This is a new and fun way to enjoy YouTube. You can channel surf like boomers with cable television. The London-based designer came up with this creative idea Steven IrbyThe web app has been launched by a company called Channel SurferThis app presents YouTube videos with an interface that looks like a TV guide from the past.
The app allows you to browse different channels based on topics and select the one you want as you would if watching live television.
In the beginning, we had 40 such custom-built aircraft. “channels” There are many channels to select from. These include those that focus on news, politics and sports as well as lifestyle and music.
This group also includes the channels such as “AI & ML,” “Code & Dev,” “Space,” “Retro Tech,” “Tech & Gadgets,” You can also find out more about the following: “Gaming.”
You can join a video in midstream as you switch between channels. The guide will inform you about the content that is coming up on each channel and at what time. Scroll ahead and you can see the programming for the following 24 hours.
This makes watching YouTube feel a lot like watching old-school live television — an experience that’s proven popular on free streaming services like Plex, Pluto TV, Tubi, and others, which offer lineups of live channels playing TV shows and movies. YouTube is a separate entity. dominates TV streaming in the U.S.
Also, at the bottom of your screen you can see how many others are also watching YouTube.
Irby said he had the idea of building a similar YouTube experience to the one at streamers because it can be difficult to find something interesting to watch.
“I built Channel Surfer because I’m tired of the algorithms and indecision fatigue,” Irby tells TechCrunch. “I miss channel surfing and not having to decide what to watch. I want to just sit and tune into what’s on and not think about what to watch next.”
“My boomer Mom watches cable TV. I want the same, but with my YouTube channels instead. Also, it’s weirdly comforting to know I’m watching with other people,” He said.
Irby is a veteran of the tech industry who’s spent more than ten years traveling around the globe.
“I have so much creativity from my long, weird journey. I can’t bear the thought of being a Jira ticket monkey anymore,” He said.
Irby has praised the app. noting You can also find out more about us here. Channel Surfer’s brand-new website On its first day of publication, it received over 10,000 hits.
Channel Surfer, as of now, is a static Next.js Site that is used PartyKit The site is hosted by Cloudflare. Ibry handpicked the music and channels that it provides. GitHub Actions It is used for running a script which refreshes data on a daily basis. It’s not a back-end yet.
While Claude The site was not coded by the person who assisted you. “vibe-coded,” Irby:
As the channels play YouTube embedded videos, which include YouTube’s advertisements, then it is unlikely that this app would be in violation of policy. Irby would love to eventually bring the app on TV platforms like Fire TV and Google TV. The app is also available on smartphones and tablets but requires more development.
Channel Surfer, which launched in January 2013, is free and offers 175 YouTube Channels as well as 25 playlists. Subscribe to Irby’s newsletterYou can import all your YouTube subscriptions directly into the app.
It’s a quick-and-dirty process to do so: You drag a “Channel Surfer” Then, click on your YouTube subscriptions and add the bookmarklet. This process will take you to your app, where you can paste the JSON code into the box. “import” button. The button will add all of your personal channels to Channel Surfer, giving you the option to view hundreds of additional channels.
Its creation harkens to an earlier era of the internet, when it was filled with creativity and fun experiments. Irby’s point is to make it fun.
“I’m obsessed with showing the world that the old web is still alive and well,” He says. “It’s just buried under a mountain of slop.”
