TV Blaze, a television show episode tracker for Windows Phone 8

By George Ponder
last updated

TV Blaze is one of the more recent television show tracking apps to become available for Windows Phone 8. The app helps you track your favorite television shows from what you have already watched to the new episodes that are waiting to be watched.

TV Blaze also has Trakt.tv integration, OneDrive support and tons of information on your favorite shows. Navigation isn’t as straight forward as we would have liked but overall, TV Blaze is a nice option to consider that will help you track your TV viewing habits.

TV Blaze’s Layout

TV Blaze’s main pages help deliver information about your favorite television shows along with the tools to build up your favorite’s list. The main pages include:

  • TV Guide: This page will list any upcoming episodes for your favorite shows.
  • Recent: Here you will find the episodes you have recently viewed for easy reference.
  • To See: This is a listing of all the episodes of your favorite shows you need to watch.
  • Menu: A host of tools that include pulling up list views for your favorite shows, shows you need to see, view what shows are trending, search for shows to add to your favorites list, view a calendar listing of episodes, access the app’s settings, log into your Trakt.tv account, unlock the app and view the obligatory help, about and feedback screens.

Settings for TV Blaze cover a wide variety of areas that include allowing the app to run under a lock screen, customizing the view of the app’s main pages, customize the Live Tile view, format your episode data and setup your OneDrive backup.

TV Blaze is a free, ad-supported app for Windows Phone 8 and while the banner doesn’t detract from the app you can remove the ads and unlock additional features through an in-app purchase. A $1.49 purchase will remove the ads and unlock the following features:

  • Activates the background agent to keep the Live Tile updated
  • Live Tile customizations
  • Home view customizations
  • Pinning shows to your Start Screen
  • Data formats are permanently saved

There are additional options to add a donation to the developer with your in-app purchase.

TV Blaze’s performance

When you first launch TV Blaze, you are presented with a blank slate. There is a menu button in the top corner of the TV Guide and To See pages but this button only pulls up a list view of these pages. You will see a message on the TV Guide page that reads,

“You don’t have any upcoming episodes, add some shows to get started…”

But there is no indication how to add shows.

What you’ll need to do is head over to the Menu page and search for your favorite shows. This will pull up a keyword search field where you can locate your favorite television show.

The television show listing will have pages that include general information on the show, an episode listing, a cast listing, any user comments, an image page and a page listing any similar shows that might be of interest.

Along the bottom of the television show pages are four control buttons and a three-dot menu. The buttons include a track, refresh, comment and rate button. Tap the track button to add the show to your favorites list and in doing so, this television show will populate TV Blazes’ main pages.

Up under the three-dot menu you will find options to pin the show to your Start Screen, share the show (via email, social sites, or text), add or remove a reminder, and set custom poster images. Some of these features will require you to unlock the app.

Once you’ve added a show to your TV Guide you will get notifications when an upcoming show is about to air as well as all the episodes you need to watch. You can mark an episode as watched from the television show’s pages.

Overall Impression

TV Blaze is a nice television show tracking app that has potential. Is TV Blaze strong enough to stand out from other options such as Clutter or TVShow? I don't know if TV Blaze is there just yet but the app is headed in the right direction by offering a lot of information on your television shows and the notifications on upcoming episodes is a helpful feature.

The key issue that holds TV Blaze back is the lack of guidance when you first launch the app. It isn't too difficult to get a handle on the app's navigation but it would be nice if TV Blaze wasn't so much of a guessing game right out of the box. I think something as simple as an "add" button on the TV Guide page or a short tutorial screen appear when you first launch the app would be helpful. TV Blaze just needs something to get users pointed in the right direction.

While there is a little fine-tuning needed, TV Blaze is a television tracking app for your Windows Phone that is worth checking out. TV Blaze is a free app that is available for Windows Phone 8 and you can find your copy here in the Windows Phone Store.

