BGR: The Three Biggest Letters In Tech » video on demand

Optimum iPad app hands-on!

Jonathan S. Geller — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 00:28:32 +0000

We knew that Cablevision was involved in creating an iPad app that enables the viewing of TV content, but we didn’t know that the app would offer iPad owners a better experience than FIOS’ and Time Warner Cable’s offerings. Cablevision’s Optimum app lets you, from behind your own network at home, view your entire channel lineup directly from up to two iPads simultaneously, complete with program guide information, access to the company’s more than 2,000 VOD offerings with the rest coming this summer, while also letting you record and control your DVR directly from the app. After entering my Optimum account username and password, I was immediately able to access every Optimum channel that I subscribe to from my iPad, and after some quick buffering, video looked absolutely great. It doesn’t look like you’re able to currently watch any recorded video from your DVR, but that’s not such a big deal in my book. Cablevision told me that their app doesn’t use the internet to deliver video to your iPad, nor is the content streamed, rather it’s sent over the company’s network just as it works with your set-top box. If you are an Optimum customer that doesn’t have a cable modem, Optimum will provide an internet-blocked cable modem for free that will enable you to use the iPad app with a user-provider secure wireless router. Cablevision also said that they plan to deploy the same experience to other devices, so we anticipate an iPhone and Android app in the future. Check out some screenshots of the app in our gallery, and if you’re an Optimum cable customer, the app is available for free in the App Store. Press release after the break.

CABLEVISION’S NEW OPTIMUM APP DELIVERS THE FULL CABLE TELEVISION EXPERIENCE TO AN iPAD IN THE HOME

Customers Can Enjoy Cable Television Service Including Hundreds Of Channels, Video On Demand, Enhanced And Searchable Guide Information And DVR Controls On Their Tablet Device, Which Functions As A Television In The Home

Available At No Additional Cost To Existing Optimum Cable Television Customers

BETHPAGE, NY, April 2, 2011 – Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) today announced the launch of the Optimum App for iPad, which allows its cable television customers to experience iO TV digital cable – including access to hundreds of channels and video on demand (VOD) – on an iPad in the home. The application delivers the full cable television experience to the tablet device, and allows the iPad to function as a television. Like all additional outlets, it is free to existing Optimum cable television customers.

In addition to approximately 300 live channels and access to VOD, the Optimum App for iPad integrates enhanced guide information that makes it easier than ever before for customers to find the content they already receive as part of their cable television subscription. Programming is fully searchable, including by genre, and the application includes the ability to schedule DVR recordings and manage previously-recorded content.

“This application allows the iPad to function as a television, delivering the full richness and diversity of our cable television service to a display device in the home,” said Tom Rutledge, Cablevision’s chief operating officer. “It gives our customers the additional flexibility and convenience of watching television throughout the home, in places where set-top boxes might not be ideal or even practical, like the kitchen, bathroom or work room. This is the future of Advanced Digital Cable televisions served with virtual set-top boxes, and just one of many digital displays we are going to be serving through a variety of applications,” Mr. Rutledge concluded.

Cablevision uses its secure and proprietary Advanced Digital Cable television network to deliver cable programming to customers for viewing on the Optimum App for iPad, and content is not delivered over the Internet. The application turns the iPad into an additional television, enabling Cablevision customers to view the same live programming and VOD content already being delivered to other TVs in the home as part of the service they have paid for. Cablevision has the right to distribute programming over its cable system to iPads configured in this way under its existing distribution agreements with programming providers. Cablevision has been serving customers with switched digital cable for more than five years. Advanced Digital Cable allows the company to switch in multiple digital formats, as its customers continue to buy the latest display devices. Customers do not need to have Internet access to use the Optimum App for iPad.

Cablevision plans to deploy additional applications that deliver the same experience to other tablets and display devices, functioning as televisions. The company plans to integrate remote control functionality into the Optimum App for iPad this summer.

