Cablevision brings live cable TV to the iPhone and iPod touch

By Janko Roettgers
From http://gigaom.com/

Cablevision subscribers can now watch cable TV on their iPhones or iPod touch devices, thanks to the cable-TV provider extending the functionality of its iPad app to all of Apple’s iOS devices. The new app allows Cablevision customers to access live-TV channels as well as thousands of VOD titles. It also acts as a remote control for Cablevision’s set-top boxes, allowing customers to change channels and other settings.

Cablevision first launched its iPad app in April. The new release extends its functionality to the iPhone and iPod touch, while also bringing remote control features to the iPad app. However, it doesn’t solve two key issues: Consumption of live and VOD TV is restricted to a subscriber’s home, making it impossible to view programming on the go. That may have been a minor issue for the iPad, since it could work well as a replacement for the bedroom or as a “TV” for kids. However, one has to wonder how many people will watch live television on the small iPhone screen while at home.

Another unresolved issue is that some cable programmers don’t like the idea of programming becoming available on mobile devices, in home or otherwise. Time Warner Cable, which has been offering similar functionality since March, initially got pressed by a number of channels to take its programming off its iPad app. It was eventually able to strike agreements with these programmers, but Cablevision wasn’t so lucky: MTV and Comedy Central owner Viacom sued the cable provider in June, arguing that it doesn’t have the necessary rights to bring its channels to the iPad.

Time Warner Cable iPad app brings interactive program guide

From: http://www.electronista.com/

Time Warner Cable is the latest cable, satellite or IPTV company to soon bring out an iPad app that will make watching TV easier. Thus far, it involves an interactive program guide that can be used to schedule recordings and act as a remote control, but eventually the company plans to let viewers stream programs to their iPad wherever they are. Users would also be able to watch part of a program on their portable devices while returning from work, for example, and continue to view the program in their living rooms once they get home.

Browsing the program guide and searching for specific programs would also be made easier through the use of metadata and the ability to group programs by category. There is the possibility that users will be capable of creating personalized content or recommendations based on what they view regularly.

The app was built by Time Warner Cable and web service APIs were built around it. Time Warner can share these with third-party developers to make their own applications for devices other than the iPad. This may include Internet-connected TVs, smartphones, other tablets and gaming consoles. [via NewTeeVee]

By Electronista Staff

Time Warner Cable, Verizon to test TV on the Web

By Yinka Adegoke

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two more U.S. pay-TV providers, Time Warner Cable Inc and Verizon Communications Inc, plan to test systems to offer shows on the Web to paying customers in a bid to protect their subscription revenue.

Time Warner Cable and Verizon separately announced their plans on Thursday and will follow Comcast Corp, the largest U.S. cable operator, which said in July it would test a Web TV service with some of its customers.

Pay-TV companies are concerned that the recession-resistant subscription revenue of cable television could be undermined if cable shows became widely available over the Web, effectively cutting out the cable and satellite TV operators.

So the cable network industry, led by Time Warner Inc Chief Executive Jeffrey Bewkes, is testing a concept called TV Everywhere as a way for paying cable subscribers to access cable shows over the Web via an authentication process.

Time Warner Cable said its TV Everywhere trial will include the NBC Universal-owned Syfy channel; Time Warner's TNT, HBO and TBS; Cablevision Systems Corp's AMC, IFC and Sundance Channel; and BBC's BBC America.

CBS Corp and Discovery Communications Inc are also involved in the trial.

Time Warner Cable's test involves making TV shows available on the Web to 5,000 homes of paying subscribers. They will be able to access the shows on the networks' own websites, as well as on Time Warner Cable's Web properties.

Verizon, meanwhile, will launch a TV Everywhere trial of its FiOS TV online with programing from Time Warner's Turner networks, TNT and TBS for no extra cost to FiOS subscribers.

DirecTV Group Inc, the largest U.S. satellite TV provider, is also working on a version of TV Everywhere, according to a person familiar with its plans.

While cable network owners are determined to stop the successful pay-TV television business model from being undermined by programing made available free on the Web, the major broadcast networks have taken a different approach.

Because free-to-air broadcasters are dependent on advertising revenue rather than subscriptions, they have made their shows readily available over the Web. Sites like Hulu, owned by News Corp, NBC Universal and Walt Disney Co, are free to anyone and feature broadcast network programs such as "The Office" or "House."

In a few cases, some episodes of full cable programs are now available free on the Internet.

(Additional reporting by S. John Tilak in Bangalore; editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Andre Grenon)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Time Warner and Embarq can't compete with city-owned ISP, trying to outlaw it

by Nilay Patel

Man, Time Warner Cable -- you are some shady players. Hot on the heels of the ISP's decision to withdraw DOCSIS 3.0 trials from areas that have rejected its tiered billing plan, we're hearing that TWC's teamed up with Embarq to persuade the North Carolina state government into banning community-owned broadband services. Why? Well, turns out the 47,000 residents of Wilson, NC got tired of paying for slow broadband, so the city government launched its own fiber ISP called Greenlight that offers some pretty solid packages ranging from $99 for 81 cable channels, unlimited phone service, and 10Mbps (down and up) internet to $170 for every single channel including premiums and 20Mbps up/down internet. (There's even a "secret" 100Mbps up/down internet plan.) Of course, these prices blow TWC and Embarq out of the water -- the comparable basic Time Warner plan has fewer channels and less bandwidth for an "introductory rate" of $137 -- and rather than compete, the two giants decided to lobby the North Carolina legislature into proposing bills that outlaw community services like Greenlight. The argument is that the big companies can't turn a profit and compete against a community-owned enterprise that essentially sells service for cost, but we're not buying it -- if anything, TWC and Embarq can invest the extra profits they've been earning in other areas into building services that would blow Greenlight out of the water. Yep, it's definitely some dirty pool -- does anyone have any positive feelings left for these behemoths?

[Thanks, William]