While Microsoft may have 11,500 apps, one of the stark differences WP7 and iOS is the ability to find apps for the common experiences we expect. Competition in this space is very limited, so its great to see TV buffs finally get a great TV Guide app for WP7 called QTV. After installing the app, setup is a breeze, simply select the ‘Package’ or location and the channels available in your area are pre-selected. Naturally you can customise this list to only show your favourites.
Launching the app loads the current list of shows across all channels, giving you a single list view of everything. A quick swipe up and you’ll see what’s coming up for the rest of the day. Each entry provides the name of the program, channel, time and duration, pretty much everything you need.
The app also features the ability to set Reminders for your favourite shows. Just find your show, either in the list or by searching, then press Get Reminder. These come in the form of a push Notification as your the show is about to begin so you don’t miss a thing. Also in QTV’s bag o’tricks is the ability to find shows (use the in-app search) via category, cast member or an A-Z list of program names.
Another use for the app is to find out every time your favourite show is on. To get to the showings screen, find your favourite show, then swipe to the left twice. The first time will show you which categories your show is in, Arts and Living, Family, Comedy etc, the second swipe will get you to the showings page.
Over all its a fantastic TV guide, certainly the best I’ve seen on WP7 and even better than a lot of iOS options. Unlike some other WP7 applications, this one performs really well with load and resume times and that’s pre-NoDo.
The app is available in the WP7 Marketplace now for free and supports both Free-To-Air and Pay TV.
More info @ http://www.quidsmobile.com/qtv/
