Time Warner Releasing First Live TV iPad App
March 14, 2011
In a first for a cable or satellite provider, Time Warner announced today it will release an iPad app that plays live TV. The free app will launch in the App Store tomorrow morning, March 15, according to the Associated Press.
According to Rob Marcus, Time Warner’s chief operating officer and president, the app will play 30 basic cable channels in high definition to start, but that number should be expanded soon.
He stated:
"For all intents and purposes ... this enables you to convert any room in a house into a TV room.”However, the app is not without its faults. For one, the service will only work on an iPad connected to Time Warner’s cable modem via a Wi-Fi router. Second, it does not act as a remote control, like apps offered by Comcast, DirecTV, and others. Also, you cannot use the app to access video on demand or watch shows stored on a digital video recorder. Still, Time Warner should be applauded for being the first such company to offer live TV on the iPad. More importantly, it signals other companies will be forced to offer live TV on their apps too.
