Aereo
Latest
Aereo finally brings live television to your $35 Chromecast
Heads up, cord-cutters: those of you who own Chromecasts and live where streaming startup Aereo operates can now use both to bring live TV to your, well, TV. All it takes (besides the prerequisite hardware and Aereo subscription) is the newly updated Android app -- once that's in place, you'll be able to watch and record all those free shows thanks to a tiny remote antenna you don't even need to set up. That's fantastic news for folks trying to replace costly cable bundles with free OTA television and on-demand media, so we'll forgive the company for running a few days behind schedule. It's got a pretty good excuse, to be fair: Aereo said in a tweet that it needed to work out a few kinks, but the startup also had to justify its existence to the Supreme Court in late April because broadcasters believed their copyrights were being infringed. Those nine jurists will hand down their final decision some time this month, so you may want to enjoy this nifty new combination while it lasts.
Engadget Podcast 394 - 4.25.14
Ben and Terrence are serving up a big bureaucratic burrito this week, chock full of net neutrality, legalese and corporate self-interest. To help you digest this gut-buster of a mind meal, we've enlisted Engadget's Editor-in-chief and self-proclaimed armchair attorney Michael Gorman. It's refreshing to know that the Supreme Court is having an intelligent discussion about Aereo's conflict with the big wigs in broadcast TV, but the outcome is anyone's guess at this point. As always, laws are laden with doublespeak and nebulous terms, leaving lots of wiggle room for greedy corporations that favor the bottom line over customers desires. Please join us for this week's lawyerly edition of the Engadget Podcast. Hosts: Terrence O'Brien, Ben Gilbert Guest: Michael Gorman Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
The Engadget Podcast is live at 12PM ET!
When last we left our intrepid heroes they were changing all their passwords and wondering what weird gimmick would being the crux of their next smartphone. But, this week, they've got bigger fish to fry. The FCC, China, Russia, the Supreme Court... basically the whole f'ing world! As usual the fun all starts at 12PM (ish) ET. So click on through past the break, sit back, relax and forget about your troubles. It's Friday, after all.
The Supreme Court heard Aereo's case, whether they understood it could mean everything
We have no doubt the justices of the Supreme Court are well versed and prepared for any copyright law, but do they understand TV or the hows and whys it can be so frustrating sometimes? Like many of us, possibly not that well -- like why HBO can't keep its streaming service up during Game of Thrones? -- which could make reaching a decision in the case between Aereo and the broadcasters seeking to put it out of business especially difficult. During today's oral arguments Justice Antonin Scalia wondered whether the cable- and satellite-only network HBO might be picked up by Aereo's antenna-to-internet setup. The justices were mostly on point, however, needling lawyers for the networks about a previous case for Cablevision's cloud DVR, and how a ruling in their favor could affect cloud internet services.
What you need to know about Aereo's battle with broadcast television
Today, the United States Supreme Court will spend one hour hearing the latest arguments in an old, important debate that affects everyone watching television in the US: Who owns the airwaves? ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and others use the broadcast frequencies our TV antennas pick up; the government regulates those frequencies; and cable companies pay broadcasters to re-broadcast those frequencies. But the answer to who owns them remains nebulous. That is at the heart of today's case -- "American Broadcasting Companies, Inc., et al. v. Aereo, Inc." -- being decided by the highest court in the United States. And the decision stands to leave a massive impact on how Americans consume television, regardless of which side wins.
Ahead of Supreme Court trial, Aereo opens lobbying and advocacy site
The United States Department of Justice says that streaming TV service Aereo is violating copyright law. Aereo, unsurprisingly, disagrees. In five days, the US Supreme Court will hear arguments from both sides. The former has already made its case to the Supreme Court in a filing; today, Aereo fights back with its own lobbying effort: a website named "Protect My Antenna" that both makes arguments for Aereo's position and compiles various legal documents for the public to read. "We remain steadfast in our conviction that Aereo's cloud-based antenna and DVR technology falls squarely within the law," Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia said in an email to users announcing the site.
Broadcasters' backup plans for thwarting Aereo include live TV streaming
The big US broadcasters are primarily leaning on legal action to shut down Aereo's antenna-based streaming TV service, but what if the startup prevails in court? Apparently, the media giants aren't too worried; they have some backup plans. The Wall Street Journal claims that CBS is considering a subscription-based video service of its own that would offer both live and on-demand shows for a few dollars per month. While it would still include ads, there might also be an option to pay for Showtime's premium programming.
Aereo brings live TV to Chromecast on May 29th
About the only thing Google's $35 Chromecast dongle can't do is let you watch live television, but that won't be the case for much longer. Starting on May 29, streaming television startup Aereo will release an updated version of its Android app that includes support for streaming live broadcast television shows to your Chromecast. Let's rewind for a moment here. In case you hadn't heard, Aereo lets its customers watch over-the-air TV shows from a web browser thanks to a tiny antenna that captures the signals for storage on a remotely accessible server. That means you'll be able to binge catch and store all those episodes of Jeopardy from the comfort of... anywhere you can get a data connection, really. That Aereo would support Chromecast isn't a surprise -- CEO Chet Kanojia basically said as much at an investor conference last year -- but it helps fill a crucial gap in the Chromecast's content library.