About Cablevision

Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC) is one of the nation’s leading media and entertainment companies. Its assets include cable television operations that provide industry-leading services to more than 3 million New York area households. A state-of- the-art cable system enables the company to offer a full suite of premier residential and business communications services that include its iO TV® digital television, Optimum Online® high-speed Internet, Optimum Voice® digital voice, Optimum WiFi® wireless Internet, and its Optimum Lightpath® integrated business communications solutions. Cablevision also delivers advanced video, voice and Internet services to more than 300,000 households in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and Utah. Through Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, Cablevision operates several successful programming and entertainment businesses, including AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel, WE tv and IFC Entertainment. Cablevision serves the New York area with compelling local content through News 12 Networks, a local news leader; MSG Varsity, a suite of television and online services covering high school activities; and, Newsday Media Group, a business unit that includes Newsday, Long Island’s leading daily newspaper. The company also owns and operates Clearview Cinemas, which includes Manhattan’s famed Ziegfeld Theatre, a frequent and historic venue for film premieres and events.

Verizon to offer FiOS customers live TV for iPads, video-on-demand for Android, BlackBerry, WinMo

Andrew Munchbach — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:11:52 +0000

Today, Verizon announced a new video application that will allow subscribers of their FiOS television service to watch live, linear programming on an iPad. Before anyone gets too excited, the application — which is scheduled to be released early next year — does have one fairly enormous catch. As reported by Gigaom, “subscribers with an iPad will only be able to watch linear programming within their own home, which allows Verizon to authenticate and make certain that the users have access to whatever content they have paid for.” Verizon has said that all the backend legwork to make the TV streams available has been completed; they are now woking on getting content providers comfortable with the idea of their precious shows being available on devices other than television sets.

Verizon also announced a new video-on-demand application that will debut in Q4. The application, “will allow subscribers to purchase and rent videos and watch them across multiple devices and multiple platforms,” including the DROID X, DROID 2, BlackBerry Storm and handsets running Windows Mobile 6.5 (wah?).

All pretty exciting stuff in the mobile entertainment realm. Our one question is: why would we want to watch TV on a 9.7-inch iPad screen when we’re in the same vicinity as our HDTV? Thoughts?

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InfoValue launches new IPTV service, high quality live TV over WiMAX in Asia Pacific

Kelly Hodgkins — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 16:09:16 +0000

With our US-centric focus, we often forget that globally, WiMAX has over 500 network deployments in more than 145 countries. One of the current hotbeds for WiMAX deployment is the Asia-Pacific region which is expected to see explosive growth over the next two years. Capitalizing on this growth opportunity is InfoValue, a US-based IPTV company. InfoValue has announced the launch of its newest IPTV service, which promises to deliver high quality live TV and interactive video-on-demand over WiMAX networks in the burgeoning Asia-Pacific market. They claim the service can deliver a consistent, high-quality H.264 stream in moving vehicles, handling tower to tower handoffs with ease. Sweet! Now if they could just get Sprint to jump on board and bring real mobile TV to the US… Full press release after the break.

WiMAX High Quality Mobile H.264 IPTV Deployment by InfoValue

Elmsford, NY (PRWEB) December 25, 2009 — InfoValue Computing, Inc. (InfoValue), experts in providing innovative, high-performance IPTV platforms and solutions, today announced its IPTV deployment at a brand new WiMAX infrastructure in Asia Pacific. The installation is powered by InfoValue QuickVideo IPTV platform and provides high-quality live TV channels and video-on-demand content to WiMAX mobile customers.

WiMAX customers use InfoValue IPTV services to view high quality H.264 live TV channels and video-on-demand content on their laptop PCs, 3G phones, and other handheld devices anywhere and anytime within WiMAX coverage area. Customers can watch live TV programs in fast moving cars crossing multiple signal towers without any interruption or quality degradation. Customers can watch video-on-demand content with full interactivity, including fast forward and rewind.

“InfoValue IPTV solution empowers WiMAX service providers to offer leading edge IPTV services to their customers in a way that truly helps them build premium quality and increase customer loyalty,” said Monsong Chen, CEO of InfoValue. “We are excited about this deployment as it turns the future vision into today’s experience.”

InfoValue QuickVideo is a feature-rich, reliable and scalable IPTV platform for large scale deployments. InfoValue QuickVideo offers comprehensive powerful features, ranging from high-quality HDTV channels, video-on-demand content, to network-based personal video recording (nPVR) and time-shifted television (TSTV). InfoValue QuickVideo is uniquely positioned to partner with WiMAX to offer premium mobile IPTV services to simultaneously generate new revenues, increase customer base, and reduce operational expenses.

