Channel Surfer
Consumer and social
video streaming
SHOW HN2026
604points
179comments
#33of 4,366 in 2026
Top 1%of 2026 by points
How HN took it
MixedNo clear lean
36 positive, 26 neutral or asking, 1 mixed, 8 critical, out of 71 comments about the project. Thread score +0.38.
Idea: 18 for, 3 againstDesign: 12 for, 2 againstExecution: 1 for, 2 againstDocs: 0 for, 1 againstPricing: 1 for, 0 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Nostalgic cable TV feel and aesthetic
From 4 comments
There is something absolutely oddly satisfying about using this app. Though there are a handful of channel -- this feels far more "bounded" that using Youtube as is. I spend so…
mind_heist on HNI really like this. Old formats are comforting.
techteach00 on HNIt took me a minute to realize you are recreating the cable menu too. It's a nostalgic hit. All it's missing is a chunky remote and annoying siblings to fight with.
skyberrys on HNIf this was an Apple TV app, I think it would be the default mode in my household.
apetresc on HN
Curation makes finding things to watch easier than YouTube's algorithm
From 4 comments
I feel like your excellent curation is a big part of the magic here. Amazing work.
skrebbel on HNI love it. This is so much better for finding random things to watch than the algo
stbtrax on HNI love this. At a glance, here are some dynamics this reveals: 1. You can share a channel with a friend and know that they see the same thing as you. What's on at 5:03pm on…
bentt on HNI really like this. Often I just want to watch something but YouTube insidiously steers me towards doom videos, even after clearing cookies. I like that this bypasses the…
cedws on HN
Calming, low-stress way to watch in background
From 2 comments
I just love it. This calms me in a way I can't put my finger on... something about not needing to endless scroll and choose based off a thumbnail and endure an intro and…
uean on HNI love this. I miss TV from my youth. I often work on our sofa and just have something on our TV from YouTube. This will be the perfect thing to have in the background instead of…
hallux on HN
Objections
Not usable with a TV remote or keyboard navigation
From 3 comments
As others have noticed, this is similar to ytch.xyz. What ytch does better is that it is mostly keyboard navigable (with minor annoyances), which also makes it usable with a…
morb on HNThis would be amazing to be able to use on a TV with a remote!
devrundown on HNIs there an app for this I can download on my Apple TV?
iamspoilt on HN
Channel switching requires tapping on the left, not obvious
From 2 comments
My first impulse was when pressing the channels that it wasn't working. I then realized I had to hold down my thumb for it to then give me a prompt to tune to the channel. That…
ElijahLynn on HNAh, yes, that works, thank you. Was not obvious.
ElijahLynn on HN
Bookmarklet import instructions unclear, and subscribe prompt for import
From 2 comments
It says "Subscribe to unlock channel import. Get weekly weird sites delivered to your inbox. Free forever.". > Quickly import your subscriptions in the browser via a bookmarklet…
smusamashah on HNi want to be try this but I am unable to import my subscriptions like the directions you give, it just brigns me to the my feed when i follow your directions
poisonarena on HN
Similar to existing projects like ytch and Pluto TV
From 3 comments
As others have noticed, this is similar to ytch.xyz. What ytch does better is that it is mostly keyboard navigable (with minor annoyances), which also makes it usable with a…
morb on HNytch.tv already did this exact thing months ago and isn’t filled with ads. Their post was also top on Hackernews. Coincidence?
evilpeter553 on HNLiterally Pluto TV v1 à la 2013/14. Source: me. I built it with some folks.
jondwillis on HN
Requests
Android TV, Apple TV or Roku app
From 4 comments
I can't phantom they haven't made an app for Android TV yet
personalityson on HNIs there an app for this I can download on my Apple TV?
iamspoilt on HNNow make it a Roku app!!! :D
VikingCoder on HNHa, this is amazing. We need a version for Android TV!
alejoar on HN
Create and curate your own channels
From 2 comments
Can I create and curate my own channels?
ares623 on HNAhahah! This is great! I've thought so much about this before! Thank you for building it! Edit: One thing that would be great is to have channels per curator so we have someone…
MrPapz on HN
Kids cartoon channels
From 1 comment
I feel like this can be useful for kids if you can add some genuinely nice cartoon shows from Youtube. I remember my childhood was filled with adventure time, regular show etc.…
Imustaskforhelp on HN
Community live chat per channel
From 2 comments
I wonder how cool it would be to have a live ephemeral chat for each channel? One thing I love(d) about live TV (or even live radio) was the community around knowing other people…
jader201 on HNMy favorite part about the channels is specifically the music channels. I very much enjoy having a chance to re-listen to songs I’ve forgotten about or which aren’t in my daily…
xprnio on HN
Questions
Is it legal to scrape YouTube?
From 1 comment
Google might not like you scraping their product. Is this legal?
small_model on HN
Will the source be released?
From 1 comment
Have any plans to release the source?
sublinear on HN
Does it avoid YouTube ads?
From 1 comment
Ah, it's interesting but if you really want the cable TV experience, there is pluto.tv which works in a browser, and is generally installed on most streaming boxes/sticks/TVs.…
bityard on HN
Alternatives named
ytch.tv
From 3 comments
Reminds me of https://ytch.tv/ which I really like for its simplicity.
Contortion on HNAs others have noticed, this is similar to ytch.xyz. What ytch does better is that it is mostly keyboard navigable (with minor annoyances), which also makes it usable with a…
morb on HNytch.tv already did this exact thing months ago and isn’t filled with ads. Their post was also top on Hackernews. Coincidence?
evilpeter553 on HN
Pluto TV
From 2 comments
Ah, it's interesting but if you really want the cable TV experience, there is pluto.tv which works in a browser, and is generally installed on most streaming boxes/sticks/TVs.…
bityard on HNLiterally Pluto TV v1 à la 2013/14. Source: me. I built it with some folks.
jondwillis on HN
tv.garden
From 1 comment
One of my current favorite websites is http://tv.garden that fills this void for me. It's like having the inter dimensional cable box from Rick and Morty.
temp0826 on HN
freetvz.com
From 1 comment
This is just a poor version of https://freetvz.com Apart from on freetvz you can create your own channel and cast to tv with sponsors blocked
01jonny01 on HN