tlc.com
The television channel, TLC, is owned by Discovery. They produce shows about lifestyles, family life, and personal stories. Reality stars who are featured on these shows are everyday people who live their everyday lives. Some hits shows produced by them are 90 Day Fiance, Cake Boss, and Dr. Pimple Popper.
TLC originally showed more educational shows. It was founded in 1972 and has since evolved, changing its focus over the years. In 1980, TLC began taking baby steps away from educational topics, airing shows primarily focused on education but also dipping their toes into home and home improvement topics.
By the late 1990s, TLC had undergone a shift in content focus, with shows like Paleo World and True Detectives being replaced by titles like Trading Spaces, Junkyard Wars, and A Wedding Story.
During the early years, TLC aired more home decor shows. Later on, the network shifted its focus to reality programming like 17 Kids and Counting, Toddlers and Tiaras, Cake Boss, and Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo.
Website Design
The website design is simple and doesn't have too many flashy features that would distract viewers. It's very easy to find your favorite shows and the search bar is easy to find, which is always a plus. You can also see the most popular titles on TLC by clicking a drop-down menu.
There are only a few small ads on the page, while videos have a few frustrating ones. For people who have memberships, they should not include the ads.
The background is a black panel with sleek, modern designs. The featured programs are easily seen and greatly prominence. The first program is largely featured at the top, and as you scroll the rest of the shows are blocked in a consistent pattern and size.
The top menu on the website is easy to understand and navigate. It has options such as Shows, Schedule, TLC Me, and Sign In.
Content
TLC is the best network for reality TV fans. The website has a lot of reality TV and the content varies, from older shows that aired in the early 2010s to shows that are currently airing.
If you click on the casting button on the extra menu on the website, 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.
Although the library of television shows is vast, be prepared to watch a very small fraction of it. Unless you have a cable television membership, the site won't allow you access to very many of their videos. Luckily, I do have a membership and could access the full amount of shows.
Desktop & Mobile Accessibility
The website is easy to use and has great navigation. The design is modern and sleek. The logo is clear and easily recognizable. Getting to videos is simple. TLC's television channel information is available in the top left-hand corner, which is a nice touch.
The mobile browser version is just a scaled-down version of the desktop. It's essentially the same. Overall, it's uncomplicated to use. The mobile browser version asks if you want to download the app. The only main difference is that there are a couple more ads as you scroll between shows.
I was able to find shows that I enjoyed, watch them later, and share them with my friends.
I tried the application, named TLC Go. The app 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. I found shows I enjoyed and watched them later.
I think the mobile app is the best way to go. The viewing experience is optimized in this version, and there's nothing wrong with the other two versions.
Positives
Furthermore, the quality of the streaming is excellent and can be watched on any device.
This streaming site has many positive aspects 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. Secondly, the quality of the streaming is excellent and can be watched on any device.
Another interesting feature of TLC is that they allow members to watch full episodes on their website before it airs on television. This is a huge plus for reality tv addicts! This feature often underutilized, but from now on it will be something I consider doing in the future.
On the website, you can sign up to be a part of the TLC cast. The process is simple: email the corresponding address with reasons why you should be chosen to be featured on the show, along with a recent photo of yourself. They will reach out to you if you fit the guidelines of what they are looking for. They regularly update their casting calls.
The mobile app for TLC is great; it has easy navigation and many useful features. The Watch Live feature is a nice option. 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 don't have cable, you can't sign in to watch newer episodes. This 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 the video is hit and miss with TLC. Sometimes it works fine, while other times it is blurry. When the video quality does come through, it looks amazing. However, the audio quality is not good no matter what settings are changed.
Even if you are subscribed to streaming service, you still have to sit through ads. They take forever. Ads are normal for streaming sites, but these skip the entire time making the wait time even longer.
Improvements Needed
There are a few things that can be done to make the TLC streaming service a little more enjoyable. It would be nice to see more episodes available without a membership. Restricting shows from years ago is off-putting for potential new subscribers.
Another improvement to TLC's offerings would be to improve the video and audio quality. It would be an improvement that would make longtime viewers happy. It is unacceptable that people who pay for the service are unable to watch videos without them becoming blurry and audio sounding muffled.
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