We're shutting down Couchville

[btvfreak]

Just thought about this. Will Snapstream be moving Buzz to the Snapstream domain? I find that service very useful.

[searchguru]

I am probably some of the far and few between, I have been not able to set up my own PVR due to cost and at the present where I am living. But have been a fan of Beyondtv for many years and have sold more than I can count to friends. That said I have tried and used every tv listing on the net and COUCHVILLE is the best thing out there period! I too would pay or better yet lets run it ourselves. I would gladly team up with some other members and takeover the site. I have about 20 websites none of which are doing anything as of right now. There has to be a solution to this, if they do shut this down I will no longer support any products from this company.

[Darkk]

Originally Posted by searchguru

IThere has to be a solution to this, if they do shut this down I will no longer support any products from this company.

That's pretty harsh. I can understand where you're coming from but it's was a business decision to shut it down to put more focus on BTV. I have pointed out to Rake about lack of ads on the site even though he claims there are.

They built a wonderful platform for everybody to enjoy and at the same time lack of ads really put it into it's demise. Honestly, they should reconsider and try revamping their ads to help support it. I know we all hate ads but for something that is free we're willing to live with it.

Yahoo would be a wonderful sponsor for the site. Yahoo could even be smart about adding couchville into their IMs and the websites. The possibilities could be endless.

Darkk

[ZetaVu]

I would assume they could sell the code to someone wanting to run tv listings, or if there were no interested parties, open source it for those who would be willing to host and maintain it. I have no idea what is involved in running it, I assume you have to pay for the subscription feed to the channel guide (which SS already does) and I assume they could provide that to whoever maintains the site.

If enough users are willing to commit their time to maintain it, I don't see why Rakesh wouldn't make the site available to them to run, even host it and exclusively advertise SS products on it. Don't give up the source but just require that the volunteers maintain it much like forum moderators. Perhaps those interested should PM Rakesh and offer their services, if he gets enough offers he might make something available.

[rakeshagrawal]

Originally Posted by btvfreak

Just thought about this. Will Snapstream be moving Buzz to the Snapstream domain? I find that service very useful.

Yes, buzz isn't going away - most likely it'll go back to being hosted on www.snapstream.net (that's where it was before couchville).

The idea of keeping couchville around just for beyond tv users is an interesting one. I need to talk to one or two people about it, will let you all know if it is a possibility.

[ZetaVu]

I think you could not only make it something for btv users but also offer it and a guide download service on a subscription basis to other users (which of course would encourage them to swithc to btv which is cheaper in the long run) I also think if you opened up some of this to the community they might be able to integrate it (yes I said it) eventually into btv, maybe not today but later. I think it would be a great feature to search the guide in btv, click a show and get the info that has been downloaded, then click another option and get additional info from Couchville.

This way you are not tying up SS resurces, let it be a community project, and you guys can focus on the HD-PVR.

[joey2264]

Rakesh, please keep us informed about any developments. If you could at least keep the site open to Beyond TV users, possibly by putting the site on the snapstrem.net domain, that would be wonderful!

[JUSTiNB]

Awwwww CRAP!

This means there will be no good TV guide sites out there now :/ Only other slightly good one is TitanTV. Yahoo ruined their's after they "Upgraded" it.

Oh well, farewell. I guess great things can't last forever.

[matthall28]

Hi, my names Matt and i work for a company called Kerplunc. We are in talkings with SnapStream about buying Couchville from them. Problem is that it's going to cost us $$$. Email me if you would be interested in paying a monthly/yearly fee for Couchville.

[queonda]

Originally Posted by matthall28

Hi, my names Matt and i work for a company called Kerplunc. We are in talkings with SnapStream about buying Couchville from them. Problem is that it's going to cost us $$$. Email me if you would be interested in paying a monthly/yearly fee for Couchville.

Here is what I think.

Comeon. There's Tv.com, tvguide and many others which offer tv information for FREE.

[merrypig]

Personally, I think kerplunc needs to take a class in human interface design and then use what they learn to fix their own website and couchville...

[darkdays]

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.

For the Couchville loyalists out there, we're sorry to take the site away from you. If you're wondering why we're making this move, simply put, it doesn't make business sense for us to keep the site running.

So thanks to everyone who blogged about the site, spread the word, wore the t-shirt, and, most importantly, used the site day after day. TV recording software for consumers (and now for businesses too with SnapStream Enterprise) has always been more of our 'thing' and that's where we intend to keep our focus.

Can't you sell the site to somebody who it does make business sense for? :P

[ZetaVu]

Well, I fail to see why anyone would really pay for access to online webguide if it doesn't interface with their pvr, specifically since there are free ones out there, not as elegant, but sufficient. If couchville could work with pvr's then people like mythtv or mediaportal users might be interested.

But, If SS can get some money for it, more power to them. I don't see it flying, and many here would probably be willing to support it if it were btv user only or open sourced. I personally would not pay to use it.

Oh, that assumes the offer is genuine and not just a front to plug their website and solicit interest.

[darkdays]

Speaking about Couchville in the broader context of our company, SnapStream, Couchville represents a big step for us.

Source: http://blogs.snapstream.com/2007/03/...to-couchville/

In my opinion, I think this decision's a big step back.

[hmb29]

Originally Posted by ZetaVu

Oh, that assumes the offer is genuine and not just a front to plug their website and solicit interest.

I'm sorry, looking at that site....he must be joking if he wants to buy couchville ..... dude, i think my 12 year old brother can design his webpage....