Orb 2.0 streams live TV to your iPhone

We knew Orb was working on an iPhone port of its media-streaming app, and it looks like Orb 2.0 just stealthily went live in the App Store. The $10 app lets TV junkies watch live TV from a tuner connected to a Windows PC, as well as stream music, videos, and photos from their libraries. Even cooler, Orb allows you to monitor a webcam, so you can finally nail those Diet Coke thieves from the comfort of your cube (or keep an eye on your infant, whatever.) Sadly there's no date for the Mac and Linux versions, but Orb says they're on the way. Alright Sling, looks like the ball's in your court.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

[goghvw @ Nov 20th 2008 3:18PM]

One more way to suck my battery dead. How many days until incase has the case and battery pack as one? Still waiting on price.

[bondsbw @ Nov 20th 2008 3:59PM]

... or you don't buy it.

I will never quite understand why some people, when given a choice that they didn't have before, only find reason to complain.

[000000 @ Nov 20th 2008 4:51PM]

^Agreed. With the complaining part. Options are always better than no options.

This is a killer for Sling. Even though I've got a slingbox I'm going to look into setting up Orb. And, if it works great I may consider switching totally.

[ubn2 @ Nov 20th 2008 6:09PM]

! want to know if that extended battery pack fits the touch or a touch version is coming?
anyways the linux version would be totally be totally perfect to watch from my eee web cam.

[KarlW @ Nov 20th 2008 6:31PM]

Nice. Can't wait for a Mac version.

The BBC are going to start streaming their channels through iPlayer, so this could become largely redundant for UK users soon. That's assuming they expose the streams to iPhone users. The only drawback is that iPlayer has to work over WiFi - given that this also works over 3G and EDGE, I'm surprised this got through to the App Store. Not a bad thing, though. By no means.

[Hamster @ Nov 20th 2008 7:58PM]

it's ok, but I want it to work with http://www.freetube.us.tc then I'll be a happy camper when I can watch the news channels on there. Otherwise I have to get to the nearest computer inbetween (given my work breaks that shouldn't be too hard).

[PyRo1509 @ Nov 20th 2008 3:19PM]

$10!!!
It was free when you jail broke it!!!!!

y orb Y!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[oki @ Nov 20th 2008 3:33PM]

everyone on their forums told them to charge for it, i have NO idea why but it wasnt orbs idea, they all decided on 10$ as a price at the end

[rock99rock @ Nov 20th 2008 3:44PM]

$10 is a bargain, since you already pay for the bandwidth. after using it for 4 years for free, im happy to pay Orb for their hard work.

On another note, I told Engadget about this over 2 weeks ago, "Tip us on News!" Sure! I guess all the "tips" were accidentally deleted that day. You might wanna look into that.

Also noted here, check my post halfway down.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/06/apple-adds-ota-podcast-downloads-to-iphone-firmware-2-2-continu/

[PyRo1509 @ Nov 20th 2008 4:15PM]

Pay for bandwidth? HAHHA
As long as people use WEP I refuse to pay for bandwidth.
Its their idiot tax.

You think apple made them charge for it because they supported jailbreaking?

I still don't want to pay.... someone donate $10 to me or 10 ppl donate $1 or 20 people donate 50c or 40 people donate a quater or 1000 people donate a penny....

[dan @ Nov 20th 2008 6:10PM]

I'll give you $10 to shut the fuck up!

[toyotaboy @ Nov 21st 2008 7:58PM]

Great movie reference to "the ref"

[Chris @ Nov 20th 2008 3:19PM]

I gave their "lite" version a try since it was free... works well... takes a little while for the stream to load but once it's up it runs nicely... not sure I want to pull the trigger on the $10 app.

[whatishalo? @ Nov 20th 2008 3:40PM]

Yeah, I'd sure hate to pay someone for their time developing and application that actually works well....

[Frankfurter @ Nov 20th 2008 4:02PM]

Perhaps he meant that since the lite version appeared slow, and there's no way to demo a $10 app, he was hesitant. But by all means, let's throw money at anyone with an app on the app store.

[tom @ Nov 20th 2008 6:28PM]

Either you pay 10 bucks for this app or pay iTunes for each episode of tv show you watch. Plus, you don't get to watch live tv shows

[Dave @ Nov 20th 2008 3:23PM]

Someone send a search party out for Slingbox.

[Redstripe @ Nov 20th 2008 3:46PM]

And how much do you think Sling will end up charging? $30? Orb can do so much more than just TV. Video, audio, remote webcams, photos...

Still haven't pulled the trigger on the mobile app but I am a huge fan of Orb and have been using it for years.

[Dave @ Nov 20th 2008 3:49PM]

I'd pay it. I am forced to use my cablebox. Plus my computer has a 1000w powersupply and I really don't want to leave it on all the time.

[1234321 @ Nov 20th 2008 4:29PM]

ah but Slingbox doesn't need your whole PC running all the time, neither does LocationFree
I got the LocationFree cause it was cheaper than the slingbox and I could use it with my PSP for free, Slingbox charges extra for use on mobile devices
I don't think Orb lets you change channels, and turn the devices on and off, unless you are tuning on the PC itself maybe
so while Orb is free, I don't think the $70 one time fee I payed was a big deal

[Rick @ Nov 20th 2008 5:22PM]

@redstripe Sling is just an audio/video relay. That audio/video can originate on a PC as easily as on a TV. I've got my mac mini (running Plex) hooked up to mine, in addition to my cable box.

