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TWCable TV app in development for Android, should drop before the season's first 3-pointer (updated)
It was but a few months ago that we realized an updated TWCable TV iPad app was under development, and this go 'round, the cable giant has figured it best to just go ahead and confess rather than wait for any leaks to do it for 'em. In other words, a TWCable TV app for Android tablets is in production, and amazingly, it might be out before anyone realizes that there's no NBA season to speak of. According to the company, it could be released as early as November, and it'll most certainly eventually deliver "a live streaming TV experience." In the first build, it'll also include an interactive program guide, a remote control function for set-top boxes and a DVR manager for remote programming. Support for live TV streaming is on the way in 2012, at some point after Ice Cream Sandwich starts hitting tablets -- we couldn't confirm whether that's completely due to Android 4.0's enhanced DRM underpinnings but it seems likely. Really screws up your New Year's Resolution to drop cable, huh?
Bright House TV app brings rebranded Time Warner Cable TV to the iPad
Congratulations Bright House Networks customers, your off-brand Time Warner Cable experience now includes live TV streaming on your iPad. The Bright House TV tablet app has hit iTunes and is, unsurprisingly, a direct clone of the TWCable TV app, although it's not the latest version as it doesn't have parental controls yet. Otherwise it's basically the same experience, complete with the restriction to using it at home on your own WiFi network and its initial unfriendliness towards jailbroken iPads. There's no word on which channels are available, but we wouldn't be surprised if they also mirror the Time Warner list. If you're jailbroken, check the MacRumors link below for a workaround, otherwise you can just head to iTunes and download the app directly. Update: Bright House has added a list of all 97 channels currently included on its website here. [Thanks, EvilSpock]
TWCable TV app update brings captions, search, and parental controls
Time Warner has been streaming live TV to the iPad with its TWCable TV app since March and the most recent update brings even more traditional TV standbys to the tablet experience. Now live in v2.5.0 is a basic search function (titles or episode name only, keywords, cast and crew are coming soon), support for closed captions and the ability to block certain channels on the app for parents. There's also a few bug fixes for those experiencing audio issues or not seeing their HD channels in the lineup -- subscribers can check out the official blog for more details or just grab the free app on iTunes.
Some cable companies are pushing for unbundled channels -- but not for you
Sick of paying for cable TV channels you don't watch? Reportedly some operators are looking for a way -- through negotiation or regulation -- to end channel bundling, where to get certain channels (like MTV) they're compelled to pack others (like TV Land) owned by the same company into their basic lineups. According to Reuters, smaller operators like Suddenlink and Mediacom are leading the charge, while even bigger companies like Comcast, Time Warner and DirecTV are feeling squeezed in retransmission fee disputes. However, as the LA Times points out, it's still doubtful you'll be able to pick and choose specific channels for a cheaper bill. What may be available however are cheaper packages of smaller bundles, like the lineup shown above that Comcast is testing in certain areas. What's stopping true a la carte programming choices? Hybrid cable and content companies, like Comcast with NBC Universal and Time Warner, and sports -- someone has to pay for that billion dollar ESPN Monday Night Football deal.
Time Warner Cable will pay for your Slingbox, in exchange for love
If you're a faithful Time Warner Cable customer, your next Slingbox purchase could be on the house. Yesterday, the provider announced that it will offer full rebates to any Wideband internet subscribers who buy the $300 set-top box, as part of a promotion due to launch sometime in September. Jeffrey A. Hirsch, TWC's executive vice president and chief marketing officer, told the New York Times that the offer is geared solely toward promoting his company's $99 Wideband service, though it's hard to ignore the move's larger symbolism -- especially in light of that ongoing legal battle with Viacom over live streaming content to the iPad. Time Warner has yet to pinpoint a launch date for its new promotion, but we'll let you know as soon as we get word.
