TIOTI, a startup based in London and Seattle that launched today, stands for Tape It Off The Internet, though that's somewhat misleading. You can't tape anything off its site, nor can you download anything. The site is actually meant to be a clearinghouse for information on TV programs on both sides of the pond. TIOTI promises to point members to sites online where they can watch their shows and buy the DVDs of past seasons while simultaneously creating a social network of people who want to contribute show info and discuss which Lost character should next be drowned in a hatch.
I'm a bit of a TV junkie, and so I really wanted to like TIOTI, even if it's acronym is a bit unfortunate. My early impression, though, is that for a content site, there's remarkably little content. I would indeed like to know where I can watch my favorite shows online, for free or otherwise, but the big US networks have been so protective of their content that it's pretty much on the network site or iTunes. And many shows simply say, "Know where to find it online? Tell us." If TIOTI can indeed point me to sources I'm unaware of, that would be interesting, but they want me to tell them? And wait—I can buy DVDs on Amazon, eh? You don't say.
The forums are largely empty as well. There may be 1543 people who've pegged Heroes as a favorite show, but not a single one of them is talking about it on the forums. Television Without Pity already has robust discussion forums, as do most networks themselves and numerous fan sites. The interface is decent, so I don't want to be too harsh on TIOTI's first day. Techcrunch UK does note the site had 18,000 beta testers. Hopefully some of that content will be carried over to the launched site.
