tlc.com
The television channel, TLC is a property of Discovery Communications. It broadcasts shows about lifestyles, family life, and personal stories rather than science and nature. Its reality stars are everyday people who are living their everyday lives. Some popular series produced by TLC include 90 Day Fiance, Cake Boss, and Dr. Pimple Popper.
In 1991, TLC aired their first show solely dedicated to cooking.
Originally, TLC started as Discovery, airing educational shows. It evolved over the years into a network focusing on various topics including home and home improvement, but also took baby steps away from educational content in 1980. In 1991, TLC aired their first show focused exclusively on cooking.
In the late 1990s, TLC switched from presenting educational programming to producing more reality television shows. The name of the network changed from the Learning Channel to TLC, and the shift in content came with a series of new titles like Trading Spaces, Junkyard Wars, and A Wedding Story.
In the early 2000s, there was a rise in home decor-focused programming on TLC. In later years, the channel shifted its focus to more reality-based series. Shows like 17 Kids and Counting, Toddlers and Tiaras, Cake Boss, and Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo became increasingly popular.
Website Design
The website design is good. Nothing too flashy is going on that distracts viewers. It is very easy to find your favorite shows. The search bar is easy to find, which is always a plus. You can also click a drop-down menu that shows the most popular titles on TLC.
There is only one moderate-sized advertisement at the top of the page. In videos, there are some frustrating ones. For people who do not have memberships, they should not include the ads.
The background is sleek and modern black, with the featured programs blocked out nicely. The first program is largely featured near the top, and as you scroll the rest of the shows, they are blocked in a consistent pattern and size.
The top menu on the navigation bar reads from left to right - Shows, Schedule, TLC Me, Sign In, and an alternative dropdown menu with options. The menu is easy to read and pleasant to interact with.
Content
It is a great site to use if you are looking for something to watch during your free time.
For reality tv fans, TLC is the best network and streaming service. The number of reality tv programs that the website hosts is a lot. The content in these programs varies from older shows that aired in the early 2010s to current shows airing. It is a great site to use if you want to watch something during your free time.
The website allows you to sign up to be on their shows. If you click on the casting button on the extra menu, you can find postings in search of people for multiple shows. 90 Day Fiance seems to always be having a casting call. A few other shows that are currently looking for people are Smothered, Seeking Sister Wife, Drag Me, Four Weddings, and Dr. Pimple Popper.
Despite the library of television shows being vast, it's important to realize that you'll only be able to view a small fraction of it. Unless you have a cable television membership, the site won't allow you access to many of their videos. Luckily for me, I have a membership and can view the full amount of shows.
Desktop & Mobile Accessibility
Overall, the website is accessible and easy to navigate. The design is modern and sleek, and the logo is clear and recognizable. Getting to videos is simple. The only issue we noticed was that the desktop version of the website wasn't as responsive as we would have liked it to be.
The mobile browser version is a scaled-down version of the desktop. It is essentially the same. Overall, it is uncomplicated to use. The mobile browser version asks if you would like to download the app. The only main difference is that there are a couple more advertisements as you scroll between shows.
On the left side of the app, you can see all your currently watched shows, along with their current time. The menu on the right houses other options like changing channels, turning subtitles on and off, and adding new shows to your Watch Later list.
I tried the application named TLC Go, which works well. The TLC logo sits in the top left corner, and the search bar mirrors it on the other side. There is a menu that is collapsible that offers the options of - Home, Shows, Watch Live, Continue Watching, Favorite Shows, Watch Later, Browse, and Setting. On the left side of the app I could see all my currently watched shows as well as their current time. The menu on the right housed other options like changing channels and turning subtitles on and off as well as adding new shows to my Watch Later list
The mobile app is the best way to go. It has the best viewing experience, which is optimized in this version. There are no problems with the other two versions, but the app is best.
Positives
Secondly, the site is very user-friendly and easy to navigate. Finally, the streaming quality is excellent.
This streaming site has many positives to using it. First, the number of episodes available to members is large and spans a large number of years. There are titles available on the streaming service that no longer play on television. Second, the site is very user-friendly and easy to navigate. Third, the streaming quality is excellent.
Another interesting feature of TLC is that it allows members to watch full episodes on their website before it airs on television. This feature is often underutilized, but from now on it will be something I consider doing in the future.
On the website, there is an option to sign up as a cast member on the TLC show. The process is simpleâyou email the corresponding address with reasons why you should be chosen, along with a recent photo of yourself. If you fit the guidelines, they will reach out to you and consider featuring you on the show. They regularly update their casting calls so that everyone knows what they are looking for.
The mobile app for TLC is a great feature. It has easy navigation and multiple useful features. The Watch Live feature is one of the nicer options. If you can't make it home before your must-see show comes on, you can watch it anywhere as it airs!
Negatives
An issue with the website is that if you do not have a cable membership, you cannot sign in to watch newer episodes. It greatly limits your options to mostly advertisements for the shows. Even episodes from 2017 are locked. This is undoubtedly the worst part of the website.
The quality of many TLC videos is hit or miss. Sometimes the video is fine, while other times it is blurry. When the video quality does come through, it often looks amazing. However, the audio quality is usually poor no matter what settings are changed.
Even if you are subscribed, you still have to sit through ads. They take a long time. Ads are normal for streaming sites. However, these skip the entire time making the wait time even longer.
Improvements Needed
Some improvements that could be made to the TLC streaming service are increasing the amount of episodes available for people without a membership, restricting shows from years ago so that new potential subscribers feel more welcome, and creating more user-friendly features.
Another area where TLC could improve its service is by improving the video and audio quality. This would be an excellent improvement for long-time viewers, and it is unacceptable that people who pay for the service are not able to watch videos without them becoming blurry and audio sounding muffled.
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