It's good to be first! Well, sort of. This week, the web was practically buzzing with the news that Time Warner was planning to launch an iPad app that would allow subscribers to view live TV. Many outlets picked up on the story, as well as the claim that Time Warner would be the first to offer such a service.
That's sort of true. As The Wall Street Journal points out, Time Warner will actually be the first cable company to offer the live TV thing. DISH Network has been doing that deed since the DISH Remote Access iPad app was announced and released in December 2010. DISH Remote Access works with the company's $99 Sling Adapter or with the sling-loaded ViP922 DVR, allowing subscribers live access to their DISH channel lineup, as well as to the entire contents of their DVR. It also allows customers to schedule recordings remotely in case they left for vacation and forgot to set their favorite shows to record.
Time Warner's app will be available for free starting on Tuesday morning, but only for subscribers to both Time Warner's video and Internet services. Unlike DISH Remote Access, which works anywhere in the world that you can find an internet connection, the Time Warner app only works within the home, when the iPad is connected to the subscriber's Wi-Fi-enabled cable modem.
Also, unlike the DISH service, Time Warner customers won't be able to access their entire cable lineup. The service is expected to offer 30 HD channels at launch, with more on the way. Also, the service will not include any type of DVR access.
DIRECTV recently launched its own iPad app. Comcast, Cablevision and Verizon's Xfinity are all working on similar offerings for subscribers with an iPad.
For More Information:
