I used to use Sufferfest videos with my non smart Turbo. I then started using a combination of Sufferfest Vids with Trainer road which enabled some control of perceived power. Trainerroad then no longer partnered with Sufferfest vids so 2 years ago I moved solely to Trainerroad.

Has Sufferfest now got to the stage where basically it mimics what Trainerroad does?

Kind of yes
Assumming that trainerroad provided structured workouts with a training objective.
It now is subscription
Possilbe to download one/all vids in advance to avoid garage wifi issues
it now gives an exact target power based on your input power values
its 4d power adjusts the efforts based on other effort levels than FTP
but the rest of the vids are unchanged – I used it as it was a nice balance between fun / distraction and training.

So if you got trainerroad working with a sufferfest vid working in the embeded player syncronised to the correct workout then the effect is exactly the same – just without the half hour of faff beforehand

Sufferfest is no longer just a video, it’s now an app with a subscription service that controls the smart trainer etc. The videos are basically the same, but overlaid with the workout details, the power you’re generating etc.

Has Sufferfest now got to the stage where basically it mimics what Trainerroad does?

Yeah, pretty much. Plus they have yoga and strength training videos alongside the cycling ones plus free training plans. They’ve also introduced a baseline fitness metric called 4DP which measures your power over 5 seconds, one minute, five minutes and 20 minutes and then adjusts the power targets in your chosen workout to take account of your individual power profile rather than just basing everything on FTP.

So, if you’re someone with an average 20-minute power, but a disproportionate 1-minute figure, it’ll increase targets for some of the shorter efforts to reflect that. If you were weaker over one minute, it’d reduce those targets to suit. Ditto if you have a colossal five second sprint, but a paltry 20-minute output.

Not perfect, but arguably as good as it gets for a relatively modestly-priced online training app.

If you’ve not used it for a couple of years, I’m pretty sure there’s a free trial option so you can always give it a go. It’s changed quite a lot, but the basic vibe is similar, it’s just better all round imho. Also… you can turn off some of the god-awful original music and play your own tunes, but retain the audible cues or switch the video off and just display the power and cadence targets.

If you’ve not used it for a couple of years, I’m pretty sure there’s a free trial option so you can always give it a go

It’s got a free trial week if you’ve not subscribed previously.

I’m not sure anyone’s said it explicitly – and it’s maybe obvious – but the app workouts function in erg mode on smart trainers, so you’re basically forced to hit the power targets/ No slacking towards the end of intervals and no guesswork. Also, if you’ve not used TSF for two years, there are a bunch of new videos to go at too.