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Pitchfork.tv

Pitchfork.tv launched in beta on April 7. The new online “24-hour music network” (a seemingly conscious effort to echo of early MTV’s billing) is being continuously hyped on the Pitchfork parent site and, in my assessment, at this early stage, pitchfork.tv is delivering on the hype.

Pitchfork has billed the Pitchfork.tv video player as “one of the web’s largest and sharpest players.” Even at the default low-bandwidth setting, the video loads quickly and looks crisp on my high-bandwidth connection, which is fast but not screamingly so. In fact, I’m not sure I’d bother with the high-bandwidth setting. Video does not play in full-screen mode so far as I can tell, but the viewing area is big enough that video can be watched comfortably.

As for programming, Pitchfork.tv leads with a professionally produced, feature-length documentary that runs on-demand for a week. Other shows (also running on-demand) include: Interview, which is a series of Pitchfork-produced interviews with indie artists, Don’t Look Down, a series of Pitchfork-produced rooftop concerts, and Juan’s Basement, a show in which acts like Liars and No Age “drop by the Basement” to chat and play live.

Navigation is usable, but leaves a little to be desired—users must scroll through a relatively short show list, and text pops into unexpected places after clicks. The plan is to integrate Pitchfork.tv into the Pitchfork parent site later this year as part of a “massive redesign.” In light of this plan, I’m not sure how to take the current navigation issues. Are they to be dismissed as the kind of minor troubles one would expect of a beta launch? Or are they signs that the integration of Pitchfork.tv into the parent site will result in a compromised user experience?

I’ll say this: as it stands, I’d check out Pitchfork.tv before turning on my basic cable. And that says something.