Aereo's not for sale ... not now, anyway
It's a bittersweet day in Austin, Texas, for Aereo. The company's remote DVR service, which allows users to stream or record over-the-air broadcasts, just launched in the city this week against the backdrop of SXSW, making it Aereo's fourth market in the state. But there's a storm cloud hanging over this celebration; a recent legal hiccup with the state of Utah that saw it shut down service in Denver, Colo., and Salt Lake City, Utah. Aereo, however, is no stranger to this courtroom drama. The company's been engaged in a copyright battle with broadcasters that'll either cement it as a content licensee (along the lines of a Netflix), and potentially cripple its business growth, or as a provider of cloud DVR storage. It's a fight Aereo's waging all the way to the Supreme Court and has so far been winning, except for today.
Aereo's internet TV service in Denver and Salt Lake City shuts down today
Aereo's streams in Denver and Salt Lake City hung on for a while after the US District Court of Utah granted its opponents a preliminary injunction on February 20th, but today they're shutting off. Yesterday a panel of federal court judges denied Aereo's request to stay the injunction while it appeals, claiming "Aereo has not made a strong showing that it is likely to succeed on the merits of its appeal. Nor has Aereo demonstrated that the other factors weigh in its favor." As a result, the antenna-to-streaming company has informed affected customers service will go dark today at 10am. For now, it's looking forward to the upcoming Supreme Court case to affirm its belief that the service is legal, and issuing a refund for this month's service for anyone living in those two markets. Aereo's hearing is set to take place April 22nd -- check out CEO Chet Kanojia's message to customers after the break. [Thanks, Marc]
Department of Justice comes out against Aereo's TV streaming in Supreme Court case
It's never a good idea to make an enemy of the federal government, and it appears that Aereo now finds itself in just that predicament. On Monday, the US Department of Justice came out in favor of the broadcasters that oppose Aereo in a case currently before the US Supreme Court. The feds filed an amicus brief -- a legal memo aimed at educating swaying the justices to a certain point of view written by someone not a party in a lawsuit -- that refutes Aereo's position that it doesn't need to license the content viewed by its users. The case is, of course, all about copyright law, and specifically, it raises the question whether or not Aereo's technology enables public or private performances of the video being watched (public performances constitute infringement, private ones do not).
Aereo wins a grace period from injunction, keeps Denver and Salt Lake City open
Some broadcasters might have recently scored a victory against Aereo in court, but they can't party just yet. The startup just got a 14-day grace period from a six-state preliminary injunction (it has won its share of court battles, and this is considered its biggest legal setback thus far) handed down last week. That means the over-the-air TV service can continue any expansion plans in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming... at least for a while. Current customers in Salt Lake City and Denver, sites in the affected states where Aereo is already available, should be able to continue enjoying the OTA service, as well. According to Deadline, the court granted Aereo a brief reprieve, because it "finds some benefit in allowing [its] customers uninterrupted service" while waiting for the Tenth Circuit's decision regarding the firm's appeal. Aereo, which is very, very used to being sued by now, will also face TV networks at the Supreme Court on April 22. If the startup wins, it could lead to an acquisition or, amusingly enough, a sudden boom in Aereo copycats.
Daily Roundup: Facebook buys WhatsApp, tablet buyer's guide and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Aereo strikes out in Utah, preliminary injunction shuts down local service
All good things come to an end: despite largely winning the war over its right to rebroadcast OTA TV signals over the internet, Aereo just lost its first major battle. The US District Court of Utah has granted a preliminary injunction against the service, effectively halting the company's expansion in the area. The decision teetered over what the court calls the "balance of harm," with each company claiming that the other's actions could irreparably damage its business in a significant way. Undeterred by Aereo's insistence that an injunction would devastate its own business, the court ruled in the favor of Fox Broadcasting's concerns over copyright infringement -- arguing that the potential damage to Aereo doesn't outweigh the damage it might cause to its opponent. As consolation, however, the court pointed out that the injunction only applies to the jurisdiction of the Tenth Circuit and will only curtail the company's expansion, not put it out of business. The decision is far from the final word on Aereo -- that's still up to the bigwigs at the US Supreme Court -- but it is the company's first major legal stumble since launching in 2012. It's definitely a step back, but company CEO Chet Kanojia seems ready to fight. "We are extremely disappointed that the District Court in Utah has chosen to take a different path than every other Court that has reviewed the Aereo technology," he told the Consumerist. "We are very sorry for the effect on our valued customers in the Tenth Circuit and we will pursue all available remedies to restore their ability to use Aereo." Check out the court's full decision after the break.
