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Time Warner Cable brings back Discovery, Fox channels to its iPad app
Just a couple of weeks after removing several channels from its live TV streaming iPad app Time Warner Cable has added most of them back again. The notable exception here are networks owned by Viacom, which it took to court last week. So far, other than announcing Discovery and Fox channels are back on the TWCable TV iPad app, we weren't able to get anything other than a no comment out of anyone at the companies involved. That means we don't know if the channel providers have spontaneously come around to Time Warner's way of thinking (this seems unlikely) or if it has simply decided to press the issue. We'll see who is suing who next week, until then you can enjoy watching whatever happens to be on Fox News Channel, FX or National Geographic (if you actually do enjoy that, we don't like to live by programmers broadcast schedules - DVR4LIFE) on your iPad as much as you like.
TWCable TV iPad app updated with a few more channels, brings back Discovery
Time Warner has added several new cable channels to its TWCable TV iPad app, including Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, which were two of the channels yanked after broadcasters complained. we don't know if they've worked out an agreement over the matter, but viewers can now enjoy those two as well as TLC, Sundance, Lifetime, Military History and Wedding Central on their tablets. Check out the TWCableUntangled blog for the official word, we'll wait and see if Viacom or Fox budge next.
Time Warner Cable takes Viacom to court over its TWCable TV iPad app; Viacom responds
While there's been a lot of talk about whether or not Time Warner has the right to include feeds of cable channels it carries in the new TWCable TV app, besides the company's voluntary removal of several networks there's been very little action until now. Time Warner Cable announced this afternoon it has filed a request in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York for a declaratory judgement regarding Viacom's cable networks. Time Warner continues to maintain its carriage agreements give it the right to allow subscribers access on any screen in their home, not just the TV and is apparently ready to prove that in court -- or at least drive Viacom, Discovery, Fox and other complaining networks towards more favorable negotiations. The app added seven more channels earlier today, while we wait for Viacom's side of the story you can check out the press release after the break or Time Warner's official blog to understand its stance in full. Update: Viacom has responded, saying Time Warner "blatantly grabbed the rights that their competitors have negotiated in good faith to obtain" forcing it to file a lawsuit of its own. The gloves are officially off -- check the full text after the break, or a PDF of Viacom's complaint linked below.
Cable iPad app roundup: Cablevision counts 50k downloads, Time Warner adds channels, Comcast increases VOD
For whatever reason, cable companies have fallen in love with extending their offerings to Apple's tablet, and as a result we have a glut of news centered around the devices from Cablevision, Time Warner Cable and Comcast. First up is Cablevision's Optimum app, despite upsetting a few sports networks it has passed 50,000 downloads from the App Store and as the press release (included after the break) notes, has been the #1 app in the Entertainment category since Sunday. The TWCable TV app also has good news, it's adding seven channels including Oxygen and Lifetime. While Comcast's Xfinity TV doesn't stream live TV like the other two here, it does have access to video on-demand and the company just announced it's added more viewing options bringing the total up to 4,500 hours of video available, up from 3,000 two months ago. More info is available at the source links, we're just wondering how many of you are actually dialing up any of this content on your iPads?
WatchESPN iOS app lets some people watch live sports wherever they want
Continuing the trend of tying streaming content to the ol' ball and chain that is your pricy cable subscription, ESPN announced the launch of the WatchESPN App for the iPhone and the iPod Touch, with an iPad optimized version slated for release in May. Said App can be downloaded now and will allow you to "stay connected to live sports and shows from ESPN, wherever and whenever you want them" -- assuming you're a Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks or Verizon FiOS TV customer that is. The ability to watch three of the most popular cable networks while on the go, or anywhere in your house, is certainly nothing to scoff at, but many sports fans' excitement will indeed be diminished until ESPN fulfills its promise to release apps for "other smartphones and tablets," and of course the other big service providers like Comcast, DirecTV and Dish Network get with the program. For now you can live vicariously through us by clicking through to the gallery or watching the western style WatchESPN App commercial available embedded after the break. %Gallery-120592%
Time Warner Cable's app adds new live TV channels to watch on your iPad
Disputes with Fox, Viacom and Discovery caused Time Warner to pull 11 of the 32 original channels from its live TV streaming TWCable TV app yesterday, but as promised it has brought in some new ones to replace them. Among the 17 channels added are several networks from the ABC/Disney group including ABC Family, Disney, Disney XD and ESPNnews, plus NBC Universal selections like MSNBC, Syfy and USA as well as the curious addition of Fox News. We're still not convinced watching TV on our tablet is a more useful development than using it as a remote/couch companion but until those features arrive or the app gets sued out of existence, that's what this one does. Check the full list of new channels after the break or on the TWCable Untangled blog. Update: There's no word from Time Warner, but Multichannel News reports five more new channels have been added this afternoon - Bloomberg TV, PBS Kids Sprout, Hallmark Movie Channel, Current TV and TruTV. Turner also stated TBS will join them once the app supports MLB blackout restrictions, which is also the reason why other ESPN stations aren't included yet.