George Ponder
George Ponder

George is the Reviews Editor at Windows Central, concentrating on Windows 10 PC and Mobile apps. He's been a supporter of the platform since the days of Windows CE and uses his current Windows 10 Mobile phone daily to keep up with life and enjoy a game during down time.

74 Comments
  • Rudy hyunn's 'TV Show' is the best, hands down
  • Yeah, this is going to be a tough app category to break into because Rudy's app is so great. Though I do wish he supported syncing to OneDrive and a universal app.
  • TV Show does not seem to be on Ryan's radar anymore. one update this year and it was months before the previous. The first dev to make a universal app with syncing would make me switch.
  • Me as well!! and this dev has less apps so could update more frequently
  • Do you mean Backups? It does use one drive for that.
  • Does anybody know what is the difference between the paid and the free Version of TVShow?
  • No ads, alarm, live tile
  • Rudy's app needs a major update, asap.
  • Tvshow has no trakt.tv integration, and Rudy misleadingly advertises that his app supports it. By which he means comments, which are only supported incredibly poorly, and read only. TV show is just as buggy as this tv blaze app, not quite as well laid out, has substantially less features... I've been using TV show since it came out, it's not better than tv blaze by any means. I just installed TV Blaze and it's better than tvshow, and also appears to be in active development, so it's going to keep getting better. FWIW George Ponder, I have found tv blaze to be perfectly intuitive. You search for a show and press the track button- how else would you set it up?
  • Thanks, I was hoping to find an objective comment on the merit of Rudys' app (which I knew would receive a lot of brown noising) versus this new one and I did. Just dled tvshow and the trial is something i cannot abide so will be uninstalling, but hearing its received no update for a while is the deal breaker.
  • Best? I don't quite agree. It lags and some UI really needs an update.
  • I'm sorry I don't agree with you. I have been using TVShow and it lags. Also it doesn't support trakt.tv integration. Rudy is a great developer but he has totally ignored his TVShow app. It requires a huge update.
  • TV Show is good but because no Trakt syncing makes it so I have to update in TV Show and then head to Trakt and update.  TV Blaze seems to already be a step ahead of TV show for me, going to give it a shot.
  • Yeah. But let's support him. From the creator of Manga Blaze, the best manga app in WP store.
  • I use Rudy's TVShow. Excellent program.
  • Same here.
  • The only tv app I use
  • That's what I use, but it doesn't sync/backup my data on OneDrive. So any time you get a new phone or reset your phone, you lose all your shows and have to add them all again. TV Show is in desperate need of an update. I'm going to try this app.
  • What? I used OneDrive sync to get tvshow data on my lumia 920 a year ago. It has Sky/OneDrive support since WP7!
  • I live TV show app. I vote for Rudy but need a update is it still in his radar?
  • Wish there was a universal app with syncing! i use TVshow on my phone, but i badly need a good series tracker on my Surface 2 and Laptop! Rudy should port TVshow and reap that category! :D
  • That would be awesome !
  • +1520 on that
  • The dev is working on the universal app. For this and his other apps.
  • Yes
  • TV show is a great AP! Can't beat it really.
  • What company is the case in the picture above ?.
  • How does it stack up against TVShow ?
  • It's hard to beat TVShow.
  • Val is a great developer, the manga app is amazing
  • Thank you for the kind words. :)
  • I use TVshow now but don't like the way your data is backed up encrypted into a picture file. I want access to my data. Maybe someone knows how to get access?
    A universal app is needed. I'll try TV Blaze.
  • To all the people steadfastly supporting Rudy's tvshow, you should probably actually try TV Blaze first, because you can't be said to have an opinion otherwise...
    I mean, face it, Rudy is awesome, but TVShow is not. Until TVBlaze, it was the only stable and visually pleasing tracker, but it was never *good*. Now we are free.
    For those of you wanting a tracking app on your Surface- trakt.tv is a website that TVBlaze hooks into. Just use your browser for now.
  • ^This. I played with this app for only about a half hour before deciding to purchase the full version. Interface and Live Tile customization are both very good, but the Onedrive syncing is what really sealed the deal for me.
