We're shutting down Couchville

[Tired_]

Would you consider letting it remain up for a subscription fee (whatever it would take to keep it running)? Obviously, it won't be a major profit center, but it's really useful, and I'd pay a little to keep using it.

[gdewar]

I'll second the motion to have the guide available on a subscription basis - there just aren't any reliable, easy-to-use sites like this one!

[Hamsterdan]

Originally Posted by rakeshagrawal

In the week or two, we'll be taking our free TV listings website, Couchville (http://www.couchville.com/), offline. At least for now, this is the end of the road for any kind of a free TV listings website from SnapStream.

I'll admit, I never used Couchville. But then again, I never used BTV for a couple of years, even after buying the software, the remote, and Beyond Media. My purchases were based on promises of an integrated product.

I now have an integrated product... it is called Windows Media Center Edition.

-It has a remote, check...
-It plays DVDs, check (even the ones burned with the software)
-It plays MP3s, check
-CallerID, check
-Can control set top boxes, check
-Commercial Ad detection, check (it even *skips* the adds by itself, thanks to DVRMS toolbox)
-Is INTEGRATED, check

Heck, it even works with my iPod, Digital Camera, is an INTEGRATED product.

Sorry, but you guys *lied* to us when you promised us an integrated product. Check my account, I've got valid licenses for both products, and am entitled for a *FREE* upgrade when the integrated product comes out.

That was back in 2005. We are now in 2008.

I would like to use something else than a Microsoft product (really), but MCE does the job for an INTEGRATED MEDIA CENTER PC.

But seeing this post, you're shutting down another nice thing, I really wonder if you care about your customer base...

[NickHark]

Originally Posted by Hamsterdan

.... I really wonder if you care about your customer base...

I think that this shows that he and SS REALLY care about the customers because, if you can believe what he said, they are FOCUSING! on their core products. I am happy to see this in SS. Unfortunately, we see too little of this. I want this company to survive. Don't you?

[Gary King]

I would gladly pay a subscription fee to be able to continue using Couchville. It's the most useful TV guide that I have ever used!

P.S.
I thought the site was basically automated, meaning very little human intervention was required? Or am I mistaken, and it actually requires a lot of man hours?

[fergusonsa]

My wife is going to freak! This is miserable news.

We would be willing to subscribe to a site like this, for $20 or $30 a year.

saF

[caperj]

Bummer that your taking couchville offline.....
I'm a frequent visitor to the site, it was certainly nice while it lasted.

[Hamsterdan]

Originally Posted by caperj

Bummer that your taking couchville offline.....
I'm a frequent visitor to the site, it was certainly nice while it lasted.

Shows they really care about customers....

Still waiting for integration promises for about two years...

[Tired_]

Ok, Hamsterdan, I hear you. You're bitter. Moving on....

[btvfreak]

I wish Snapstream much success in their business decision to focus resources on the Enterprise and simplifying the product for home/new users because if successful, then perhaps they can hire more people to add more features advanced and loyal users are screaming for.

Regarding Couchville...I'm surprised that people actually use online TV guides so much. I rarely use them and have only really used Couchville a few times. For the majority of people I'm sure removing Couchville isn't a huge loss.

[chillexistence]

Yeah I'm at couchville.com all day long, by far the best and easiest TVGuide Website ever! Wouldn't mind paying a little $$ to keep it alive... Would the creators be willing to offer the source code of the website so others can run the site? Maybe make it Open Source, I'm sure people would be willing to chip in and help where needed!

[joey2264]

I just wanted to say that I used Couchville all the time. I have been a loyal BeyondTV owner for about a year and a half (I don't even own a regular TV any more, I watch all my TV on my laptop), but I preferred viewing the listings in Couchville, where I could see all my channels at a glance instantly, instead of scrolling through the Viewscape after waiting for it to start up.

There never was a serious attempt to monetize Couchville. It seems like simply putting a Google Ad at the bottom, top, and side of the page would make enough money for the minimal maintaining effort that the site must require. Yet I have never seen a paid ad on the site, ever (An "ad" for Beyond TV 4 doesn't count). Why did you not at least try to sell ads on the site!!? Far more esoteric and limited interest websites than this have been able to make a modest living on Google Ads, I can't think of a reason why this would be a failure.

Why don't you just try it? Put some Google ads on the site for a week before you take the site down, and see if it makes enough money to maintain the site. Please?!!

I would certainly pay $20 or $30 a year to access the site (assuming the one glaring feature addition was added, a login account to save lineups online). If that is the only way that you feel you can justify maintaining the site, then please try it.

Or what others have suggested, open source the site code and let a web community maintain the site. Maybe similar to how the Web admin is community supported. It might even gain some serious geek cred if it is open sourced.

Please, please pick one of the options I have cited above. At the very least, make a serious attempt to make money from the site by throwing some Google Ads on the site before you abandon the effort entirely. Please!!? I think the amount of users is probably far more than you realize, especially among your loyal and, I would hope, valuable Beyond TV customers.

[Riffz]

Ah this is horrible news! I use the site daily, and it is a shame to see it just closed.

Please consider keeping it open for subscriptions, given it would save our custom lineups.

I have no use for a full pvr type software, and couchville was literally perfect. Please consider any alternative.

Thank You!

[Asmordean]

I rarely used the site but have always thought it would be a great replacement to SS.net if only one could scroll with a mousewheel on it. Otherwise it was very nice.

Originally Posted by rakeshagrawal

You don't have to look too hard to see the ads on the site.

Are the ads regional then? I've never seen a single ad on couchville. Even with ads I can see it being a money loss just like Zap2It had. People run scrapers on the data and use up bandwidth without actually generating revenue.

[suible]

I, too, am sorry to see Couchville shutdown. After trying various tv guides, I found Couchville to be the best by far.

Best of luck to SnapStream.