Never Miss a New Episode: Air-Date Reminders in OpenTV
·
The worst way to find out a show is back is a spoiler. The second worst is noticing three weeks later that you are four episodes behind.
OpenTV can tell you when a new episode of a show you follow airs. This article explains how the reminders work, what you can change, and why they work without sending anything to a server.
How reminders work
OpenTV keeps the air dates of upcoming episodes for the shows you follow. They are the same dates you see on the Upcoming tab of the Shows screen.
From those dates, your phone plans a reminder for each new episode. On the day it airs, you get a notification with the show's name and "new episode" at the top, and a line such as "S3E4 airs today" underneath, with the episode title when it is known.
The planning happens on the phone. There is no server sending pushes about your shows, because no server knows which shows you follow. The screen that asks you to turn reminders on says it plainly: "Reminders are scheduled on this device from air dates. Nothing about what you watch ever leaves your phone."
Turning them on
After an import, OpenTV may ask with a screen called Never miss an episode. Tap TURN ON REMINDERS and allow notifications when your phone asks.
If you skipped it, your Profile may show a banner offering reminders. Or go straight to the setting:
- Open Settings.
- Go to the App tab.
- Tap Notifications.
- Turn on New episode reminders.
New episode reminders is the main switch. The others refine it.
If your phone's own settings block notifications for OpenTV, the app tells you: Notifications are off. Allow them for OpenTV in the system Settings and the reminders start.
Choosing the time
Air times vary a lot, and many shows have none at all in the listings. So by default, OpenTV sends the reminder at a set hour on the day the episode airs, 20:00 unless you change it.
Change it under Reminder time: "When a new-episode reminder arrives". Pick an hour that fits your evenings.
Finales are flagged
Turn on Season & series finales and a finale gets its own reminder instead of a plain one. A season finale says "Season finale tonight!". The last episode of a whole show says "The final episode airs today".
The other reminders
The same screen holds a few more, each with its own switch. All of them are optional:
- Almost done: when you are an episode or two from finishing a season, OpenTV says how many are left.
- Movie night: on a Friday evening, if your watchlist is not empty, a reminder of how many films are waiting.
- Come back reminders: after a week away, and only if there are episodes waiting for you.
- Popcorn challenges: an invitation on Saturday afternoon to beat your best score in the popcorn game.
- On this day: a memory from your own history in the evening, such as what you watched on this date years ago.
There is also a setting for the daily puzzle's reminder on the same screen.
Smart reminders, with OpenTV Plus
Some people do not want every episode on the night it airs. Smart reminders, part of OpenTV Plus, changes when episode reminders arrive:
- When: My reminder time, When it airs, An hour after, Three hours after, or Next morning
- Weekends only: the week's episodes arrive together on Saturday
- When the whole season is out: one reminder when the last episode of a season airs, for bingeing
You can set these for all shows, or for one show alone. With Smart reminders, nothing arrives between 23:00 and 08:00; anything due then waits for the morning.
If Plus ends, your choices are kept, and reminders go back to your usual time until it returns.
Your shows in your calendar, with OpenTV Plus
If you prefer a calendar to notifications, Calendar, also part of OpenTV Plus, puts your upcoming episodes and films in a calendar of their own on your phone. It is under Settings, on the Library tab. Your other calendars are never touched, and turning it off deletes the calendar it made.
Which shows get reminders
Reminders follow the shows you follow. A few things to know:
- Add the show first. Search for it and tap ADD SHOW. Shows you follow get reminders; shows you only looked at do not.
- A show you stopped watching stays quiet until you resume it.
- The dates come from the listings. An episode with no air date yet gets no reminder until one is announced.
If you imported a TV Time library, every show you were following comes with you, so the reminders start on day one. See how to get your TV Time history back.
Is it free?
Yes. New episode reminders, finale reminders and the other switches above are free, and none of them needs an account. Smart reminders and Calendar need OpenTV Plus.
Privacy
Every reminder is planned on your phone, from data already on it. OpenTV does not need to know your shows to remind you about them, and it never sends them anywhere to do it. More on that approach in how to track TV shows offline, with no account.
Get OpenTV
OpenTV is free, open source and has no ads. Get it on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, or on Google Play for Android. Coming from TV Time? Start with the import your TV Time history guide.