Customer Reviews (128)

Jk54jk54 • 2024-12-25T15:44:48-07:00

Sorry to say but I honestly loved this app up until about a month ago when it started being clunky, and sorry to say that now I can’t even open it.

Lady scar weaver • 2024-07-26T11:05:37-07:00

I love this app. Its very accessible to the visually impaired. It could be laid out a little differently, but otherwise its perfect.

Potts1960 • 2024-06-23T07:06:04-07:00

This was the best app ever for watching the BBC. It then went down hill pretty quick and I stopped watching. Then one day not sure when WOW new look and it’s great again. Love this app.

Summary of Key Insights

The "Whats Playing - UK TV Guide" app shows a mixed reception. While a significant portion of users (51%) give it a 5-star rating, indicating strong satisfaction, a substantial number of users have reported issues that significantly impact usability. The most prominent complaint revolves around the inability to watch complete series, with many users only able to access the first episode or a random selection of episodes. Technical issues such as freezing, crashing, sound problems, and a non-functional search feature are also prevalent. The app's value proposition – providing access to British TV outside the UK – is appealing, but the execution needs improvement. Overall sentiment is polarized, with many past positive reviews now being updated to reflect current problems.

Key Strengths:

  • Provides access to British TV programming outside the UK.
  • Offers live streaming of BBC channels.
  • Accessible to visually impaired users (according to one review).

Key Weaknesses:

  • Inability to watch complete series; often only the first episode is available.
  • Frequent technical issues: freezing, crashing, sound problems.
  • Non-functional search feature.
  • Poor app stability and lack of updates.
  • Customer support responsiveness issues.

Overall Sentiment: Mixed. The app fulfills a need, but its execution is flawed. Overall Rating: Based on the review distribution, the average rating is approximately 3.6 out of 5. Score Distribution: 5-star (51%), 4-star (8%), 3-star (10%), 2-star (11%), 1-star (20%).

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 128 reviews.
  • Time Frame: Reviews span several years, with a focus on recent experiences. Many older positive reviews have been updated to reflect negative experiences with more recent versions.
  • Analysis Methods: Qualitative analysis of user reviews, identifying recurring themes, sentiment, and feature requests.

Key User Pain Points

  • Missing Episodes/Incomplete Series: This is the most frequently mentioned issue. Users are frustrated that they can typically only watch the first episode of a series or a random selection, making it impossible to follow storylines.
    • Impact: Significantly reduces the app's value and leads to user dissatisfaction.
  • Technical Issues (Freezing/Crashing/Sound Problems): Many users report the app freezing, crashing, or experiencing sound issues, making it unusable.
    • Impact: Creates a frustrating user experience and prevents users from accessing content.
  • Non-Functional Search Feature: The inability to search for specific shows or episodes makes navigation difficult and limits content discovery.
    • Impact: Hinders users from finding the content they want to watch and reduces overall app usability.
  • App Instability/Lack of Updates: Users report that the app has become increasingly unstable over time, suggesting a lack of maintenance and updates.
    • Impact: Erodes user trust and confidence in the app.
  • Poor Customer Support: Users report a lack of response from the developer when reporting issues or requesting assistance.
    • Impact: Leaves users feeling unsupported and reinforces negative perceptions of the app.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Complete Series/Episode Archiving: Users consistently request the ability to watch entire seasons of shows, not just single episodes.
  • Improved Search Functionality: A working search function with filters for episodes, seasons, and air dates is highly desired.
  • Apple TV App: Users want a dedicated Apple TV app for a better viewing experience on their televisions.
  • Subtitle Option: The addition of subtitles for accessibility and clarity is requested.
  • Option to Change Streaming Quality: Some users would like the ability to adjust the streaming quality based on their internet connection.
  • TV Guide Feature: Users want a TV guide to see what shows are currently airing live.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Access to British TV: The primary strength is providing access to British TV programming that is otherwise unavailable outside the UK.
  • Live Streaming: The ability to watch live BBC channels is a valuable feature for some users.
  • Accessibility Features: The app has been praised for its accessibility features for visually impaired users.
  • VPN Independence: Some users appreciate that the app works without requiring a VPN.
  • Ease of Use (Historically): Some older reviews praised the app's ease of use and simple interface, although more recent reviews suggest this is no longer the case.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Fix Technical Issues (Freezing/Crashing/Sound): Address the reported technical issues immediately to improve app stability and usability.
  • Implement Complete Series/Episode Archiving: Prioritize enabling access to complete series and episodes to fulfill the primary user expectation.
  • Repair Search Functionality: Fix the search function and add filtering options to make content discovery easier.
  • Improve Customer Support: Respond to user inquiries and provide timely assistance to address concerns and build trust.

Medium Priority:

  • Develop Apple TV App: Create a dedicated Apple TV app to enhance the viewing experience on televisions.
  • Add Subtitle Option: Implement a subtitle option to improve accessibility.
  • Optimize User Interface: Redesign the user interface to improve navigation and content discovery.

Low Priority:

  • Implement Option to Change Streaming Quality: Allow users to adjust streaming quality based on their internet connection.
  • Add TV Guide Feature: Include a TV guide to show what shows are currently airing live.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Curated British TV Streaming Service: A streaming service focused exclusively on British TV programming, with a user-friendly interface, complete series availability, and reliable streaming quality. This could be a paid subscription service.
  • VPN-Friendly Streaming Aggregator: An app that aggregates content from various streaming services and works seamlessly with VPNs, allowing users to access content from different regions.
  • Interactive TV Guide for International Content: A TV guide app that provides real-time listings for international channels and streaming services, with options for setting reminders and discovering new content.

Trends and Observations

  • Shift in Sentiment: There's a clear trend of older positive reviews being updated with negative experiences, indicating a decline in app quality over time.
  • Recurring Complaints: The issues related to missing episodes, technical problems, and search functionality have been persistent for a long time, suggesting that the developer hasn't addressed these concerns effectively.
  • Desire for Complete Content: Users are not satisfied with limited access to shows; they want to be able to watch entire series from beginning to end.

Conclusion

The "Whats Playing - UK TV Guide" app has the potential to be a valuable resource for viewers outside the UK who want to access British TV programming. However, the app's current state is marred by technical issues, limited content availability, and poor customer support. To improve the app and retain users, the developer needs to prioritize fixing the reported problems, implementing requested features, and providing better customer service. Without significant improvements, the app is unlikely to achieve its full potential and may continue to receive negative reviews. I would suggest the developer to fix the high priority issues first, and then focus on the medium and low priority issues. The app will benefit greatly from these changes.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/whats-playing-uk-tv-guide/id312273609?uo=2