Fancast: Online TV For Fans
This is the second review in our series of web TV applications. For an introduction to this category please check out TV Online: Web 2.0 Television.
Fancast is an online TV and movie application that has been laid out in a simple to intuit fashion, and with the exception of a few ad spaces the interface is very clean. Tabs for TV and Movies are next to tabs that give a better indication of Fancast’s purpose: Trailers (film), Store, TV Listings, and On Demand Guide. Fancast has been made with the fan in mind, and whether viewers are watching a movie or catching up on their favorite show, they are never far from the store where they can download - for rent or purchase - their favorite shows.
The library of films and TV in Fancast is large, with TV from today and yesterday updated daily, but users will quickly notice that a majority of the content, including the TV “news” blog content seems to come from Hulu, another streaming entertainment site. Films and clips are also shared with Hulu, which makes Fancast’s contribution more the download store than online TV.
The download store, accessed through the Store tab, allows PC users to rent or download to own TV and film to their own homes through a specialized media manager. Rentals, available for single viewing in the span of 30 days are available for $3.99, and watch as often as you like films for $39.99 (rates may vary). TV series are priced around $36.99. Simultaneous downloading (movie download is roughly 2.4gb) and watching is possible.
The difficulty with Fancast is that it is not designed for discovery. There are no categories, only an alphabetical list, so users that want to find new comedy, for example, are forced to use the search bar, which would only bring up shows with the word comedy in them. Web 2.0 users of Fancast will like the ability to embed videos into their sites, and the notifications that can be sent when new shows arrive, but may find the commercial nature of Fancast a put off.
In the end Fancast is a resource for fans who are looking to fill in the gaps for their viewing, or wish to sample shows before purchase. To find similar applications there is the Listio search: watch+TV.
Previously in this series: Veoh: Online TV With Video Hosting
Next in this series: Joost: Shows, Music, and Film Online
Application: FancastListio Profile: http://www.listio.com/web20/app/Fancast/
Website: http://www.fancast.com
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Tags: personal, shopping, TV, watch
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