Time Inc. aims to please advertisers and your eyes, making all mags tablet-friendly by year's end
Do you love reading Time magazine on your tablet, but wish you had the same luxury with all of its related offerings? Oh boy, do we have fantastic news for you. As it stands, select Time Inc. publications are supported on the iPad, Android Marketplace, TouchPad, and Next Issue Media's store, but now the company has announced plans to make all 21 of its mags available on tablets by the year's end. Furthermore, support for the Nook Color will be added by the end of August with digital versions of Time, Sports Illustrated, People, and Fortune. Current subscribers to the print editions won't be left out either when it all rolls out, as they'll be able to opt-in for free upgrades with digital access. The decision is apparently tied to increasing "digital reach" for advertisers, but hey, ad-support isn't totally lame. Right? Full PR just past the break.
Time Warner CEO talks HBO Go expansion, first UltraViolet digital locker-enabled movies
The second quarter 2011 results for Time Warner came out today and while news of a successful quarter intrigues investors, we're keying in on the always chatty CEO Jeff Bewkes' comments about new technology including HBO Go, UltraViolet and even Netflix. After a successful launch for HBO Go on mobile devices with more than four million downloads, it will expand to Brazil and Mexico by the end of the year and Asia next year while also streaming to more connected TVs and game consoles. Another platform getting some love is the long awaited "digital locker" UltraViolet (Listen to our podcast with the man in charge for more background), which will be included on the Blu-ray releases of Green Lantern and Horrible Bosses later this year and fully integrated with recent purchase Flixster; we'll finally find out if buy once, play anywhere is really as good as it sounds. Oh, and that Albanian army Netflix? Bewkes may be warming up to it -- and the impressive profits posted by CBS after its new streaming deals -- so while HBO is probably still off of the table for streaming there may be other TV content from its library on the way in return for a fat licensing check.
Time Warner Cable iPad app update stomps out a few bugs
As promised, v2.0.1 of the TWCable TV iPad app has arrived with a slew of tweaks and bug fixes. The Time Warner Cable Untangled blog has a run-down of the release notes, claiming improved overall stability (no more crashes when you disconnect from WiFi with the app open), new filters and and effects on the guide, and DVR improvements including conflict resolution and more. Check the source link for a full list of the improvements or just head over to iTunes to grab the latest and greatest.
TWCable TV 2.0 iPad app getting a bugfix update by the end of the month
Time Warner Cable just rolled out v2.0 of its TWCable TV live TV streaming iPad app, adding remote control and DVR scheduling features while controversially blocking jailbroken tablets, but there's already another new version on the way. A post on the TWCableUntangled blog points out some known issues and troubleshooting tips, if you've been affected by crashes, incomplete results in the HD listings or other issues they should be resolved in the new version. Don't expect any change in the official policy against jailbroken devices, but those who believe their iPad has been incorrectly singled out are encouraged to contact the company with various information on their tablet.
Clearwire boosts NYC WiMAX coverage by 21 percent, 91,363 people rejoice uncontrollably
Consider yourself a New Yorker? If so, you could find yourself underneath Sprint / TWC / Clearwire's 4G umbrella, as the trio has announced a 21 percent coverage expansion in the greater New York City area. Folks in Alpine, Bayonne, Elizabeth, Fair Lawn, Newark, Paramus, Secaucus, Union, NJ; and Hartsdale, New Rochelle, New York, Rockville Centre, Yonkers, NY will now be covered in the regional Clear network, and as of last count, that amounts to an extra 91,363 people. 'Course, a few newcomers will be born every minute, so maybe we've breached 91,369 by now. Or maybe more. Talk about confusing.
Time Warner Cable adds channels, blocks jailbreakers
Time Warner Cable has updated its popular TWCable TV iPad app to version 2.0. Among the new features are the ability to view up to seven days of program listings in the interactive program guide, expanded channel selection with over 100 total channels available, and a remote DVR manager. Interestingly, as noted by Engadget, Time Warner went to some lengths to stop people using the app on jailbroken iPads. As you can see from the screenshot above, if your iPad is jailbroken and you launch the app you'll get the message "TWCable TV is not supported on 'jailbroken' devices." Users with jailbroken iPads are asked to restore their iPads to factory settings and then launch the app again. However the iPhoneDownload Blog has already figured out a bypass for running the new version of TWCable TV on jailbroken iPads.
