Review: Free TV Guide Application For BlackBerry
![Copy of handmarktvguide2[14]](http://www.berryreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/wp-contentuploadscopy-20of-20handmarktvguide214-small.jpg)
Review: Free TV Guide Application For BlackBerry
Rating: 
7.5/10
Link: tvguide.handmark.com
OTA: tvguide.handmark.com
Cost: Free!!!
Handmark decided to flip pricing models on this one. Their TV Guide application is now free and supported by advertisements in the application. Personally I think that is how it should have been for the get go. The information and options in the application are great but it has one fundamental flaw. It is slow as all hell. The process involves. Start the application, wait for download, click, wait for download, scroll, wait for download, select… you get the idea. Just to see the current listing can take over a minute.
I will describe some of the pictures below so you can get an idea of the capabilities of the application. As I said the functionality is there but the speed is horrendous. Handmark needs to work on optimizing the data flow. If Handmark fixed the speed/data issues they would have a solid 9 rating for this application. Thanks to Josep for pointing out the post on Geek.com about the free version release.
Forgive me, this post started as a news article and after I got down to writing it I decided to make it into a review.
You will need to fill out a bit of a registration form when you start the application for the first time. You have to give them your name, phone number, birth date, zip code, and your cable / satellite / broadcast carrier in your neighborhood.
First the application has the most annoying loading screen I have seen to date. You have to stare at this picture for upwards of 20 seconds while it tries to give you a seizure. The little gray boxes just flicker on and off constantly. After that you get a pretty straight forward menu.
![Handmarktvguide2[14]](http://www.berryreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/wp-contentuploadshandmarktvguide214-small.jpg)
![Handmarktvguide2[9]](http://www.berryreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/wp-contentuploadshandmarktvguide29-small.jpg)
You click on listings and wait again for it to load. Get used to it. 
There are a bunch of sub-categories that you can filter by. As I said the content is great but speed… Also notice the bottom ad. You can say thank you to Dish Networks for the application.
![Handmarktvguide2[3]](http://www.berryreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/wp-contentuploadshandmarktvguide23-small.jpg)
![Handmarktvguide2[8]](http://www.berryreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/wp-contentuploadshandmarktvguide28-small.jpg)
If you click on a show you get the following description and two options. The application can remind you to watch the show or you can forward the show to a friend. You can also add the channel to your favorites list.
![Handmarktvguide2[4]](http://www.berryreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/wp-contentuploadshandmarktvguide24-small.jpg)
![Handmarktvguide2[5]](http://www.berryreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/wp-contentuploadshandmarktvguide25-small.jpg)
There is a good set of configuration options such as setting reminder lengths and favorite channels.
![Handmarktvguide2[18]](http://www.berryreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/wp-contentuploadshandmarktvguide218-small.jpg)
![Handmarktvguide2[12]](http://www.berryreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/wp-contentuploadshandmarktvguide212-small.jpg)
You can also read news and see what is hot on tv that day.
![Handmarktvguide2[15]](http://www.berryreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/wp-contentuploadshandmarktvguide215-small.jpg)
![Handmarktvguide2[17]](http://www.berryreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/wp-contentuploadshandmarktvguide217-small.jpg)
Pros:
- Free
- Great information
- Lots of customization options
- Cool interface
Cons:
- Lots of data usage
- Slow application
Conclusion: All in all a well rounded application but the data usage would do some serious damage on a limited data plan. The application has a ton of potential but needs some work on the execution.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the Comments Feed. Leave A Trackback..
Previous Post: High Hopes For New RIM BlackBerry Support Community Forums »
Next Post: RIM Doubles Their Revenue »
Related Reading:
- S4BB Releases U.S. Army Survival Guide for BlackBerry
- BlackBerry Wallet - Website Integration Guide Released
- Free Countdown Timer For BlackBerry From NorthCubed
April 2nd, 2008 19:15
I loaded this program on my Pearl 8100. After download and install, it was a snap, No speed issues. Seems to be running fine and haven’t noticed any memory issues. I think I’ll keep it cause the newspaper quit printing the TV listings. thumbs up!
April 2nd, 2008 19:22
Thats surprising Matt. What carrier do you have.
I tried it on an AT&T 8310 and a Sprint 8830. Both had serious lag issues. Just starting the application took 20+ seconds. I would be curious to see what is different.
April 2nd, 2008 22:06
App load is also a big slow on my 8320. I find Wifi faster than EDGE and even on Wifi it was a bit of a wait. Still I will use this rather then my TVGuide bookmark in the BB browser, because it is great you can select your favorite channels only, and get reminders of when your show is going to start.
April 3rd, 2008 08:21
I loaded it on my AT&T 8820 and nothing happens when I click on the icon. I see the hourglass for a few seconds, then nothing.
April 3rd, 2008 19:57
Sorry to hear that John. The app did work on my 8310 but was slow as all hell when it came to loading
April 3rd, 2008 22:12
The app worked on my 8310 and I agree, loading time is a problem. I asked it to remind me of episodes of Top Chef, which was a big mistake cause it texted me reminders for every single episode of Top Chef, even reruns. Can you just imaging how many texts I got? And I don’t even have a text plan, so those babies are costing me 15 cents each. It’s a good tool to have, but you have to be really careful about the reminders.
April 4th, 2008 00:17
I have a 8800 with AT&T and am happy with the application. It has about a 10 second loading delay but I can browse the channels rather quickly. It’s about a 1-2 second delay before they load, but that doesn’t want me to remove the program from the phone. I like it.
April 5th, 2008 23:17
I installed this program in the name of science. I don’t even live in America. My experience was exactly the same as that of Phreqd. I had delays, but very short ones. I found the program to be very usable. I just didn’t like scrolling through lists. It’s “hard”, jerky.
April 19th, 2008 00:12
[...] TV Guide Application For BlackBerryTVGuide mobile is now Free for BlackBerry and Windows Mobile.http://www.berryreview.com/2008/04/02/review-free-tv-guide-application-for-blackberry/Duke Nukem Mobile 3D for Mobile Review - Mobile Duke Nukem Mobile …Sep 16, 2005 … Duke Nukem [...]
May 12th, 2008 11:21
How do you remove reminders?
May 12th, 2008 12:17
You have to remove them from within the application
May 12th, 2008 13:52
I’ve looked throughout the app and cannot find a way to remove them, only to set them
May 12th, 2008 15:41
You cancel a reminder the same way you initiate one.
It’s a toggle.
Look inside the show you like, press enter to remind, enter again to cancel, on, off, on, off, etc.
June 18th, 2008 23:26
same thing happens with mine as it did john. whats wrong with this app?
June 23rd, 2008 22:36
Just loaded on a Curve 8330 and unfortunately getting “connection error Please try again”. Never been able to get further than that. Anyone have any clues?
July 30th, 2008 21:47
I downloaded the app and it worked for a for a while. Now when I tried to look at tomorrow’s listing it got stuck on “loading”. it has been like that for 4 hours now. Tried to uninstall and it won’t go away! I want to unistall and try again. Any thoughts? Thanks!
July 30th, 2008 21:48
Kim…did you restart? I did that once I downoaded and it worked fine.