Cablevision has joined TIme Warner in letting subscribers stream shows to their iPads via their own Optimum app. The iOS app was approved today and is available in the United States only. Currently Cablevision offers hundreds of live channels, as well as access to Video on Demand programs.
If you’ve been following our story of Time Warner’s troubles with their iPad app this week, you’ll know that content providers have been raising quite a fuss over having their content streamed, resulting in 12 channels being pulled from the app on Thursday. Discovery Networks, Viacom, and Fox Cable Networks issued cease-and-desist orders to Time Warner over their streaming app.
In addition to live TV and Video on Demand, the Optimum app also allows you to browse the TV listings and set recording of shows on your DVR. Pay-per-view, digital music, and interactive channels are not available on the app.
At the moment, Cablevision hasn’t had to pull back any channels, although given that today is Saturday, I suspect the lawyers will be descending on Cablevision sometime in the next few days, once they get wind of it.
I’m not sure what the networks are objecting to, since Cablevision and Time Warner are already delivering the content to their subscribers on their TVs. The iPad is just another screen, surely? It seems absurd to me.
What do you think? Are networks really that backwards, or is there another play here, one that involves the networks charging you again for access to their content?
Article Via Variety