Founded in 1994 and experts in providing comprehensive IPTV platforms and solutions, InfoValue is recognized for innovations and advances in IPTV technology that has set the pace in performance, scalability and intelligence. InfoValue QuickVideo™ IPTV platform is based on a standards-compliant, open architecture that is optimized with innovative, patented technologies. InfoValue QuickVideo, which is currently being used by telecommunication carriers, corporations, governments, educational institutions, hospitality providers, and broadcasters around the world, offers interactive video-on-demand and video multicast capabilities, as well as integrated video indexing, distributed video caching, server clustering, and video service management capabilities. InfoValue delivers turnkey IPTV solutions for specific industries, including InfoValue SuiteTV for hospitality, InfoValue BizTV for training and communications, and InfoValue NextGenTV for residential. InfoValue’s corporate headquarters is located at 4 Westchester Plaza, Elmsford, NY 10523. More information on InfoValue and its products and services is available at www.infovalue.com, via e-mail at info (at) infovalue (dot) com, or by phone at (914) 345-5980.

Amazon to offer $2.99 HD TV shows soon?

Kelly Hodgkins — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:08:55 +0000

Hot on the heels of Apple’s recent announcement of HD movie rentals and purchases, Amazon is rumored to be readying HD content for its Amazon Video on Demand service. Apparently Google search bots have indexed some Amazon pages, like the Law & Order page above, that show HD content for $2.99 per episode. The same cached pages also suggest the availability of season passes for this HD content — a potentially great feature if the price is right. Clicking on any link within the cached pages bring you to the main page of Amazon’s Video on Demand page suggesting that this HD content is not ready to go live… At least not yet. It’s probably safe to assume however, that a formal announcement will be coming soon.

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Roku officially adds support for Amazon Video On Demand

Kelly Hodgkins — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:54:37 +0000

Roku announced this morning that it would be adding Amazon Video On Demand to its portfolio of available online video content, bringing the grand total up to two. Roku owners will be able to rent or purchase movies and televisions shows from Amazon’s 40,000-title-strong Video On Demand service after an update that will be rolled out over the course of the next week to enable this service on all Roku boxes. With Netflix as the cornerstone, Amazon content as a supplement and YouTube supposedly on the way, the $99 Roku box keeps looking better and better.

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Roku announces Amazon support for Netflix Box

Joshua Karp — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:22:39 +0000

Roku has just announced support for Amazon Unbox Video on Demand movie streaming with its diminutive Netlix set-top box. Up until today, the little box was capable of streaming Netflix content to your friendly living room television set. It’s a great step in the right direction, providing access to Amazon’s more than 40,000 title library, and greatly increasing the relative value of the $99 box. That being said, we’re still not entirely sold on the value of the system, given the generally limited reach of both the Netflix streaming and Amazon on Demand catalogs. Couple that fact with a somewhat awkward user interface and you have a good idea that’s still somewhat flawed in its execution. That said, it certainly looks like the company is committed to increasing content and providing more value down the road, so we’ll continue to keep our eyes open in the hopes that some of our gripes will be heard.

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Amazon streaming HD to TiVo soon?

Marc Flores — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:02:15 +0000

Listen up, couch potatoes! It looks like NetFlix and Vudu might not be the only streaming services that will offer up a high definition content. Opening up Amazon Video On Demand on your TiVo now shows a tab called “Available in High Definition,” but apparently clicking on it does nothing. A teaser, maybe? Or a slip up? We get the feeling that we’ll all find out very soon, but it seems as though it’s a done deal. Blockbuster is going to have to do something about the “DVD quality” streams they’ll be doing via set-top boxes in order to keep up with the game. So, if you subscribe to Amazon’s video service and would like to do us a favor, keep clicking it every five minutes and tell as soon as it works, thanks. Otherwise, we’ll keep you all updated as soon as we find out ourselves.

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Amazon rolls out streaming Video On Demand store

Joshua Karp — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:53:34 +0000

Although it’s still in beta (read: bugs galore), we’re pretty excited about the new Amazon Video On Demand streaming media store. Launched this morning, the service provides customers access to a wide collection of content, boasting over 40,000 titles with plans to expand even further in the coming months. Unlike services like iTunes that download massive files directly to your hard drive, Amazon streams the media from its servers, delivering a near instant-on solution. As Amazon’s VP of Digital Media says, “For the first time, this is drop dead simple.” It’s a bold statement, and we’d wager that there are still a number of appealing alternatives out there, but if this plays out anything like the company’s entry into the DRM-free music market, it should prove to be a formidable competitor to the current leaders.

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