Social TV app NextGuide goes from mobile to the Web
The app, which keeps track of your favorite shows and brings together live TV with streaming video, is now a Web platform.
While most companies are making the jump from Web to mobile, NextGuide, the app that tells you when and where your favorite shows are on, has decided to go the opposite way. The social TV guide for iOS is now available on the Web.
NextGuide Web has the same functions as the iPad app and aims to bring together live TV and streaming videos. Users can pick their favorite shows and keep track of when, and where, the shows are available online or on TV.
"There's a lot of confusion around TV," said Jeremy Toeman, the CEO of Dijit Media, the company behind NextGuide. "People say TV is dead, but there are more people watching more stuff on demand and streaming than they used to."
The key is discovery, Toeman said, and when it comes to looking for entertainment on a second screen, viewers are still turning to their Web browser the most.
Dijit is definitely familiar with the TV space on mobile. In addition to the NextGuide apps, the company previously launched Dijit Remote, a universal remote app linked to an infared remote control accessory, and Miso, a social TV app that let users log what they were watching for points.
NextGuide Web, like the app, is a mix of TV listings and social recommendations. If you open up a show or movie's page, you will see a synopsis and other details about the show, as well as what episodes are available and where to find the show. You can also see which of your NextGuide or Facebook friends recommend it.
It's useful for viewers who have multiple video-streaming subscriptions like Amazon Video, Hulu, Netflix or iTunes. Users can also link up their Comcast and DirecTV accounts to automatically set their DVR for favorite movies and shows. This way, people don't need to keep track of when the next season of their favorite show airs or becomes available on a streaming site. Products like NextGuide are convenient, especially with content providers constantly duking it out for exclusive rights to different shows.
NextGuide Web is launching a closed beta with limited invites each week, but those already using the NextGuide app or the Dijit Remote app can log in immediately. Miso users will have access within a month. While international users can access NextGuide Web, it only supports North America users for the time being.