# Comparison to JustWatch



## jimpmc (Oct 31, 2001)

After using TiVo's Stream app on the device for 2 days now made me realize it didn't do everything I wanted when it came to universal search and aggregration. I searched around for alternative options. There are many watchlist apps these days, but most don't have a native Android TV app. Then I came across JustWatch -- it is pretty much what TiVo Stream does, but has almost 85 content providers, a web version (with many more options to filter & sort by provider, genre, etc.), apps for phone, AppleTV, Fire TV, etc. that all synch up with added items. The AndroidTV version even launches into apps like Hulu and Netflix directly to play the content, just like the TiVo Stream app does. 

I want TiVo to be successful, but after trying this out, my initial thoughts are that JustWatch will be far more useful to me right now. I'm torn about the TiVo dongle itself. For $50 it isn't bad, but it has completely locked up twice and Android TV home button has rendered a black screen twice as well.

I'm sure JustWatch has some shortcomings as well, but I'd be curious to hear other thoughts or suggestions.


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## CMH (May 7, 2020)

jimpmc said:


> After using TiVo's Stream app on the device for 2 days now made me realize it didn't do everything I wanted when it came to universal search and aggregration. I searched around for alternative options. There are many watchlist apps these days, but most don't have a native Android TV app. Then I came across JustWatch -- it is pretty much what TiVo Stream does, but has almost 85 content providers, a web version (with many more options to filter & sort by provider, genre, etc.), apps for phone, AppleTV, Fire TV, etc. that all synch up with added items. The AndroidTV version even launches into apps like Hulu and Netflix directly to play the content, just like the TiVo Stream app does.
> 
> I want TiVo to be successful, but after trying this out, my initial thoughts are that JustWatch will be far more useful to me right now. I'm torn about the TiVo dongle itself. For $50 it isn't bad, but it has completely locked up twice and Android TV home button has rendered a black screen twice as well.


check out this vid on the black screen


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## cybergrimes (Jun 15, 2015)

I disabled TiVo's app row customization service that locked the TiVo row to the home screen and haven't seen a black screen since. Not sure if related.

I'll be checking out JustWatch


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## babsonnexus (Jan 13, 2016)

I am a big fan of JustWatch and their user aggregated metadata (it is built on top of TMDB). However, I have tested out their Android TV app and the problems for using it for launch are:

(1) While the metadata is much better than TiVo/Rovi and is much better with a wider breadth of apps/services, the lack of integration with live/recorded services is a shortfall it will not be overcoming anytime soon.

(2) The app needs a lot more development and has many of the same shortfalls of the Stream 4K (See: TiVo Stream 4K: Path to Perfection as the issues for My Shows are mostly the same).

(3) On top of the issues that the Stream app has, JustWatch doesn't allow episode selection, just show selection.

(4) When it launched a show on Netflix, it started playing the last episode available, not the next episode to watch.

Today, I would pick the Stream App over JustWatch. Give a year of development for JustWatch and I'll probably change my mind. My suggestion (and what I am going to do as well) is build out the list in both services and see how it goes (plus still managing on my Bolt and my offline Excel spreadsheet; so yes, quadruple work just to watch TV! :tongueclosed.


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## jimpmc (Oct 31, 2001)

babsonnexus said:


> I am a big fan of JustWatch and their user aggregated metadata (it is built on top of TMDB). However, I have tested out their Android TV app and the problems for using it for launch are:
> 
> (1) While the metadata is much better than TiVo/Rovi and is much better with a wider breadth of apps/services, the lack of integration with live/recorded services is a shortfall it will not be overcoming anytime soon.
> 
> ...


I agree that the AndroidTV version of JustWatch could use more development. But the thing I liked about JustWatch is that I can access it and my watchlist on a browser and also a dedicated phone app. Both the browser version and the phone version offer a lot more filtering and sorting of searches and my watchlist. As I'm constantly bouncing from device to device, if I read/hear about a show, I can quickly tag it rather than having to go to the single Stream 4K.

They have a Fire TV version -- I wonder if that is the same as the AndroidTV version or if that has the additional watchlist filtering. Anyone try it on a Fire TV?


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