Time Warner, Viacom legal spat over live streaming to iPad comes to a standstill
They haven't kissed and made up yet, but Viacom and Time Warner Cable are apparently willing to discuss a resolution to their TWCable TV iPad app litigation, so they've requested and been granted a "standstill" agreement. Spokespersons for both parties have declined to comment, but the move gives them time to try and work a deal out, but allows for the legal wrangling to be resumed at any time. We'll see if there's a deal in place before TWCable TV 2.0 arrives (according to the information we saw, that should be on the 28th).
Time Warner Cable internal docs reveal TWCable TV iPad app, DVR upgrades on the way
Internal documents we've received show Time Warner Cable is planning a major update for both its live TV streaming TWCable TV iPad app and many of its set-top boxes. TWCable TV 2.0 is scheduled to arrive on June 28th with new features including a seven day program guide, and the ability to use it as a remote control or to schedule the DVR remotely. Around that same time, its cable headends around the country will deliver the "Florence" update that brings its OpenCable Digital Navigator software to version 4.5 on certain Cisco, Motorola and Samsung set-top boxes. That should bring them up to speed with other platforms it uses, adding the ability to delete recordings in a multiroom setup, a transparent GUI, enhanced Start Over and Look Back features, settings to control aspect ratio, output resolution, pictures size and more. This may yet be the year we get to ditch the cable box, but while we still live with them you can see the full list of upgrades and which boxes will get them in the gallery and after the break. %Gallery-126624%
NC governor will let cable-backed bill restricting municipal broadband become law
We've repeatedly hammered Time Warner Cable (and its big-cable cronies) for crying to the North Carolina legislature about municipal broadband. TWC claims it can't compete with taxpayer-backed ISPs such as Wilson, NC's Greenlight -- and that it shouldn't have to. In fact, Greenlight and four other municipal providers came about specifically because corporate players refused to provide inexpensive, fast broadband. And now that local governments have proven they can provide it, the cable companies have cried foul, pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into select political pockets all the while. That's the drama so far, and now a bill restricting municipal broadband -- mandating that providers pay taxes similar to private companies, for example -- has landed on the desk of Governor Bev Perdue. She won't veto the bill, meaning it will soon become a law; for whatever it's worth (read: not much), she also refuses to sign it. The reason? Here it is from the horse's mouth: I will neither sign nor veto this bill. Instead, I call on the General Assembly to revisit this issue and adopt rules that not only promote fairness but also allow for the greatest number of high quality and affordable broadband options for consumers. The legislation strikes a blow against public ISPs in a country that ranks ninth in the world for broadband adoption and download speeds. And that, apparently, is what "fair competition" looks like in the US. [Image courtesy of IndyWeek]
Fox's latest anti-AllVid FCC filing suggests new pay-TV service is coming to gaming consoles
Forgotten what AllVid is already? Click here for more detail on the standard companies like Google and Sony are fighting for that would potentially let users directly access cable or satellite TV streams without a box. As one of the media companies trying to convince the FCC that the new AllVid replacement for CableCARD is unnecessary, Fox recently called the FCC and informed it of negotiations with a pay-TV service that wanted to license channels and VOD for streaming to videogame consoles. Even as it frets over Time Warner's TWCable iPad app, the filing suggests there's plenty of innovation going on and availability of content for consumer electronics devices already. Of course, pending any regulatory decisions we can only wonder which consoles or providers could be involved (our money is on the aforementioned Time Warner, but Cablevision, Comcast and all the rest are working on technology of their own, while AT&T finally brought its U-Verse to the Xbox here in the US last fall) but this should keep the rumor mill going until something is actually announced.