Time Warner removes channels from iPad app while Cablevision prepares one of its own
Time Warner Cable was the first party to blink in the battle with programmers over its new live TV streaming TWCable TV iPad app, removing channels from Viacom, Fox and Discovery. The company's official statement indicates its merely choosing to focus on the "enlightened programmers" who support its cause and that it will provide replacement channels (maybe BBC America, since it's in all the screenshots) ASAP, possibly as soon as tomorrow. Expect the legal fight to continue to heat up between Time Warner, which believes it has obtained all the rights necessary to provide these channels on any screen in a customer's home, and the programmers, that think it hasn't. Throwing more gasoline on the fire is word from Cablevision that its new iPad app with TV and video on-demand access was supposed to be out already and is merely awaiting Apple's approval before it launches. According to the Wall Street Journal it will go forward launching the Optimum Link -- formerly PC to TV Media Relay -- product that brings video from their PC to the TV tomorrow. Check out the list of pulled channels after the break or on Time Warner's blog, we'll let you know when or if anything changes.
Fox asks Time Warner to stop streaming its channels to customers' iPads
While we'd heard many networks were unhappy with Time Warner's decision to release its live TV streaming iPad app and there have even been whispers of cease-and-desist letters in the offing, Fox has put a request to have its channels excluded in writing. At issue is whether or not their agreement allows Time Warner to provide the channel on devices other than the TV -- while TWC is confident it does since it only works within the customer's home, the networks would apparently like to renegotiate before conceding anything. Senior VP of Fox Networks Group Scott Grogin confirmed the letter was sent but did not reveal any details about its contents. Following the battle plan of its last battle with Fox, Time Warner Cable has preemptively put up a IWantMyTWCableTVApp site asking customers to show support for the TWCable TV app against the networks. We'll wait to see who blinks first and remember that Dish is already slinging channels to tablets with wild abandon while Comcast and Cablevision have plans for similar implementations on the way.
Big cable-backed broadband bill soars through NC House, one step closer to stifling ISP competition
We've said it before, and we'll say it again: Time Warner Cable is made up of some insanely shady folks. And frankly, it's not just TWC to blame here -- CenturyLink, Embarq and a smattering of other big telecom companies are banding together in order to push the ironically-named H129 "Level Playing Field" bill straight into law. Unfortunately, said bill sailed through the clearly oblivious (or "persuaded") North Carolina House this week, with just 37 sane individuals voting against 81 delusional proponents. For those outside of the loop, the bill effectively suggests that commercial entities -- municipal ISPs like Wilson's own Greenlight that provide greater levels of service with lower costs -- are unfairly competing against for-profit monoliths. In short, that's an absolute joke. Rep. Bill Faison nailed it with this quote: "This bill will make it practically impossible for cities to provide a fundamental service. Where's the bill to govern Time Warner? Let's be clear about whose bill this is. This is Time Warner's bill. You need to know who you're doing this for." Yours truly just so happens to reside in the wonderful state of North Carolina, and knows first-hand what it's like to live in a major metropolitan area with a single high-speed broadband carrier. TWC has only recently announced impending DOCSIS 3.0 coverage, but early installations in the heart of Raleigh have been fraught with latency issues and router difficulties. Oh, and it's charging $99 per month for a service with 5Mbps up; for comparison's sake, Greenlight gives customers 10Mbps internet (in both directions), home phone and expanded basic cable for the exact same fare. So, NC lawmakers -- how exactly do your constituents gain access to that "level playing field?" [Image courtesy of IndyWeek]
TWCable TV iPad app struggling with high demand, angry cable channels
Time Warner's TWCable TV iPad app could only serve 15 of the originally announced 32 channels (which curiously did not include BBC America, despite its appearance in these screens from iTunes) due to higher than anticipated demand that crashed the servers last night (Broadcasting & Cable reports the channels have since been restored.) According to the official blog it was the most downloaded app in the iTunes store yesterday and while its engineers work on a more permanent fix, cutting the channel count was the only way to make sure people can actually open the app and log in. However, there may be more than technical difficulties that take channels offline in the future, as Adweek reports several cable networks are upset with the app, quoting one unnamed affiliate head as saying "our position is that [this sort of distribution] is not authorized by our affiliate agreements." Networks like Discovery have already made public their dissatisfaction with Dish's Sling-powered app, with everyone from Comcast to DirecTV to TiVo potentially getting in on the act we'll probably see a slew of carriage disputes and lawsuits before every channel goes the way of ESPNNetworks.