Aereo stops taking new customers in New York
Aereo launched in New York in early 2012 to let people watch over-the-air TV on their gadgets, but a recent hiccup means denizens of the Big Apple can no longer sign up for the service. The culprit? Aereo says it all comes down to capacity, or lack thereof. The service has hit a bottleneck, so it can't take on more customers until it's beefed up its network of tiny antennas and the infrastructure that binds everything together. Word of the situation started making the rounds early this morning, and it wasn't long before Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia took to Twitter to confirm the bad news, though he remained awfully mum on when New Yorkers could start signing up again. This isn't far from the first headache that Aereo has dealt with since it launched two years ago. It's been sued a by slew of networks that aren't keen on the startup's video-streaming mission, and the Supreme Court is getting close to passing a ruling on the matter. At least this time Aereo is a victim of its own success instead of just being a courtroom punching bag.
Aereo vs. TV networks case will be heard by the Supreme Court
Aereo launched its service that makes over-the-air TV available over the internet back in 2012, and quickly faced a lawsuit from big media companies (ABC, Fox, CBS and others) claiming it's illegally distributing their content. Today, the Supreme Court announced it will hear the case, titled ABC, Inc., v. Aereo, Inc. (docket 13-461). Other than Aereo's fledgling service, at stake is the ability of broadcasters to charge pay-TV companies for the right to carry their signals. If Aereo wins, there have been indications that cable/satellite services might buy it or build their own version, cutting the broadcasters out of a large sum of cash. Both sides have pushed for a decision by the Supreme Court, and Aereo just released a statement saying "We remain unwavering in our confidence that Aereo's technology falls squarely within the law." Aereo and others like Cablevision have suggested this case is critical for the cloud computing an cloud storage industry, as well as tools like DVRs. According to Bloomberg, going by the court's schedule it should hear the case in April and rule on it by early July. If the case doesn't go their way, some major TV execs like Les Moonves have suggested an approach akin to taking their ball and going home. Last spring he stated CBS could switch to cable-only distribution in "a few days," -- if the Supreme Court upholds several lower court decisions in Aereo's favor, we could find out soon how serious of a threat that is.
Aereo chief: We're fighting for consumers' rights to watch TV with an antenna and DVR
Big media may have thought its deep pockets and love of ceaseless litigation would break Aereo's bank and spirit, but the cloud-based DVR company is sticking to its guns. In a statement released just today, Aereo head Chet Kanojia said that his company wouldn't oppose a petition brought against the company by ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, setting the table for a case in the Supreme Court. Kanojia echoed much of what Cablevision itself expressed in a white paper earlier today, saying that he believes the end goal of this court battle could ultimately strike down a 2008 ruling in favor of Cablevision's cloud DVR tech, which laid the groundwork for many of the cloud-based services we enjoy today. Though Aereo and Cablevision are in different positions when it comes to retransmission fees, both parties argue that the broadcasters' suit, if successful, could slow or even reverse the trend of technological progress, innovation and consumer choice. For Aereo's part, a potential Supreme Court case could also provide a much-needed light at the end of the tunnel -- a final ruling in a recent string of lower court victories that would free up its resources and allow the company to pursue nationwide expansion unburdened. That's if the Supreme Court even decides to hear the case -- it declined to hear an appeal on Cablevision's remote storage DVR in 2009 -- as that decision won't come until sometime in 2014.
Cablevision: Case against Aereo could destroy cloud computing (and our cloud DVR)
Cable operator Cablevision agrees with its competitors that streaming startup Aereo is illegal, but warns that the legal approach taken by the other cable and broadcasting giants could render services like Apple's iCloud, Amazon's Cloud Player -- and, of course, Cablevision's own remote DVR service -- illegal. In a white paper released today, Cablevision expanded on earlier arguments it made against both Aereo and the rest of the indusry, saying that the approach taken against Aereo "would imperil consumers' rights to use innovative technologies, such as popular digital locker services like the Apple iCloud, Amazon Cloud Player and Google Play Music."
Aereo could be next on Google's Chromecast support list
Every time Chromecast adds another officially supported app, traditional TV viewing dies yet another death. And so it goes that Google's low-cost dongle's about to beef up beyond its already stellar, and increasingly robust, line-up of streaming services with Aereo -- at some point. According to CNET, Aereo head Chet Kanojia, speaking at an investor conference, stated that eventual Chromecast compatibility for the local broadcast slinging app is not only on the way, it's actually part and parcel of the company's broader support goal for Android. In fact, Aereo's currently testing the updated app now, but Kanojia didn't specify exactly when users would see it roll out. When it does eventually release, it'll be one more reason for cord-cutters to kiss cable and those draconian monthly fees a fond farewell. We're looking at you, Time Warner Cable.
MLB and NFL endorse legal battle against Aereo, threaten to limit sports broadcasts
It's not just major broadcasters who are willing to take their fight against Aereo to the Supreme Court. The MLB and the NFL have jointly filed an amicus brief supporting the existing court case, arguing that the streaming TV service jeopardizes their licensing deals. Aereo's ability to offer sports programming at no extra cost undermines the point of exclusive (and very lucrative) broadcasting arrangements, according to the brief. The leagues are prepared to back up their words with deeds -- they claim that they'll have to move their games to cable and satellite channels if Aereo wins. There's no guarantee that the Supreme Court will sympathize with this supposed plight, but it's clearer than ever that Aereo faces stiff opposition from the broadcasting industry's status quo.
