How To Keep Track Of Your Favorite US TV Shows While Traveling
Travelling abroad used to mean saying goodbye to your favourite TV shows. Without the demise of scheduled programming on cable or terrestrial TV in favour of online, on-demand watching, we can now keep watching our favourite content wherever we are.
There is one obstacle, though: Region block. US shows make it difficult to watch overseas because of license and region restrictions. A quick way to unblock US TV abroad though is with a Smart DNS or even a VPN.
So, now we know how to unblock region restrictions and access the TV abroad, how can we keep track of what’s on and when?
TV Guides
If it’s a schedualised show that airs the same time each week, and you want to watch it live, it may be a good idea to check the online TV guides. This way you may stumble across other shows you didn’t know were on or hadn’t thought of.
Online TV guides work just like old school newspaper ones, you simply scroll channels and check what’s on right now, or this evening. If you get in the habit of checking, you’ll never miss a show again.
Episode Apps
If your show isn’t shown on cable TV, or if you really only watch a couple of shows and don’t need all information from other channels, then an episode tracking app is what you need.
There are a few: Next Episode, TVShow Time and iTV Shows 3 all do pretty much the same thing. These work by selecting your favourite shows, such as Simpsons and Family Guy, and then the app has a feed to highlight any upcoming episodes from these given shows.
You can even view a calendar in which the episodes are laid out in a digestible and visual way. If the app lacks a notification feature (find one that has notifications), then you can simply put an alarm on your phone set for each evening. This will remind you to check the app.
Social Media
Now, you can’t always think of all your favourite shows. Perhaps there’s too many, or perhaps you can’t remember the ones you loved from years ago. Sometimes, a show tells you it’s the final season, then 5 years later they remake it. So, how do you solve this problem?
Following your favourite directors, artists and actors on social media is a great way to overcome this. This way, your Twitter, Facebook and/or Instagram feed will have posts from the people who are related to your favourite shows. Professionals use social media to sell their product more, so there’s no doubt you’ll be notified if Charlie Brooker starts working on another series of Black Mirror.
You can also follow accounts that talk about the latest TV gossip and episodes to make sure you’re exposed to everything.
Final Word
It’s worth turning on your mobile notifications for TV apps and streaming sites like Netflix and knowing how to change your DNS settings at places where your shows might be blocked due to the specific region.
For example, Netflix will regularly let you know if there’s a new show coming out. This is usually done based on your recommendations, though it’s not always that accurate. With the methods above, you can be sure to stay up-to-date wherever you are in the world.