[StPaddy @ Nov 20th 2008 3:23PM]

This has been up for a few weeks. $10 is not a bad deal IMO. It works well.

[iEye @ Nov 20th 2008 3:24PM]

Ah yes, the first gen metal iPhone is the best. Plastic is soo cheap.

[Phoenix @ Nov 20th 2008 3:47PM]

Did YOU just insult one of Apples decisions?

Next thing we know Sony will be handing out free Xbox 360s and Bill Gates will use OSx86!

[iEye @ Nov 20th 2008 3:56PM]

I always said the 3G iPhone was cheap. And Apple did not even include the dock that you can get at Deal Extreme for $3. that means that Apple pays $0.50 for it.

1St gen iPhones are and always will be the best. My iPhone is on prepaid! I just like to look at it and use it on special occasions. Like my muscle car.

[ubn2 @ Nov 20th 2008 6:38PM]

I, and most of us, still hate you.

[noyp @ Nov 20th 2008 7:13PM]

But our respect for him went up half of a quarter of a fifth of a percent.

[schmitty338 @ Nov 21st 2008 1:11PM]

1 fortieth of a percent!?!? That's a small amount...

...me do fractions good....english no so good.

[Dan @ Nov 20th 2008 3:24PM]

Love this program… used it on my jail broken phone all the time.

The only problem I had was my legs falling asleep from sitting on the toilet to long. haha

[ZaxCG2 @ Nov 20th 2008 4:05PM]

The downfall of man since the advent of the GameBoy.

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 20th 2008 5:40PM]

If I'm not mistaken I believe theres a portable toilet app too.

[Joe Anstine @ Nov 20th 2008 3:25PM]

the webcam feature is pretty cool. almost makes me want to get an iPhone...maybe when they upgrade the battery and my contract runs out. maybe...

[Antitux @ Nov 20th 2008 3:28PM]

I've been a long-time user of orb. I love it. Great product that just seems "to work".

[oki @ Nov 20th 2008 3:33PM]

couple week old news but only stream tv over wifi, jailbreak with a hack lets you watch tv ota its pretty tight!

[Dewey @ Nov 20th 2008 3:48PM]

Oki, how do you do this watch tv over the air your talking about?

[Kevin @ Nov 20th 2008 3:40PM]

This app is great - easily worth $10. I was surprised at how well it streams tv and webcam video even over edge. Video takes a little time to load, however.

[KidStallyn @ Nov 20th 2008 3:41PM]

You can stream with 3G, not just Wi-Fi. The latest update allows it. I have their beta version, I have no reason to upgrade right now. This thing is awesome. Especially when you add uSirius to your PC. You can add the stream channels to Orb, and stream your favorite radio stations.

Now....if only Sling would get theirs done.....Life would be 100% complete. Then I will have live HDTV as well.

[JoJo @ Nov 20th 2008 3:42PM]

What am I missing? Why would I watch TV on my little iphone screen while hooked up to a PC? I use Elgato now and watch on my mac on a 23" screen. I must have read something wrong, because this makes no sense.

[you @ Nov 20th 2008 3:46PM]

you use your PC as a data hub for the TV tuner. from there the IPhone connects to the PC (wirelessly) and streams whatever you have on tv (through the TV tuner card) to your pc.


make sense?

[Flunky Carter @ Nov 20th 2008 3:43PM]

I'm surprised to read that Nilay didn't use a pretentious word like "onus" on that last sentence. What a shame.

[L.Rawlins @ Nov 20th 2008 3:46PM]

I use Orb to do all this on my Nokia. It's a great service. I'm a little bemused as to why iPhone users are 'taxed' though. I can use it for free.

[Robert Riutort @ Nov 20th 2008 3:46PM]

Great another thing for us potential storm owners to drool over.

[L.Rawlins @ Nov 20th 2008 3:55PM]

Orb works with everything. That's the charm!

[h8rain @ Nov 20th 2008 3:47PM]

"Sadly there's no date for the Mac and Linux versions, but Orb says they're on the way."

I find that ironic, since the iPhone is an Apple product :D, but I would bet a large user base of the iPhone use Windows.

[rock99rock @ Nov 20th 2008 5:05PM]

Orb was alive years before the iPhone. Orb originated on the windows platform in 2004. It was not designed for the iphone, just catered to it.

[manohar dudda @ Nov 20th 2008 3:47PM]

Why would I watch TV on iPhone using the tuner card from Windows PC?? Couldn't I just watch it on m big PC screen?

[rock99rock @ Nov 20th 2008 4:53PM]

Not if you are on the bus. Or in a line. Or on lunchbreak at work.

[QwestMac @ Nov 20th 2008 3:49PM]

So is there a limit on AT&T's unlimited internet. If I stream for about two hours a day will AT&T shut down or disconnect my line. Thinking of switching to AT&T if it won't happen!

[Sublimewulf @ Nov 20th 2008 4:21PM]

Umm... UNLIMITED data plan, I don't think there will be a limt hence the UN- prefix

[rock99rock @ Nov 20th 2008 5:00PM]

@Sublimewulf

Ummm unlimited has been proven to be limited actually. You do not know of what you speak.

http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/ATTs-5GB-Wireless-Broadband-Mystery-Cap-92746

5gb limit-ish. 2 hours a day should be fine, should only add up to a couple of GB