FearNet HD signs up Verizon FiOS, Time Warner and Comcast
As we'd heard last year, FearNet is expanding beyond just VOD and today it announced agreements with Time Warner, Verizon FiOS and Comcast placing the linear version of the horror channel on each service. Time Warner Cable should see its VOD on May 9th, and linear SD/HD channel on May 11th, while FiOS has it on channel 197 currently and Comcast has picked it up in Philadelphia with VOD currently available everywhere. Expect to see it pop up on your PC or tablet soon too, since the press release indicates it's down for the TV Everywhere swirl. There's also some details about upcoming series and plans for themed events to come, check them all out in the press release after the break.
Time Inc., Apple to offer free iPad downloads to print magazine subscribers
After months of speculation, Time Inc. has finally inked a deal with Apple that will allow print magazine subscribers to access the company's iPad editions for free. Beginning this week, subscribers to print versions of Sports Illustrated, Fortune, and Time will be able to download the iPad counterparts at no cost, directly within the magazines' apps. Today's deal comes just a few months after the company struck a similar arrangement with HP, but iPad users, unlike TouchPad readers, still won't be able to purchase exclusively digital subscriptions to Time Inc.'s stable of publications. It's no secret that Time Inc. wants to incorporate digital subscriptions to its iPad model, but negotiations have hit some roadblocks, largely thanks to disputes over how Apple shares subscriber data. Publishers say they need that data to apply the TV Everywhere model to magazines, but Apple thinks subscriber information should only be shared on an opt-in basis. We don't really expect Apple to budge any time soon, but execs at Time Inc. seem optimistic, telling the Wall Street Journal that today's deal proves that the two parties are "moving closer" on the issue -- apparently not close enough, however, for Apple to comment.
Time Inc. magazine subscribers to get iPad versions for free
Time Inc. is reportedly in talks with Apple to let print subscribers access the iPad version of its magazines for free. According to a Wall Street Journal report, subscribers to Sports Illustrated, Time and Fortune magazines will be able to download the iPad app and use the app's built-in authentication scheme to identify them as print subscribers. This arrangement, already available for People magazine subscribers, will debut on Monday. Apple introduced subscription-based pricing earlier this year, and many magazines now offer digital versions for a nominal fee separate from the cost of the print version. Parent company Time Warner took a different approach and extended its television-based "View Anywhere" model to its magazines. This outlook allows paying customers to access content across platforms -- cable customers can watch TV, and print magazine subscribers can read content on their iPad. By bundling its digital version with the print version for one flat price, Time Inc. is trying to innovate in the struggling print media market. The media company will announce its Q1 financial earnings on Wednesday May 4, and this new subscription model may be a bright spot in what is expected to be a quarter of flat performance.
Cable TV iPad apps prove popular with customers
GigaOm has posted some interesting numbers about cable providers' apps that allow subscribers to watch TV right on their iPads. Time Warner Cable stated on its earnings call that its TWCable TV app has been downloaded more than 360,000 times in just under a month. Comcast's Xfinity TV app (out since November) has been downloaded a whopping 1.5 million times, and Cablevision's Optimum app had 50,000 downloads in just five days. All signs are pointing to the fact that cable subscribers love to be able to stream their shows to the iPad. Now, of course there are those pesky lawsuits from content distributors who are attempting to keep their channels off the iPad apps, but thankfully some cooler heads are prevailing. With the impressive download numbers above suggesting that people love viewing their cable TV service on the iPad, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before commercials start appearing that highlight a company's iPad app as a feature of choosing one cable company over another.
Time Warner Cable's iPad app adds a few more channels, promises new sorting / filtering features
There's no update at this time on the legal squabbling over TWCable TV, but that hasn't stopped Time Warner Cable from shoving 14 more channels into its live TV streaming iPad app. That includes feeds like Fox Business Network, Discovery HD Theater (until it becomes Velocity anyway) and Cartoon Network. Peep the full list after the break or on the official blog, as well as details on new sorting features it has planned, now that the channel count has reached a grand total of 73 simply scrolling through just won't cut it.