  • I love TVShow but the lack of support from Rudy does not impress me much. Sure he is working on a bunch of other stuff but come on.. I'll try TV Blaze, see where it stands..
  • Prime TV used to be (is?) better than TVShow but the dev dropped it, a shame really. I was in the beta and there was some really cool stuff planned than never made it to the actual app.
  • Been looking for something just like this with the Onedrive integration. Thanks George!
  • Will be switching to this, not a Rudy groupie and I'll take a well supported app any day.
  • I don't see the point of having such an app for just tv-series. WWP trakt with both movies and tv-series is so much more practical
  • I use prime tv. Great app and I like it better than TV show but it also seems to be abandoned by the dev.
  • While TVShow is in many respects the most well-thought-out and elegant app of its kind for Windows Phone, the obvious lack of support on the part of Rudy Huyn and some important missing features make it also a pain to use at times. - For a Non-US user, the fact that TVShow still does not allow to manually turn-off automatic time adjustment is simply dumbfoundingly ignorant. - Also, TVShow does not handle episode delays well: Even if the databases (tvrage.com, thetvdb.com) correct the information regarding the air time for an episode, TVShow often simply insists on the original (false) entry and refuses to update the information. The only possible solution: Remove that particular show and then download it again. - Why doesn't TVShow give me any control over the automatic epsiode update process? It used to be every few days, now it is pretty much every time I open the app. Why no option to only update on Wi-Fi? etc...   I also use Series Fan (in addition to TVShow) and that app has improved significantly over time because the developer supports it (Yes, I'm looking at you, Huyn). It took a little effort to modify the layout to my liking; for example the categories "what's next" and "to catch up" are really one and the same, but one can change the latter to "upcoming" because the app gives you that option in the settings.   TV Blaze does look promising, even though UI navigation could be improved upon (something that TVShow has pretty much nailed down). I also wish there was an option to delete / get rid of the "recent" category, which to me is simply superfluous and clogs the UI.
  • Very well said. I think Rudy Huyn needs to be linked to this thread so that he realizes that there are many not happy with his TVShow app and he does something about it.
  • For an app like that live tiles are very important. I'd like to be able to see what show is coming up without having half the text cut off (wpc and the verge apps do it spot on) and a background image that's adequate. Again the Prime tv dev had very nice plans for that but went missing. There is an open space there for a good developer that actually gives a shit.
  • Just uninstalled. Adverts at the bottom of the screen is a no no for me.
    I'll stick to TVShow (though it could do with an update too)
  • So buy the no ads version
  • There is only the one version.
  • Inside the app you can "unlock" the ads free version. Are you new to phones or something?
  • Ohhhh..... the injustice
  • Ok, I've gotten the Advert Free version and was pleasantly surprised. I actually like it. I will give it the full treatment before I leave a review.
  • Hi guys,   I'm the dev behind the app, I really appreciate the review and I'll be addressing the issues that were pointed out.   I was also using TVShow before, but I needed something slightly different that was more suited to my taste. Don't get me wrong, Rudy is awesome, you could say that he's like a rock star, and I'm just a regular guy. :)  But it's not a bad thing to have some more options available in the marketplace.   Any feedback is welcome and I hope that some of you might find the app useful. :)   Regards
  • Hi,
    Well done on the app, tried it for 2 mins and unlocked it ;)
    I'm particularly happy with the informative yet uncluttered live tile, which is what I needed in an app like that. You can expect some feedback from me, it's time to move on from TVshow and I'll have a supported app anytime over another.
  • I would have just bought the normal unlock, but your tree fiddy reference was just too good. Also, this app is good- I've been begrudgingly using tvshow for a while now and you've saved me from that, so thanks!
  • Thanks, that South Park episode is one of my all time favorites and I just coudn't resist the temptation to add a reference to it. :)
  • Great app, thank you! Glad to pay for good work. Keep it up! :)
  • WiIndeed TVShow is the best in this category. But competition is a good thing, I'll check this app out looks like its worth a shot :)
  • Rudy pretty much abandoned TVShow.... It hasn't been updated in ages. It's still laggy, and the trakt.tv integration is so basic... It doesn't really integrate it at all.
  • "integration"
  • If only Rudy's tvshow had full trakt.tv integration. I'll give this one a try.
  • Switched to this from TVShow a few weeks ago and don't regret it, well worth a purchase. Frequently updated and feature rich.    
  • If you track your tv shows and movies and like to read others take on episodes and such you should be using track.tv and the only app for windows phone that knocks it out of the park with trakr integration, live tile use, lock screen use, etc. is WPtrakt. If you have not tried please do. It is constantly updated and the last update allow for contact integration in WP 8.1. I really wish wpcentral does a review of this app it's great.
  • Why doesn't TV Show come up under"related" in the app store? The ' related' feature is pretty useless.
  • Ill give it a whirl, but it'll be hard to pull me away from TV Show. My only complaint is TVS doesn't have wallpaper downloads like PrimeTV has. But PrimeTV lacks when compared. Not sure why people say TV Shiw doesn't have Track.tv or Onedrive support...it most certainly does.
  • If you look at the trackt.tv integration in apps like WPtrakt (which is completely integrated in the the service) you will see the difference.
  • The blind dedication you guys have for Rudy is pathetic. Sure he is a great dev but clearly he has abandoned Tv show and clearly this app is on par with it. I only tried it reading this post and it has replaced TV show on my start screen. Actual trakt integration, custom time zone, custom live tiles. There is literally no reason to keep TV show over this, if you're missing a feature at least TV blaze is supported, just give the developer feedback.
    Rudy is NOT God!
  • I just purchased and set up with a few shows, all of which air on Sunday, but this program is telling me they all air on Monday, which is wrong. Can't figure out why.
  • Hi,   You can manually adjust the time zone if the times are off for some reason. Can you specify your current time zone so that I can investigate why this happens?
  • I live in Boston and have it set for US eastern time zone. All my Sunday shows (Mad Men, Nurse Jackie and Californication) are listed for Monday.
  • Also, the times don't properly display
  • Same here, in Atlanta, had to change to Pacific Standard Time.
  • I'm looking into this, I'll be releasing an update in the coming days.   I'm sorry for this inconvenience.
  • Thanks, I think I have mine set to Pacific Time even though I'm in South Florida (Eastern).....
  • Like many I have TVShow as my default show tracker and think it's an excellent app. However, as mentioned it has some issues and hasn't been updated in a while. I decided to go ahead and try out TV Blaze as I'm always on the lookout for well done and supported WP apps. I'm glad I did. It's a well done app. Bug: as mentioned above, date for show is incorrect, shows Monday instead of Sunday. Using EST, G.O.T. and Silicon Valley. WP8.1 Currently have to set to PST! Suggestions: as mentioned adding a plus on the default page, at least on first launch would greatly help people figure out how to add shows. Also, auto time zone detection would be nice if possible, if not, a prompt to set it up would be smart, so people that forget don't get the wrong times. I'm not quite sure how the reminders are setup, what it looks like is you have to manually set a reminder time. If that's the case, defaulting to 5 minutes before show time would be nice, with the ability to change it if desired. For the live tile's, love the options. **A much easier setup would be a check list so you could pick and choose instead of having a long list.** One addition I would like to see is show start time. Also, not having a title at the bottom (for all options). Most people know what images go with what show. Possibly a more elegant use of text, bigger, and right justified. Add unseen count number to top right. For live tile image, an easier way to change, instead of having to save one first, just use picture from show pictures. When changed, for tile, crop image starting from the middle rather than the top. That's just my suggestions for future development. The app is great, already purchased. Looking forward to future feature additions, thanks!!
  • The best one is Series.
    It is reasonable fast and has trakt.tv integration. TVShow is very simple with no trakt.tv integration.
    Will try TV Blaze  
  • For me the best right now is Trakter, and its an universal app, for windows 10 and windows phone. Its really great.