access to the episode list from this page which is a major drawback in my opinion.
     

TeeVee 3
 



Pros:
  • Shows a description of the show, episode number, date and network.
  • Shows a countdown clock for shows that are coming up.
  • Has a link to an episode preview video that works.
  • Easy access to show info, cast and the episode list.
Cons:
  •  The episode detail page would benefit from an image from the episode.
     

TV Show Tracker 3
 



Pros:
  • Shows a description of the show, episode number, date and network.
  • The episode detail page includes an image from the episode.
  • Shows how many shows you have yet to watch.
Cons:
  • Doesn't show a countdown clock for shows that are coming up.
  • Doesn't have a link to an episode preview video.
  • Easy access to show info (by tapping the show's main image) and the episode list.
     

Verdict (Round Four: Episode Details)

This round goes to TeeVee which provides easy access to all of the information that you need and a video preview. The comments feature in iTV Shows is a great idea for those who want more info about a show but it's more of a nice to have. TV Tracker 3 has all of the basic information you need.
 

Round Five: Adding and Removing Shows
 

iTV Shows 3
 


Pros:
  • Quick and easy lookups.
  • Includes details to differentiate different versions of a show that may air in other countries.
  • Includes the year that the show first aired.
Cons:
  • It would be nice to have access to more of a description in case there are two instances that look similar.
     

TeeVee 3
 


Pros:
  • Includes the year that the show first aired.
Cons:
  • Doesn't include additional details to differentiate different versions of a show that may air in other countries.
  • The list of shows doesn't always seem accurate.
  • It would be nice to have access to more of a description in case there are two instances that look similar.
     

TV Show Tracker 3
 


Pros:
  • Includes details to differentiate different versions of a show that may air in other countries.
Cons:
  • Searches seem to take a little longer.
  • Doesn't include the year that the show first aired.
  • It would be nice to have access to more of a description in case there are two instances that look similar.
     

Verdict (Round Five: Adding and Removing Shows)

iTV Shows 3 is the winner here by a small margin. There are slight advantages that help you select the correct show. It seems to have a more accurate list of shows that TeeVee.

Round Six: Today Widget
 

iTV Shows 3
 


Pros:
  • Displays today's shows, the episode number and title, time and network.
  • Tapping on the show will take you into the app to the episode details.
Cons:
  •  Only displays the current day. Other apps show tomorrow's shows as well.
     

TeeVee 3
 


Pros:
  • Displays the shows for today and tomorrow, the episode number, time and network
Cons:
  • Doesn't display the title of the episode.
  • Shows that have already aired will disappear from the Today view.
  • Tapping on the show will load the app. It won't take you to the show details.
     

TV Show Tracker 3
 


Pros:
  • Displays the shows for today and tomorrow and the time they air.
  • Initially only displays today's shows but gives you an option to view tomorrow's shows.
  • Tapping on the show will take you to that show's episode list.
Cons:
  •  Doesn't display the episode number, title or network.
     

Verdict (Round Six: Today Widget)

iTV Shows 3 is the winner. Even though it does not include tomorrow's shows, it has the best widget implementation although I do kind of like the minimalist view of TV Show Tracker 3.

Round Seven: Settings
 

iTV Shows 3
 


Pros:
  • The app will send you notifications 15 minutes before the show airs if set in the settings section.
  • Offers options to sync across devices.
  • Allows you to display a badge number on the app icon which shows the number of shows left to watch.
  • Includes sorting options.
Cons:
  •  Doesn't allow you to exclude shows from your watch list.
     

TeeVee 3
 


Pros:
  • The app will send you notifications 15 minutes before the show airs if set in the settings section. You can customize this setting.
  • Offers options to sync across devices.
  • Allows you to display a badge number on the app icon which shows the number of shows left to watch.
  • Has an option to hide spoilers (although I haven't tried it yet.)
  • Includes sorting options.
  • Includes an option to export episodes into your calendar which some people may like.
Cons:
  • Doesn't allow you to exclude shows from your watch list.
     

TV Show Tracker 3
 



Pros:
  • Allows you to choose what section of the app to default to when you open the app.
  • The app will send you notifications 15 minutes before the show airs if set in the settings section. You can customize this setting.
  • Offers options to sync across devices if you pay for the app.
  • Allows you to display a badge number on the app icon which shows the number of shows left to watch.
  • Allows you to exclude certain shows from appearing in the watch list. This is useful if you have shows on your list that your wife or girlfriend watches. These shows will only show up on the schedule and not on the watch list.
  • Includes sorting options.
Cons:
  •  None.
     

Verdict (Round Seven: Settings)

TV Show Tracker 3 wins this round as it includes an option to filter our shows from your watch list. All other options are fairly consistent across all apps.

Bonus Round: Notifications
 


Verdict (Bonus Round: Notifications)

All three apps display similar information. The only difference is that TV Show Tracker 3 does not include the episode number which is not a big deal. This round is a draw.

Final Verdict: TV Show Tracker 3


I've been using iTV Shows 3 the longest but I have recently made the transition to TV Show Tracker 3 as my TV tracking app of choice. It has a lot of the same features as the other competitors but has a better UI. I would recommend TV Show Tracker 3 based on my experience.

It is certainly not perfect and I am interested in hearing about any other options that are out there but it serves my needs for now. I will probably keep iTV Shows on my phone and turn off notifications so that I can see the countdown clock for some of the upcoming shows. Let me know if you have any other recommendations.

At the time of this writing:

Note: Prices are in Canadian dollars.