ATProto needs TVTime alternatives

TV Time is officially gone. Almost fifteen years after its first release, hundreds of thousands of users are left with years and years of data lost.

The most popular apps remain Trakt, Refract, Sofa Time, BingeBoxd... but none of them are interoperable, and these apps own the user data. Also, hundreds of vibe coded TVTime-like alternatives have recently emerged by some frustrated users who probably won't have the will to keep them maintained.

Currently, the easiest way to have our data portable is through Trakt. Indeed, their API used to be quite open. They've recently restricted it to make more users subscribe. I'm currently paying for Trakt for some advantages, such as auto-tracking with Plex, automatic reposting on Mastodon and Bluesky, and more lists; but the recent changes (a horrible new interface, API changes...) made me reconsider my subscription.

So, what can we do ?

I think it's time for us to have a proper TVTime alternative on ATProto, and to make former TVTime users aware that ATProto exists and can be the right solution for them.

But... Popfeed exists, right ?

Sure, it exists. But the app seems abandoned, with no updates in the last 3 months. Also, Popfeed is closed source, with no way to fork it. I tried to use it, but the interface just isn't good enough. I wrote about the fact that we need a nice, clean and friendly interface a few months ago in a previous blog post, and it's still relevant.

Integrations and interoperability

We need to add integrations. We need to make this very interoperable, with Plex and Jellyfin connections, and overall with data imports. Whether you come from Trakt, TVTime, Serializd, or Letterboxd, you need to be able to import your archive in a few clicks. I started working on some lexicons and import tools for Trakt, but the PDS record limitations literally knocked my account out of the Bluesky relays for a few days    . Still, it should be enough for most users who use Bluesky or Eurosky PDSes.

I hear you asking me: why don't you use the popfeed lexicon?

Well, I don't really like having downloaded posters of the movies I watched stored inside the PDS. I'd rather have a backlink to TMDB. I think the answer lies in multiple lexicons to diversify future tracking apps, and then create a unified lexicon, such as standard.document for blog posts. It would allow any user to switch from one app to another and keep their data across any ATProto app.

How can we make it happen ?

If you know anyone, or see any post from someone creating a TVTime alternative, engage in the conversation and talk about the benefits of ATProto. I really believe in this protocol to make a better internet, and we need to shout as loud as we can to let people know about ATProto.

I really hope the end of TVTime will be the beginning of something new and better for the interoperable world. If you want to contribute and build a TVTime alternative, I'd love to help with the user experience to make it as social as possible.