Apple takes 4 percent of US digital video market, Netflix reigns
The NPD Group crowned Netflix the heavyweight champion of digital, video-on-demand services in a statement released earlier today. Between January 2011 and February 2011, Netflix accounted for 61 percent of all movies downloaded or streamed over the internet or offered on-demand through a cable or satellite television service. Cable giant Comcast took second place with about 8 percent of the market. Apple, with a share of 4 percent, found itself in a three way tie for third place with DirecTV and Time Warner Cable. NPD used its new VideoWatch Digital tracking service to calculate its latest numbers, which also found digital video now makes up one quarter of all home video volume. "Sales of DVDs and Blu-ray Discs still drive most home-video revenue, but VOD and other digital options are now beginning to make inroads with consumers," said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for NPD. VideoWatch Digital's results were based on 10,618 surveys completed by US consumers age 13 and older. In the survey, respondents recognized electronic sell-through (EST) services like iTunes had the most "current releases available," but Netflix won the titles for "overall shopping experience" and "value for price paid." [Via AppleInsider]
TWCable TV app for iPad now available, but Dish has something to say about being 'first with live streaming'
Announced yesterday, Time Warner Cable's iPad app arrived via iTunes as scheduled this morning to meet the rest of the pay-TV provider apps sporting its one key feature: live TV streaming of 32 cable channels. Speaking of the competition, Dish Network had something to say about that claim to fame as first with live streaming, since it's already offered an app with Sling-powered streaming from its boxes. Of course, they're not exactly the same approach since TWCable TV doesn't potentially require any add-on hardware or tie up a tuner on your set-top box, while the Dish approach enjoys the ability of working beyond the reach of your home's WiFi, and can tune in to any channel. Other than requiring both cable TV and high speed internet service those two last notes may be the key weaknesses to this strategy; while the TWCable TV app advertises itself as "another TV screen," it's one with significant limits and currently lags behind the competition by lacking features like remote control or DVR scheduling. Check after the break for Dish's press release or just click through to iTunes to nab the app yourself.
Time Warner Cable iPad app lets subscribers view live TV
Image via Engadget.com Do you subscribe to both cable and internet service from Time Warner Cable? If so, there's an iPad app you're going to want to install as soon as possible. On March 15, Time Warner Cable's new iPad app will become available, and it is the first app of its kind to give subscribers the opportunity to view live video on their iPads. Sure, Netflix and Hulu apps let you watch TV, but none of the content is live. At launch, the app is expected to host 32 basic cable channels in high definition. Time Warner Cable expects that number to expand soon. To use the service, you'll need to have your iPad connected via Wi-Fi to a Time Warner cable modem. Don't plan on using the app outside of your home; there's no streaming allowed to remote devices due to licensing restrictions. Unlike Comcast's XFINITY TV app for iPad, Time Warner's app doesn't function as a remote control or give access to video on demand. On the other hand, the XFINITY TV app won't offer subscribers a way to watch live TV until later in 2011. Time Warner does plan on adding the video on demand, remote control and DVR functions in the future, as well as making the services available on other platforms. Hopefully, apps like these are a prelude to being able to bypass cable altogether and watching all TV content -- live and recorded -- via the internet on any device we choose.
ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Buzzer Beater now available online for Time Warner & Brighthouse
Time Warner and Brighthouse customers have had access to the main ESPN channel on their PCs for a few months now and today it's been announced ESPN2, ESPNU and the new ESPN Buzzer Beater (think RedZone or GoalLine, but for college basketball) channel have been added to the mix. All are available on ESPNNetworks.com just like the main ESPN feed, with access from mobile devices still touted as "coming soon." Sure, most of us have ESPN3 access already (and, unlike Time Warner and Brighthouse subs can get it on our Xbox 360 already) but being able to pull in the linear channels from anywhere could have its advantages (as seen in the ad below,) is anyone calling up their provider and asking for ESPNNetworks yet?
