TED Downloader Premium Announcement

4 years, 8 months and 1 day.

94,442 downloads.

That’s how long and useful this project has been. I have tried my level best to fulfil expectations, to make sure every demand is fulfilled. I have had my share of flowery praises and scathing attacks on my ability, depending on whether my app was working or not.

I still remember the first time I had been introduced to TED, I was amazed by the content and wanted to download the videos for later viewing. But there was no way to obtain the videos all in bulk and from that desire, rose the very first version of TED downloader. A simplistic, in the very sense of the word,  application which allowed you to just select a video quality and download everything… And I mean everything. I had shared that exe with the intention that maybe someone would find it useful.

The response was overwhelming, people responded back via comments, via email that they really liked the app and provided suggestions on features they would like to see. After that, TED downloader has never looked back. It has gone through multiple iterations, multiple UI changes, multiple functionality changes but it endured. The greatest challenge I faced was the ever changing data source provided by TED but the app still endured, albeit there were delays but still. When, the last iteration happened, the move to TED API, I had thought that the data problems were all but solved. However, that was not to be… TED decided to shut down their API and that necessitated a need for a new iteration.

The new Materialistic TED

I struggled with this change, am still struggling because as long as the data source keeps changing, the instability issues are bound to be there. What is required is stability on which the app can build. That, however, won’t be possible if I rely only on TED. I would need to create my own data source and by extension a new server – which would require moolah.

With that thing in mind, I started to build a new app from scratch. The requirements were straightforward – It would need to manage the data issues, be intuitive, easy to use and have a sexy UI to boot… Not that hard. But slowly as I moved ahead, the scope began to widen and finally I have come to this point, where it is simply not possible to include all these in the app and still support it as a freeware.

I have tried to keep the app free, relying on donations if any but the effort I’ve to put to support the app now far exceeds the output. Add to that, the continuous cost of adapting to the data changes, I’ve had to juggle between my personal life, my professional life and this, with nothing to show for it, in afraid this is the end of it.

So, it is with a heavy heart today that I announce that I’m shutting down the free TED downloader project and will only be supporting the premium version. I’ve already created a prototype which is modelled on the material design UI (sexy design check). I’m really excited for this new and improved version 4. it is going to have its own data source, rely less on TED (except for the actual content), be more quick and less prone to errors. It will also have the subtitle module and the export module. I’m attaching the screens of the prototype (without any data source) below. Do note that the screens do not represent the end product and are bound to change.

Search Screen

Download Options Screen

Downloads Progress Screen

Currently, I’ve decided to price the app at USD $15 but as a special consideration for all my users, the app will be available at a discounted price of USD $10 until July 31 2016. You don’t have to pay right now just drop me a mail or connect with me through the contact me page and book your app. The app will be made available by August 31 2016, possibly sooner.

I will be sending out more details in the next post, in a few days.