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“In the latest example of the slim device attracting the attention of the TV industry, Verizon Communications Inc. on Wednesday demonstrated an application that turns the iPad into another screen for its cable-TV service,” Svensson reports. “If the application sees the light of day next year as planned, subscribers of Verizon’s FiOS TV service could walk around the home with their iPads and watch live TV. They would be able to channel-surf right on the touch screen, with no need for a remote… Verizon’s service would be available only to subscribers.”
Svensson reports, “The big obstacle to taking TV signals further is that the owners of the TV channels have to be convinced that it’s a good idea. Verizon doesn’t want to launch the service with just a few channels. It would rather wait until next year if that means it can launch with a full suite of programming, Shawn Strickland, Verizon’s vice president of consumer strategy and planning, said. It doesn’t plan to charge extra for iPad viewing.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Gregory M.” for the heads up.]
Sounds like an interesting idea for those who want TV in an area of the house that doesn’t have a cable jack. It could be nice to have the iPad stream HBO’s True Blood while working in the garage, garden or backyard.
The challenge will be if you could watch premium channels (HBO, HDNet, Discovery HD, etc) without a cable box. FIOS requires a set top box for every TV even for basic channels, unlike traditional cable that you can just plug-in to a jack.
Looking forward to seeing how this plays out.
Hmmm, OK, ya’ got my attention, Verizon. Might have potential…
I love FiOS!
Big question for me, is FIOS subscription only, or can you download and keep?
I made a horrifying mistake on iTunes one night- Rented a show instead of buying it, and was left in a position where I had to pay twice.
Can’t stand subscription services- ESPECIALLY ad supported ones, and if I can’t buy, download and keep media here at home, I don’t want it.
AT&T’s U-Verse does this too, and it works now.
“It doesn’t plan to charge extra for iPad viewing”
That point is VERY important! I’m already paying for 3 FIOS TV boxes and extra channels.
If they offer this service as a free enhancement for their current service it may be enough to keep me from switching to AT&T’s service. (that and giving me a bigger hard drive for their DVR, their current DVR HD is SOOOOOO SMALL I wonder why I’m paying for it)
Oh, and to add to the above,
This is a great idea and would be very cool, please do it!
If anyone needed another piece of evidence that the iPhone is coming to Verizon, this is it. Apple and Verizon are obviously getting on the same page.
Wow, this is great news for the 75 people who actually live in an area serviced by Verizon FIOS.
@Sixvodkas
There are times when I want to buy a movie, but I for one am content to spend $4 for the family to watch a movie. I typically use my $8/month Netflix account to watch most stuff. Small prices to pay for having store the entire archive.
You can watch tv on the pad already with sling box and the sling player. Not to mention it’s completely free if you connect to your existing cable/sat box at home.
Don’t really get the appeal of mobile TV/movie viewing on a ridiculously small screen… bigger is better.
And the bigger, the better.
@MaxBill
They must have expanded last I knew only about ten people could get service.
Does MDN have a thesaurus? Maybe you can come up with something other than “revolutionary”!!! Eesh
@Diggitydog
MDN has a lot of its reputation at stake with the success of the gadget. As people continue to wonder what to do with the glass slate device, sales level off and MDN’s predictions look doubtful.
Therefore, the heavy promotion by MDN continues – as though 12 people who come to this site don’t already have an iPad. I haven’t seen any media mention anywhere beyond this site that credits MDN for the sale of any iPad.
We know the iPad is revolutionary, we know that Dell is beleagured. Including those adjectives in every headline is just bad journalism.
@Spark,
Verizon also makes an iPhone app that allows me to control my Verizon FIOS DVR from anywhere. Not a bad app.
My EyeTV gear can stream television to my iPad. It also provides iPad access to TV Guide, which not only allows me to switch channels on the fly, but I can also instruct my Mac to record, remotely.
Eye TV will even stream over 3G.
WooHoo! FiOS is finally paying off.
The Other Steve – There’s an app for that? Will have to look in to that. Thanks.
“The big obstacle to taking TV signals further is that the owners of the TV channels have to be convinced that it’s a good idea.”
Can someone explain why they even get a say in the matter? Are they going to decide what brand of tv they will allow next?
FIOS is a cable TV service…
Both FIOS and U-Verse have yet to make it into the more densely populated areas of the country- the simple trials of infrastructure improvement into apartment buildings and such will likely keep such services away from the inner-city dweller for many more years. Alas. I’d love to have FIOS, which is both an internet and a phone and TV service, but, so far, am living with DSL and, yup, an antenna for TV. Most of my program viewing is done via the internet, anyway, with the occasional network show.
Engadget just ran a story yesterday that Verizon is upgrading their DVRs in Q4 and this will not only upgrade their crappy interface but FINALLY allow the use of external storage. The 120GB drive in the old 6419 WAS.NOT.BIG.ENOUGH for HD.
Verizon not charging extra? I don’t believe a word of it, that will change.
This is after all the company that disables features on phone hardware and then makes customers pay to turn them on and use them.
Greedy farks they are, not to be trusted..
The key will be the suite of programming offered. Currently my FIOS gives me wirelessly all of netflix in my iPad. I get it all within the range of my FIOS modem at home imagine that in addition Fios allows me to tap into their other access centers free by using PW and a built in locator.