Comcast to offer AnyPlay live TV streaming service on Apple's iPad
Comcast, the largest cable provider in the U.S., is said to be working on a new live television streaming service called AnyPlay, which will let iPad users stream live TV to its existing Xfinity TV iOS application.
According to a leaked screenshot obtained by MacRumors, the upcoming AnyPlay feature will let Comcast subscribers watch most channels included in their Xfinity TV service on the iPad, except for On Demand and Pay-Per-View programs.
AnyPlay will be limited to in-home use, as the service requires iPad owners to be in the proximity of a Motorola-made cable box. That hardware will allegedly send the live cable stream to the Xfinity TV iPad.
In addition to the AnyPlay box, users will also require an active Xfinity TV subscription and a high-speed wireless Internet connection to be able to watch live TV on the tablet.
The service will not work over other any other Wi-Fi or 3G network and will be limited to up to 10 registered tablets per home. Only one device can be used at a time to stream live TV programs.
The Xfinity TV iOS application, available in the App Store as a free download (iTunes link) for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, currently lets users access On Demand programs, browse through TV listings and control TVs and DVRs.
According to a leaked screenshot obtained by MacRumors, the upcoming AnyPlay feature will let Comcast subscribers watch most channels included in their Xfinity TV service on the iPad, except for On Demand and Pay-Per-View programs.
AnyPlay will be limited to in-home use, as the service requires iPad owners to be in the proximity of a Motorola-made cable box. That hardware will allegedly send the live cable stream to the Xfinity TV iPad.
In addition to the AnyPlay box, users will also require an active Xfinity TV subscription and a high-speed wireless Internet connection to be able to watch live TV on the tablet.
The service will not work over other any other Wi-Fi or 3G network and will be limited to up to 10 registered tablets per home. Only one device can be used at a time to stream live TV programs.
The Xfinity TV iOS application, available in the App Store as a free download (iTunes link) for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, currently lets users access On Demand programs, browse through TV listings and control TVs and DVRs.
Comments
AnyPlay feature will let Comcast subscribers watch most channels
Fail. These old media and cable companies have got to stop being so provincial in their thinking. If your streaming service is limited to your own customers, then what is the point? They could just as easily turn on the damn TV.
AnyPlay will be limited to in-home use, as the service requires iPad owners to be in the proximity of a Motorola-made cable box. That hardware will allegedly send the live cable stream to the Xfinity TV iPad.
In addition to the AnyPlay box, users will also require an active Xfinity TV subscription and a high-speed wireless Internet connection to be able to watch live TV on the tablet.
Ugh. How cumbersome, and short-sighted. If I have wifi, why shouldn't I be able to pay a cable subscription fee and just download the shows directly - why do I have to use a cable box? And why do I have to be at home - do these bozos not understand that the future is untethered, that I should be able to access content (to which I have rights) anywhere?
Four or more kids often present at home. Seldom do they want to watch the same thing (fender and age differences alone push them to did interests) No wonder old-fashioned media companies are getting swamped by the tidal wave of customer desires
Maybe apple can dig into their warchest and fund an epic legal smacdown on ComCast
Just get a Slingbox. Even at the ~US$280 cost, it will let you watch and control your own TV and watch any channel you get at home anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection. Over a LAN you will be able to stream in extreme high quality, even HD if you get the more expensive box. But even just standard res TV looks great when streamed over broadband.
I often watch a low quality stream using my Sprint unlimited 3G connection. It works very, very well.
You could even dump your expensive cable habit at home and split the cost of a cable connection with a friend, then put in a Slingbox and just log on and watch whenever you want. The upgraded model comes with its own tuner so you can both watch different channels at the same time. The money you would save on cable would pay for the box in half a year.
Fail. Why would I need to stream to an iPad if I'm at home? Because I prefer a 10" screen to an HD TV? More useless thinking from Comcast.
no kids? single?
there has never been a time you wanted to watch football and the wife wanted dancing with the stars?
Fail. Why would I need to stream to an iPad if I'm at home? Because I prefer a 10" screen to an HD TV? More useless thinking from Comcast.
Ditto
no kids? single?
there has never been a time you wanted to watch football and the wife wanted dancing with the stars?
most homes have more than one set already wired...most falilies have not just one tv in the living room, but the home office, master bedroom, playroom, basement and so on...but I do have to say that I like the idea of having teh NFL Red zone channel playing on my ipad in the bathroom or kitchen so I dont miss anything
Fail. These old media and cable companies have got to stop being so provincial in their thinking. If your streaming service is limited to your own customers, then what is the point? They could just as easily turn on the damn TV.
It will allow customers to watch anywhere, and not just where the TV is located. In bed, on the throne, in the backyard, etc.
That is the point. The iPad is a portable device. The wall-mounted big-screen TV is not. HTH.
It will allow customers to watch anywhere, and not just where the TV is located. In bed, on the throne, in the backyard, etc.
That is the point. The iPad is a portable device. The wall-mounted big-screen TV is not. HTH.
Exactly. The consumer benefit is portability, which some TV viewers care about while others couldn't care less.
I'm one who likes having the iPad portability. I enjoy sitting on the terrace and watching live local baseball games without going the cost of subscribing to MLB TV via Internet streaming. For more than a year I've been using an EyeTV tuner with an iMac and home LAN to stream live unencrypted video to my iPad, using the EyeTV remote app. Unencrypted signals are primarily the local TV stations that "basic cable" subscribers are limited to watching.
The only problem is that you can't see the Comcast encrypted channels unless the signal passes through a Comcast set top box, but then you lose the remote channel selection capability on the iPad. (There is a workaround, but it's complex and probably more trouble than it's worth.)
The new Comcast app will probably solve the problem, but there's no question that the target consumer segment is rather narrow at this time. Just look at this as a small move on Comcast's part to retain subscribers, during a period of enormous turmoil over how visual content is being delivered to the home.
The TV has to be demoted to just another device (like the computer will be with iCloud), and I can stream and view from any device (TV, laptop, tablet, phone, watch, refrigerator, whatever).
Second, as with iTunes, Jobs and Apple convinced content providers to break up albums. Why can't I break up my channel selection which is forced on me by Comcast (and others), and buy channels ala carte.
It's ridiculous that I have to pay for 230 channels (30 of which are idiotic music channels), but I only watch 10 of those.