tvopedia.com
Since the downloading phenomenon has been overtaken by the streaming phenomenon, nowadays people prefer streaming over downloading content. Regardless of how you consume your content, there is one thing you cannot download - live television.
IPTV - Cable TV & Satellite TV?s nemesis
To be able to watch live television, you must tune into your cable or satellite TV network. However, with the advent of IPTV websites, you no longer need to rely on those sources; you can stream the content online for free. Thus, if you want to catch up on what is happening on the BBC, you can tune in using a website called TVopedia. Similarly, if you want to watch content from channels such as ABC, Fox, MSNBC, it can help you access all the content for free.
What is TVopedia?
TVopedia is an online platform that aggregates content from over 500+ TV channels, as well as radio stations. This online resource allows users to watch a wide variety of programming, from around the world.
Why should you stream on TVopedia?
With TVopedia, you can access up to 1800+ international channels and radio stations from anywhere in the world. All you need is an active internet connection. It also enables you to watch programs, in your favorite language (if the channel has the variation). For instance, if thereâs an ETV Hindi available on TVopedia, youâre most likely to find ETV Urdu as well.
A huge number of categories
TVopedia has many different categories to choose from including Music, Government, Religious, General, Weather, Sport, Educational, and Webcams. Ultimately you have to choose the category you want to watch and TVopedia will direct you towards the live stream for that specific type of content.
Tailor-made content
Many of the IPTV websites are directed towards a specific audience. We have seen that in the case of USTVGO or Yupp TV, both catering to the needs of the US and Indian audiences respectively. With TVopedia, you have access to over 1800+ channels and chances are that you will find a channel from your country. Thus, whether you are from Afghanistan or from Zimbabwe, you will find something familiar on the network.
Social Networking
TVopedia is a social media platform that allows users to communicate with each other. Users create accounts just like they do on other social media platforms, and their ratings and comments matter. By using TVopedia, viewers can track the channels and their performances.
Adding New Channels
TVopedia allows you to watch live television, but it also allows you to add or suggest TV channels which you know aren't featured on the website. Adding a channel is super easy. All you have to do is click on the ?Suggest a Station? option in the main header. Once you do that, you'll be directed to a page where you can leave your suggestion.
Quality Categorization
TVopedia is an excellent website when it comes to content categorization. The site is well organized based on options such as country, continent, and genre. This makes navigating the website easy.
Design
The user-interface of this website has many commendable features, but the design is not as appealing. Many standout visual elements exist, but the overall platform could use more graphic polish. Additionally, some areas of content are too cluttered, making it difficult to read.
Header
Though I have critiqued the design, I really like the top half of this website because there is thought process behind it. Especially the header section where you can see five main options on the left - TV Stations, Help, Contact Us, Suggest a Station and Private Zone. Towards the right, you can find an RSS button and a search bar. Both of which are placed well and look clean.
Hero Section
The layout is cluttered and it?s difficult to find anything specific. The icons are small and difficult to see. Second, let?s talk about the bad part. The user experience takes a massive hit as soon as you start using the app. First, there is a very long sign-in process that requires filling in your personal information including email address, name, phone number and password. Secondly, the app is constantly lagging which makes it hard to navigate. Thirdly, the channels are listed in reverse alphabetical order which makes it difficult to find what you're looking for. Lastly, the categories tab on the left side of the app is very narrow with only six options - Business, Education, Entertainment, Music, News and Religion - while the right side has eight options - Cam Sites ( giving you an idea of just how overcrowded this section is ), Webcams (again more than necessary), Leaderboard (which grabs your attention with an A-Z list of popular channels ), Language (which includes 19 different languages), Kids (for children aged 0-12) and Apps (for finding TV shows and movies ).
Body
The body section is similar to the lower part of the Hero section, which is bland. It's also the section where everything feels too cluttered. There's a never-ending list of channels that goes on and on before you reach the footer, and on the right, you can find a Facebook plug to a page called LIVE TV, which under that kills any sense of color combination that existed.
Footer
After an over-the-top body section comes to the footer which, in my opinion, is the second-best section after the hero section. It has five options - Online radio, Online games, About us, Chrome, and useful links. Under each of these options, you can find several useful links to access the data you need.
Inner Pages
The inner pages of the website once again follow the lacklustre content placement seen in the body section and it is quite identical in terms of layout with the only addition being a leaderboard ad at the top.
Content
I know that the design section may have not been to your liking, but the content section is definitely more than capable of satisfying you. TVopedia features over 1800 international channels and different categories such as business, education, entertainment, music, news, webcams and religious. This makes it perfect for everyone. The only downside is that it doesn't have sports channels. If you're not into sports, that shouldn't be a very big deal.
Desktop/Mobile experience
I browsed TVopedia on my laptop first before using my phone. The experience on both devices was average. Primarily, because there were too many ads. I can manage the ads on my laptop, but have a hard time keeping up with those on my phones.
Yes, I know you might be thinking why don't I use an ad blocker? You'd find it funny but I actually like to watch ads on these websites. I kind of treat these websites as ?Skipping Stones? in Takeshi's Castle and challenge me to start a stream without falling onto a soft piece i.e. the advertisement. I prefer this over Google's T-Rex Runner.
Suggestions I have for TVopedia
I would urge the developers to tone down the number of ads on the website. I would also love to see a better design that complements the amazing functionality that this website has to offer.
Conclusion
Despite having an intuitive design, TVopedia falls short in terms of its overall appeal. It may be good for news and entertainment lovers, but there are many other websites that provide more comprehensive content.