Tape It Off The Internet, or TIOTI for short, could be the shape of things to come for the way the BitTorrent community views and watches television programming.
Though a little rough around th edges, it is still in BETA mind you, it makes for an easy way to monitor and track both TV episodes that you've already watched as well as those that you haven't. It also allows you to get a richer TV viewing experience, as it allows you to create user groups and friend lists so you can discuss show episodes, make recommendations, share playlists, etc..
TIOTI compiles download sources and meshes them together with TV guide and episode data so you can see when future episodes are scheduled to air and what they will be about.
From the site:
 About Tape It Off The Internet
Television, drug of the nation, pacifier par excellence, we love you. Except you never quite have the things we want when we want them .Thankfully, the gods of file-sharing and encoding have delivered us from despair and we are all happily enjoying shows pretty close to transmission times, and in some countries that can be a difference of years. Segmented, territorial world of TV meet flattened global world of the internet - we're sure you'll get along. Eventually.
At TIOTI we keep tabs on loads of download sources across the interweb and glue that together with TV guide and episode data. Filter all that through a list of your favorites and we can keep you notified of when a new episode becomes available somewhere.
Skipping ads and dropping off the TV schedule is all very well, but you miss out on new shows you might like too so we're trying to fix that with a friends network, groups, messaging and recommendations - with more great ideas on the way.
In addition, the power of TIOTI only grows as more people get involved, so tell your friends. Know a TV source we might not? Let us know about it and we'll try and add it into the mix.
To show you what TIOTI's all about I did a quick search for the series "Battlestar Galactica," the new one mind you, which is very, very good if you haven't seen it already. I highly recommend it.
If you look at the results there are several things to take note of.
First of all, there is the show guide at the top which will show you the series by season and episode.
Secondly, it also displays its availability on Amazon.com if you wish to purchase the DVD of the given series.
DOWNLOAD YOUR FAVORITE SHOW
Selecting the show guide as seen below, you can then take a look at the availability of each episode for download via your favorite BitTorrent client server.
 
Once you find the episode you wish to watch, simply click the link and then select the torrent tracker for that episode. It will then take you to the appropriate torrent tracker site to download the episode. If you have already watched an episode that is listed you can check the box that says "watched it?" and it will be saved in you preferences so that you can keep track of what you have or have not seen already.
 
To give another example, here's a search for "The Simpsons."
 
CREATE AN RSS FEED OF YOUR FAVORITE SHOWS
When you add a series to your list of favorites, it gets compiled into a personal RSS Feed for you to use as you see fit, either as a "Live Bookmark" for all you Firefox users, or for auto-downloading in your BitTorrent client server.
 
JOIN OR CREATE USER GROUPS
The picture on the left shows me adding myself to the "Lost" user group. Groups allow you to discuss the show or other relevant topics and to stay informed about upcoming events or episodes.
You can also create your own user group, either for a given show or simply a new one altogether that discusses shows by genre or related interests.
 
Overall, TIOTI is an interesting new way to maximize the TV episode downloading experience. From keeping track of what you have or have not seen, to discussing shows by series or episode, it seems to offer an enhanced functionality for the user that can't be found elsewhere.
Now whether or not it's really needed is another question, as it seems far simpler to search for an episode on ScrapeTorrent than it is to have to click through a number of selections only to be taken to the same place - a public torrent tracker site.
But, if you're looking for another way to create a customized RSS Feed or perhaps to share thoughts and musings about your favorite TV show, then TIOTI is the place for you.
Keep in mind also that it is still in the BETA phases so the final product remains to be seen. It can only get better.
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