Cablevision Opens the (iPad) Firehose

By  |  Monday, April 4, 2011 at 8:59 am

Leave it to Cablevision… True to form, they’ve thrown caution to the wind and have launched the full fledged STB replacement iPad app we’ve been waiting for:

  • ƒApproximately 300 channels of live television
  • ƒMore than 2,000 titles of Video on demand (VOD) available today, with Cablevision’s full VOD library expected to be encoded and available by early summer
  • ƒEnhanced guide information that is fully searchable and able to be filtered based on genre, cast, time of day and favorite channels
  • ƒ The ability to schedule future DVR recordings and manage (erase) previously-recorded content
  • ƒ Full parental controls (specific to each iPad)
  • ƒ Closed Captioning

While other television providers attempt to broker deals and succumb to studio pressure, Cablevision has simply opened the firehose. Your iPad is your television. As with any set-top box, content is delivered from Cablevision’s head end into one’s home and doesn’t rely on Internet delivery. In fact, that’s the crux of Cablevision’s content licensing stance:

Cablevision uses its secure and proprietary 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. 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.

While I can’t imagine many folks own iPad yet don’t subscribe to broadband, Cablevision will provide a free Internet-disabled DOCIS modem to relay television content into to home. (Making it all sound a bit like AllVid.)

A year from now, I imagine all major providers will have similar tablet solutions and the majority of studios/channels will be onboard. But right now, I sure wish I was a Cablevision customer.

(This post republished from Zatz Not Funny.)

 

 
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7 Comments For This Post

  1. Guest Says:
    April 4th, 2011 at 9:22 am

    And just why want I want to watch Cablevision on a 'tiny' iPad screen? Especially when I have to have a special Cablevision modem hooked up to the iPad??? YAWN!!! Who cares…

  2. The_Heraclitus Says:
    April 4th, 2011 at 10:13 am

    My thoughts exactly. I have large flat screens for this. Now,what WOULD be exciting is if this service WAS via internet connection. Otherwise, not something to trumpet.

  3. Paul Says:
    April 4th, 2011 at 9:46 am

    The iPad viewbility will presumably work anywhere you have internet access and the modeom is for cable subscribers who do not have broadband internet at home. It doesn't sound like it's a required element.

  4. jltnol Says:
    April 4th, 2011 at 9:55 am

    They want to push content to iPads because they can SAVE MONEY by not pushing the larger files required for full sized HDTV's to your home. Cheaper for them, not the best viewing experience for you.

  5. jltnol Says:
    April 4th, 2011 at 9:57 am

    And if the content is available anywhere on the internet, one would assume it has to travel on the internet to get there…. Even if it only can be accessed by a Cablevision modem, at some point it has to travel via WiFi to get to the iPad.

  6. davezatz Says:
    April 4th, 2011 at 11:00 am

    The content is not available anywhere on the Internet. Only within your home. But you're right, it needs to move from Cablevision's network to a home IP network for the iPad to pick it up via WiFi.

  7. Keith Says:
    April 4th, 2011 at 10:27 pm

    I started using it and I like it. I now have a tv in my basement and garage. It works directly off of your existing wifi. The video looks good. Its clear and isn't choppy which is something I worried about beforehand. The software is also faster than on my cable box. For the extra cost of $0 it's well worth it.