Sergei’s RND.TV is a web page that plays random videos from the Internet Archive. The system does not use an algorithm to promote videos; the content can range from old military videos to school basketball games.
Users can swipe away videos they do not like to switch to another “channel,” mark the ones they like, and use their phones as remote controls.
Why it matters
RND.TV changes the selection mechanism that determines what viewers encounter by basing video consumption on randomness rather than personalized recommendations. This approach appeals to users who prefer encountering recordings from different periods and on different subjects in the Internet Archive instead of searching for specific content or moving through similar videos. The like and dislike options allow users to shape the stream through simple interventions rather than having a completely passive viewing experience; however, it is not explained to what extent these markers affect subsequent selections. The central question left open by the project is whether the wide variety of content will be an opportunity for discovery for viewers or an element that makes it harder to reach the video they are looking for.