LocateTV is a site that despite being Web 2.0, makes simplicity its main aim.

It is currently in it’s beta incarnation, which offers no forums, no social networking aspect, no profiles, no comment section or reviews by other television junkies. 

Normally, the lack of these features would turn me off completely, but the one thing it does do, find television shows based on your location, it does very, very well.

LocateTV will tell you where your favourite shows and reruns are playing, no matter where you are or what provider is used there.

Area Coverage

It currently offers this service in three areas: the United States, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Once you select your region, you can narrow it down by your postal code. 

Then you can view programming listed by “all” providers in that area, or you can narrow down to whatever provider you use in your home or that feeds the hotel room.

Great When Your DVR Messes Up

So far I have found this service most helpful when I miss a show. Sure, I am a confessed television junkie, and most of my shows are set to record on my DVR. 

There is always that one documentary you wanted to catch and forgot to set the DVR for, or that rerun of M*A*S*H that is coming on later but you can’t remember where.

LocateTV is here to help. You can plug in the name of the program, and it will find the times and channels it is to air on in your area.

A Comprehensive Service

LocateTV even offers a brief synopsis of each show, as well as listing if it has an associated DVD, if it has a web site or other online presence, and a full episode list. It is quite comprehensive. 

My favorite tab is the episode list, which includes a locater for where they are playing, and embed links for each synopsis so that you can put your favorite shows right in your blog for other people to find. 

Each week, LocateTV’s blog offers a “theme page” in which they showcase certain shows. This is a great idea if you are someone who never knows what to watch. 

If you are like me, someone who watches way too much television, laptop in tow, then theme pages offer a chance to revisit some old favorites, like this week’s Retro TV Classics page.

The founders of LocateTV are benefiting from a clear, concise vision.

Site Concept

The idea behind LocateTV is simple – to let you find TV shows available where you live in the world, be they on broadcast TV, online or on recorded media (DVD, HD-DVD etc).

In addition we provide tools to assist you where you contribute on the web, so that your readers can find where they can watch the TV content that you are talking about or recommend.

Conclusions

I have put LocateTV on my permanent bookmarks list, and I think you will too. It’s fun, it’s easy to use, it allows you to post your favorite shows to your blog and entertain your readers. 

It works to help me remember shows for later, and find shows I’ve forgotten. It’s in beta testing right now, and you can follow the blog and the change log to see if or when the folks at LocateTV add more social features.

Leslie Poston is a contributing author discussing the social networking world, his work can be found on Profy.com

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