TV-Browser is a free, cross-platform digital TV guide which downloads and lists the schedules of over 900 TV stations and over 90 radio stations, including cable and Satellite channels. Users can subscribe to stations and use different styles for formatting listings.
The application by default organizes channels in different categories like Music, Drama, Cinema and Sports; it also lets users select country specific channels.
[Editor’s note: this post was written by Freewaregenius contributor EngineerHead. Check out his tech blog here].
TV channels listings are called Electronic Program Guides (EPG), also known as Interactive Program guides (IPG) or Electronic Service Guides (ESG). These are provided by TV distribution services or through newspapers, but if you are looking for a utility that can bring the schedules of your favorite TV channels right to your desktop then TV-Browser is the program that you’re looking for.
Here are more notes on this program:
- Ease of use: initial configuration and selecting network settings and TV channels is pretty easy. If a problem occurs, there is a setup assistant to guide the user.
Reminders: you can add reminders for your favorite program. By default, the program displays a notification at a specific time interval before the program’s scheduled time. It can be modified to launch an application depending upon the requirement.- Calendar Support: The favorite TV listings can be added to the preferred Calendar application. TV-Browser supports MS Outlook Calendar, Google Calendar, iCal, and vCal files.
- Add Favorites: a program can be added to favorites based on your defined filters such as actor, subject or program. In the Favorites wizard, an alert can be activated to inform you whenever a matching program is found.
- Genres View: in tree view, the user can navigate through a list of programs based on Genres. This option provides an easy way to find a program depending upon the taste of viewer.
- Recording Option: recording control is enabled for systems with digital receivers. TV-Browser can interact with common hardware and software configurations; check this link for a list. There is some support available to enable the user’s recording configuration, if it is not listed.
- Extensibility: the application’s functions can be enhanced and refined through plug-in development. Users can also customize the look of TV-Browser with themes and icons.
The verdict: this program is a one-stop destination for all of your favorite TV channel information, but it also offers advanced features like reminder, recording control and calendar export, making it a rich application. Last but not least, if your favorite TV channel is not present in the list, you can request to add it. Rush and Grab it and you will never again miss your favorite program.
Version Tested: 2.7
Compatibility: multiplatform Windows, Linux, Mac. Requires Java 5 Run Time Environment or higher. Get latest version of Java here.
Visit the TV-Browser’s website for more information. The download links are on this page(approximate download size ~ 2.7 MBs).
