Channel Surfer lets you watch YouTube like it’s old-school cable TV
There’s a enjoyable new approach to watch YouTube: by channel browsing like a boomer with cable TV. This artistic concept comes from London-based developer Steven Irbywho has simply launched an internet app referred to as Channel Surferwhich presents fascinating YouTube movies in an interface resembling a retro-looking TV information.
In the app, you can flick thru totally different, topic-focused channels and click on to tune in as if you had been watching dwell TV.
At launch, there are 40 of those custom-built “channels” to select from, together with these targeted on normal subjects like information, politics, sports activities, and life-style content material, in addition to a choice of music channels and others with a extra tech focus.
The latter group contains channels like “AI & ML,” “Code & Dev,” “Space,” “Retro Tech,” “Tech & Gadgets,” and “Gaming.”
As you transfer between channels, you be part of the video being performed mid-stream. Meanwhile, the information informs you of the upcoming content material on all of the channels and what time of day it’s going to play. You may also scroll forward to have a look at programming deliberate for the subsequent 24 hours.
This makes watching YouTube really feel quite a bit like watching old-school dwell tv — an expertise that is confirmed well-liked on free streaming companies like Plex, Pluto TV, Tubi, and others, which provide lineups of dwell channels enjoying TV exhibits and flicks. YouTube itself, in the meantime, dominates TV streaming in the US.
Plus, a small counter on the backside of the display screen tracks what number of different individuals are at present watching YouTube with you.
Irby says he got here up with the thought to construct an identical expertise on the streamers, however for YouTube movies, as a result of discovering one thing to watch can nonetheless be a wrestle.
“I built Channel Surfer because I’m tired of the algorithms and indecision fatigue,” Irby advised TechCrunch. “I miss channel surfing and not having to decide what to watch. I want to just sit and tune into what’s on and not think about what to watch next.”
“My boomer Mom watches cable TV. I want the same, but with my YouTube channels instead. Also, it’s weirdly comforting to know I’m watching with other people,” he stated.
The mission is considered one of many new experiments from Irby, a 40-year-old tech trade veteran who has spent the previous decade-plus touring the world.
“I have so much creativity from my long, weird journey. I can’t bear the thought of being a Jira ticket monkey anymore,” he stated.
The app appears to be a success, with Irby noting that Channel Surfer’s brand-new website noticed greater than 10,000 views on its first day.
Under the hood, Channel Surfer is, for now, a static Next.js web site that makes use of PartyKit and is hosted on cloudflare. The channels and music it provides are from Ibry’s personal hand-picked record. GitHub Actions is used to run a script that refreshes the info each day. There’s no again finish but.
And whereas Claude assisted within the coding course of, the positioning is just not “vibe-coded,” Irby says.
The channels themselves are basically enjoying YouTube embeds, together with YouTube’s adverts, so the app shouldn’t be violating coverage. Eventually, Irby says he’d like to carry the app to TV platforms, like Fire TV, Google TV, and others. (It additionally runs on cellular units and tablets, however wants extra work.)
At launch, Channel Surfer is a free service providing entry to 175 YouTube channels and 25 music playlists. But if you subscribe to Irby’s newsletteryou’re given the choice to import your personal YouTube subscriptions into the app.
It’s a quick-and-dirty course of to take action: You drag a “Channel Surfer” bookmarklet to your bookmarks bar, then open your YouTube subscriptions, and click on the bookmarklet. The course of begins, directing you again to the app the place you paste the copied JSON textual content right into a field and click on an “import” button. This provides your personal channels to Channel Surfer’s current lineup, probably giving you a whole bunch extra channels to watch on this format.
The web site’s existence harkens again to the net’s earlier days, stuffed with enjoyable experiments and creativity. For Irby, that is the purpose.
“I’m obsessed with showing the world that the old web is still alive and well,” he says. “It’s just buried under a mountain of slop.”