Time Warner, Disney and News Corp. bigwigs speak up against FCC stipulations in Comcast-NBC deal
Hello, inevitable. It simply had to happen, and now, it is. As Comcast, NBC and the FCC attempt to work out stipulations over Comcast's proposed 51 percent buyout of NBC Universal, a smattering of major media companies are paying close attention to the play-by-play. Naturally, the precedents that are set from this deal will affect future agreements of this caliber, and lobbyists for both Disney and News Corp. (as well as Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes) aren't standing over on the sidelines any longer. All three outfits have reportedly been "voicing their concerns this week with the FCC, worried that such conditions could undermine their own efforts to profit from the nascent online video industry." We're told that the media mega-corps are worried that the rules -- if hammered down -- could interfere with ongoing negotiations with online video providers, and in turn, give them less leverage to monetize and control their content on the world wide web. In other words, if NBC Universal is forced to provide content fluidly to all ISPs (and not just Comcast), what's to say other content makers and internet providers wouldn't also be forced into similar deals, regardless of whether or not they're involved in takeover negotiations? Needless to say, we're nowhere near the end of this journey, and while the nuts and bolts are pretty dry to think about, the outcomes could have a serious impact on our future viewing habits.
Could this be the year we get to ditch the cable box?
We've been coming to CES for years looking at demos of technologies that will let us watch HDTV without a set-top box, and yet here we are years later with little choice but to find a place to put that box. The big failures have been CableCARD and then tru2way, both of which have had little impact to mainstream America. But despite all of our disappointment over the years, we came away from CES this year with the feeling that this might actually be the year. Of course, the allure of Vegas has yet to wear off, but when Time Warner Cable, Comcast, DirecTV and Verizon FiOS TV are at the same show sending almost the same message and showing demos, we have a hard time not taking our skeptical shield down a little. Sadly it wasn't exactly the same message, and if you click on through you might discover the true future of how TV will be delivered. %Gallery-113471%
The Lawbringer: Lagpocalypse 2010-2011
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world full of rules, regulations, pitfalls and traps. How about you hang out with us as we discuss some of the more esoteric aspects of the games we love to play? The Lawbringer is taking a little detour today to discuss one of the more esoteric issues (like I try to do here) that many players are facing today dealing with World of Warcraft. It is interesting that one of the biggest hurdles to playing an MMO is present outside the game rather than within. Today, I want to talk about Time Warner/Brighthouse and the intense lag of 2010 and 2011. In fact, we'll visit the past and see how these companies interacted with Blizzard, and then take a stroll into the present and try to understand what's going on right now. Confused? You might be, especially if you aren't a Time Warner or Brighthouse customer. There are some other ISPs affected by all this mess, but for now, I'm sticking to the most complained-about. Here's a quick little rundown of what's been happening over the last few weeks (and for some people, months) due to issues with Time Warner and Brighthouse internet service.
Samsung will offer access to TV, VOD from Time Warner & Comcast on its Galaxy Tab, TVs
Samsung is following Sony's lead by enabling owners of its tablets and TVs to control their cable boxes and access content directly via IP from Comcast and Time Warner Cable. For Comcast users, a new Xfinity TV app on the Smart TVs brings an all new "web-like GUI" (that looks a lot like the new set-top box interface it's currently testing) for accessing live TV, DVR recordings and VOD.Plans for the Galaxy Tab sounds just like the Xfinity Remote for iPad, with control and access to streaming TV and movies, with plans to add the ability to pause and resume across different devices in the future. Time Warner Cable followed up its partnership with Sony by announcing it's streaming live TV over IP directly to Samsung TVs and tablets, as well streaming from a DVR to TV or tablet in another room. Both services are expect "later this year," check the press releases after the break or our live blog from the event for more details.
Sony's 2011 Bravia lineup includes 27 new HDTVs
The 2011 lineup of Sony Bravia HDTVs is quite extensive with a total fo 27 models spanning nine lines. All but the five most inexpensive models feature internet streaming services while 16 of the higher end models being 3D capable. Most of the great streaming services we've come to expect are there, but in addition you can now watch Time Warner Cable VOD without a set-top-box as well. A few of the lines are compatible with a special Sony 720p camera (CMU-BR100) for use with Skype, while others feature Gorilla Glass. The XBR-HX929 Series sits at the top with a new local dimming technology called Intelligent Peak LED Backlight, and is also one of the lines that supports the new Media Remote application for iPhone, iPod Touch or Android, which includes full remote capabilities as well as a keyboard. The 929s will be available in April in 46, 55 and 65-inches, with the others hitting the street sometime between February and May. %Gallery-112824%
Time Warner Cable VOD coming to Sony Bravia HDTVs, sans the cable box
In a revelation that still has us in shock, Sony announced at CES tonight that its new Bravia HDTVs would give consumers direct access to Time Warner Cable video-on-demand. The details are very lacking at the moment but we can't think of another example of when a cable company has allowed its on demand content to be delivered on a 3rd party device. Of course this doesn't solve all our problems as the TVs don't have built in DVRs so that wonderful Time Warner set-top-box will still be tethered to your stunning HDTV, but it is a step in the right direction. Now we just wait to see how well it actually works when it finally actually gets rolled out.
