Thursday, August 26, 2010

Live TV Coming To iPad, Courtesy Verizon

Live TV Coming To iPad, Courtesy Verizon
There’s no denying that the Apple iPad is a fantastic multi-purpose gadget – be it surfing the web, listening to music or watching your favorite movies, everything works like a charm. And it’s going to get even better now with live TV all set to be available on the iPad. NewTeeVee reports that Verizon plans [...]

There’s no denying that the Apple iPad is a fantastic multi-purpose gadget – be it surfing the web, listening to music or watching your favorite movies, everything works like a charm. And it’s going to get even better now with live TV all set to be available on the iPad. NewTeeVee reports that Verizon plans to launch an iPad app that will enable subscribers of its FiOS service to stream live TV over their home Wi-Fi networks. The app is expected to be available early next year.

The app has a neat interface with a mosaic of animated JPEG thumbnail images of what other FiOS TV customers are watching in your viewing area. Just tap on any of these miniature screens to begin the live TV app in full-screen mode on your magnificent iPad display.

Clearly, this is a massive move by Verizon to gain more customers amidst stiff competition from Time Warner and Walt Disney. The app is named “What’s Hot” and is designed to allow users to pick the program they want to view in full screen on the iPad from a display of live shows that are popular with local audiences. Verizon is now working out its media partner arrangements in line for next year’s commercial launch. The company currently has 3.8 million customers for its FiOS Internet and 3.2 million for FiOS TV.

The iPad Live TV app will have certain limitations though – subscribers will only be able to watch linear programming within their own homes. So while iPad may be a portable device, the live TV service will only work as long as you stay in the house. Verizon says that it’s working hard on removing this limitation in order to let customers watch live TV on their iPad anywhere, as long as they have a Wi-Fi connection.

While Live TV is not uncommon these days, the iPad app marks Verizon’s first foray into this keenly contested market segment. Will the Verizon iPad app be a game changer for the live TV industry? Time will tell.





Bar Refaeli
Malin Akerman
Mila Kunis

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