Channel Surfer lets you watch YouTube like it’s old-school cable TV The app mimics the experience of channel surfing on traditional cable TV by allowing users to browse topic-specific channels and select content to watch as if tuning into a live broadcast. At launch, it features 40 custom-built channels, spanning categories like news, politics, sports, lifestyle, music, and tech-focused topics such as “AI & ML,” “Code & Dev,” “Space,” “Retro Tech,” “Tech & Gadgets,” and “Gaming.” A small counter at the bottom of the screen displays how many other users are currently watching YouTube alongside the user. Steven Irby, the app’s creator, explained that he developed Channel Surfer to escape the overwhelming nature of YouTube’s recommendation algorithm and the constant need to decide what to watch. “I miss channel surfing and not having to decide what to watch,” he said. “I want to just sit and tune into what’s on and not think about what to watch next.” Irby also noted that the app’s design mirrors his mother’s experience with cable TV, aiming to recreate that sense of passive entertainment. Additionally, he highlighted the comfort of knowing others are watching the same content. Irby, a 40-year-old tech veteran with a decade of global travel under his belt, described the project as part of his ongoing creative experiments. “I have so much creativity from my long, weird journey,” he said. “I can’t bear the thought of being a Jira ticket monkey anymore.” The app’s rapid success was evident in its first day, with over 10,000 views on its website, a milestone Irby called “blowing up overnight.” Technically, Channel Surfer is currently a static Next.js site hosted on Cloudflare, utilizing PartyKit for functionality.#youtube #channel_surfer #steven_irby #cloudflare #github_actions
