Skip to main content

DitchTV delivers your daily dose of YouTube video

ditchtv app news
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Sometimes, it’s quite the struggle to figure out what to watch on Hulu or Netflix. It almost makes you nostalgic for the days when you could turn on the TV and flip through channels aimlessly. Now, Toronto-based Secret Location has released a free Web and iOS app called DitchTV that serves up YouTube content using a combination of old-school channel surfing and gesture controls.

The human-curated feed offers randomized video, skipping a third of the way into the clip to deliver greater context off the bat. The videos are selected based on a variety of categories, which include Sports, Pop Culture, Comedy, Movies, Travel, and Nature — among several others. The Discover section is less focused, presenting all kinds of different clips to make your viewing experience less predictable.

Recommended Videos

Navigating the interface is simple and involves basic gestures to keep video coming. Swiping left or right changes videos on the current channel. Swiping up and down flips channels. A two-finger swipe up or down jumps categories, while a two-finger drag left or right scrubs through the video timeline.

DitchTV, television evolved.If Songza and YouTube got together and had beautiful babies, they would produce DitchTV. A fresh new way to discover the best online videos faster than ever. Channel surf the web from Cyanide & Happiness to VICE and everything in between. This is #DitchTV, television evolved.

Posted by DitchTV on Wednesday, October 14, 2015

The length of clips also varies considerably, with some as short as a minute or less, while others are more than 10 minutes long. DitchTV doesn’t list or note the duration beyond the timeline at the bottom.

“DitchTV is what we think YouTube would have been, if it had evolved from broadcast TV,” said Ryan Andal, who created the app. “When you land on the site, instead of looking at thumbnails and unhelpful descriptions, you’re directly immersed in the video. We jump right into the meat of the content so you can intuitively decide if want to surf or continue watching, or scrub back to the beginning.”

There is no Android app currently, though one is reportedly coming soon. The iOS app does natively support AirPlay, and the iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch can still function as a remote. There isn’t much more to the app than its basic purpose as a way to discover new content, or to pass the time without bothering to search for anything specific.

If you’re intrigued, you can check it out on the Web or in the iOS App Store here.

Ted Kritsonis
A tech journalism vet, Ted covers has written for a number of publications in Canada and the U.S. Ted loves hockey, history…
iOS 18 has a big privacy change. Here’s what it means for you
The iPhone 16 Pro, showing its iOS 18 home screen.

Apple has introduced several changes with iOS 18 this year, and many more are expected to come with iOS 18.1 and future versions in the upcoming weeks. These changes mainly involve the visual appearance of iOS, such as a revamped Control Center and the forthcoming debut of Apple Intelligence.

Recently, The New York Times highlighted another change Apple made in iOS 18 that has been much less discussed: the modifications to the Contact Sync feature.

Read more
What is YouTube Premium? Price, content, and more
YouTube Music

When it comes to watching videos on the internet, YouTube is the most common place to do it. That includes everything from entertainment to recordings of work events to the newest music videos and live-streaming conferences. However, while YouTube is free to watch, it does come with a deluge of ads. If you're tired of dealing with ads interrupting your videos, and sitting through them before and after videos, then a YouTube Premium subscription is the option to check out. This eliminates ads while browsing or watching videos.

The YouTube family of products can be a bit confusing, however. In addition to YouTube Premium, there are other paid services like YouTube Music, YouTube TV, and the now-defunct YouTube Go, plus some free movies on YouTube you don't want to miss. But the price for YouTube Premium has changed since it launched, so it's worth taking some time to consider how much you'll be paying and whether it's worth it for you -- or even if you could save some money by using options like the YouTube Premium family plan or the free trial.

Read more
Best live TV streaming services: YouTube TV, Hulu, Sling TV, and more
Amazon Prime Live TV on an iPad 11 Pro.

With so many streaming services allowing you to curate exactly what you watch on TV, when you want, millions of people have cut the cord in favor of streaming. Whether you pay for the privilege or opt for one of the various free ad-based streaming TV services (FAST), there's never been a better time to do it either. And with networks and streaming giants going all in to provide the best alternatives for live TV streaming, too, we are literally spoiled for choice.

From Hulu Plus Live TV to Sling TV to YouTube TV, there are options for watching your favorite live shows, or catching live televised events without needing to keep cable to do it.

Read more