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Time Warner Cable Launches iPad App With Live TV

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the padding-your-nielsons dept.

ShadowFoxx writes "Time Warner Cable Inc. is launching an iPad application that plays live TV, becoming the first cable company to do so. The app will be free to download on Tuesday morning, but it will only work for people who subscribe to both video and Internet service from the New York-based cable company. Even then, it only works in the home, when the iPad is connected to the company's cable modem via a Wi-Fi router."

7 of 141 comments (clear)

  1. uh by mingot · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Uh, then who cares? I mean unless you really need to watch TV on the crapper.

    1. Re:uh by mingot · · Score: 4, Funny

      Not applicable on this website.

    2. Re:uh by golden+age+villain · · Score: 3, Informative

      Plus it is not the first app to offer a similar service. Zattoo has had an app with which you can watch tv on the iPad for months. Plus it works on any WiFi network.

    3. Re:uh by BitZtream · · Score: 3, Informative

      The content producers have required contractual obligations by companies like TWC that prevent them from doing things like making a way for you to view it from outside your home.

      Do you know how much effort went into just getting the legal OK for TWC to give you a DVR ... and then the outrageous amount of bullshit that happened to get network DVR allowed? And why you won't find things like a 30 second skip forward button on the remote with your TWC dvr ...

      I'm sure TWC is going to do what they can to maximize their profit, but its not always them that makes the restrictions, just like its generally not them that require you to buy package deal for channels, its the people providing the channels ... that want to say they've sold just as many 'cooking network' subscriptions as HBO ... so advertisers think advertising on the cooking network is worth what they are being charged.

      --
      Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
    4. Re:uh by DeadboltX · · Score: 3, Interesting

      While I agree that the app would be immensely more useful if you could use it over 3G or on the free WiFi at Starbucks or at my friends house, I also believe that this app still holds a place for usefulness.

      If your house doesn't have enough TVs for everyone and you all want to watch something different then this will come in handy. You can now watch TV while cooking in the kitchen without buying one of those little counter top TVs. You can go outside for a smoke break without missing any of 'the game.' You can watch TV on your patio while BBQing or supervising the kids while they swim in the pool. You can prop it up on your desk in your home office so you can watch while you work.

      There are all sorts of places in and around a home that don't normally have TV access. If anything this could be a reasonable argument to a spouse or parent for justifying getting one "But mom, it's a TV too!"

  2. Re:They tried. They failed. Here's what's left... by Pieroxy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Whan you are a content distributor and you do so much to make sure your viewers cannot view your content, there must be something wrong.

    --
    Write boring code, not shiny code!
  3. In Which Case by techsoldaten · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In which case, I can use my iPad to watch live TV while I am watching live TV on my TV. It's like picture in picture that I can actually hold and it doesn't stop me from using picture in picture AGAIN while I am watching.

    The drawback is that this means no more beating off to Telemundo with the sound off, my hands are going to be too busy flipping around the iPad while I work the remote to capture the money scenes on the DVR and watch them in slomo.

    Next we NEED a DVR app for the iPad.