The HotSwitch App Is About To Change The Way You Watch TV
Start writing a post
Entertainment

The HotSwitch App Is About To Change The Way You Watch TV

The new social app for the new golden age of TV.

48
The HotSwitch App Is About To Change The Way You Watch TV

Pretty much everyone has a show they’re excited about — be it on Netflix, Hulu or on the good ol’ television. For the most part, people find themselves sharing their reactions with other on social media. Inevitably, someone will post a spoiler for whoever is not watching live and flame grudges that can never die. How can we avoid this? The founders of HotSwitch, a new social TV app, think they have found the solution.

With HotSwitch, people will be able join "watch parties" for their favorite shows and react in real time with friends. If none of your friends are watching your shows, you can join global watch parties. I know what you’re thinking: "What makes this different from any messaging app?" For starters, it’s not just a messaging app; it’s so much more.

The app will also manage to be a curator and database for shows. Basically, the app will compare shows that your friends are watching, recommend shows that critics are praising, and remember shows that you have watched and recommend, thus creating a personalized list of suggestions for you. The aim for the app will be to create the most comprehensive and accurate list so you’ll never wonder what to watch next.

In time, the app will also be able to provide different features for user interaction. On top of the local watch parties, global watch parties and friend watch parties, the app will have your favorite shows interact with you. Users will have the option of receiving facts and trivia about shows in real time.

The app even sets out to accommodate for binge watchers. Similar to the real-time watch party function mentioned earlier, viewers will also be able to catch up to friends by telling the app what episode you’re on so you can see their reactions while the show is playing. With a Shazam-like audio recognition feature, the app will be able to recognize what show you’re watching, which episode you’re watching, and how far along you are on said episode.

The app would have practical uses for the television industry as well. Before the age of social media, TV ratings were measured by Nielsen ratings, a deeply flawed system that only measured a certain number of TVs. With HotSwitch, industries will be able to gauge a more accurate figure as to how many people are watching a show and how many people are reviewing it positively.

The company has gained a lot of traction since it started. Besides the buzz it’s been getting online, with watch groups already forming on Facebook before the app’s release, and investments received from TV producer Francisco Cordero and CodeSchool’s founder Gregg Pollack, HotSwitch was recently asked to be a part of Alchemist Accelerator in San Francisco, the second-largest start-up accelerator. The company filled up their slots for 70 beta testers and had over 300 people on the waiting list by the end of 2015, just three months after their entry into their local start-up accelerator, Starter Studio, in Orlando.

With sign-ups increasing exponentially, it seems that this app is here to stay.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

43384
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

27279
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

952207
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

144866
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments