“Comcast, the United States’ largest cable and internet provider, is working on a television streaming solution for iPads, to compete with Cablevision and Time Warner. The streaming product was announced earlier this year, but details haven’t been released until now,” Jordan Golson reports for MacRumors.
“The product, called AnyPlay, allows Comcast subscribers to view live television on their iPad as long as it’s connected to their home network; users must have a special Motorola box which, apparently, takes the live cable stream and sends it directly to the Xfinity TV iPad app over a local wireless network,” Golson reports. “The service won’t work over Wi-Fi from other locations, or via 3G.”
Golson reports, “Other solutions, like Time Warner’s, stream live video over an internet connection. Comcast’s AnyPlay appears to be a cable box that sends video to the iPad rather than to a television. Users can watch “most” channels included with their Xfinity TV service. Users can register up to 10 tablets, but only watch live TV on one tablet at a time.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Excrement by committee. If implemented as described, this horrible mess will be the very worst “solution” for iPad users offered by any major U.S. cable provider, by far.
iPad owners should hate Comcast.
Related articles:
Cablevision premieres iPad TV app for ‘optimum package’ customers – April 4, 2011
Time Warner Cable releases TWCable TV 2.0; now with over 100 channels – July 7, 2011
“AnyPlay”… (restrictions apply).
+1!
Exactly the same as Time Warner’s pathetic system.
No, actually it isn’t.
TWCable TV app
you’re right. I stopped reading to fast. It sucks even more. didn’t think that was possible.
Next time: Less reading, more using.
I use the TWCable TV app everyday. So does my wife. So does my daughter. Three iPads watching whatever they want concurrently. Setting DVRs. Browsing the guides and changing channels. Works perfectly. No extra box required. No awful single iPad limit.
Don’t bother typing any further about what you clearly do not understand.
Can you subscribe to TWC TV internet only, without having to have the cable to home hookup, if you already have other internet service?
Uhhh. I can do that myself. Not a solution. Comcast Cares (r). Yeah right.
This is what dish network doss…
I can stream any show to my iPad, as long as I have the newest set top box from them.
I’m shocked, *shocked* at reports that cable companies make for lousy software developers….
Rent another box from Comcast so I can watch on my iPad rather than my flat screen tv? I don’t think so.
MDN Everyone hates Comcast!!
I call our Cable Op/IP CONcast. Our system was one of the many swapped between Time-Warner and CONcast a few years ago, and CONcast makes TW look good.
Shitty digital TV, shitty Internet and extortion- range billing on packages arranged to make you buy the whole shot sandwich just to get the few decent channels.
When will they cater to iPad users directly? I live in a rural town that has no cable provider. The only thong available is satellite (which I also don’t subscribe). But if they offered services to mobile devices, then it would open a whole demographic that no one has tapped yet. Hold outs like me might be enticed to do cable. But it has to be truly mobile and not tied to some anchor box.
Yes they should do that. All they need is to put a TV receiver into the iPad. And they should add a huge hard drive so it can be a DVR. Oh and rabbit ears built in for good reception. And then Apple should build a 32″ iPad for HD reception. That would sell like hotcakes in the boondocks, wouldn’t it?
Actually you just need every Network / Premium channel to wake up and realize they can sell their programming directly to you via an APP … like ABC Player, NBC Player, HBO GO, TNT, TNN, and MLB @ Bat.
All I’m missing at this point as far as APPs goes is – HBO selling an iPad only subscription plan, CBS, Comedy Central, FX, ESPN and the local Fox Sports affiliate. I’d pay top dollar for an NFL and NHL APP that was the same caliber as MLB @ Bat. If I could get those, I’d drop cable in a second!
Hopefully iOS 5 will end the hit and miss availability of AirPlay with HD Mirroring. Hopefully I’ll be able to beam any of the “Player” APPs to my AppleTV 2 and watch them on my HDTV. That would be the ultimate mobile entertainment / cable & dish destroyer.
That’s my point. Either break the chains of cable and get premium channels or news streams via apps (without provider subscription), or the cable providers make an app for mobile customers that stream the channels. What? They can’t provide their content via the web? Or they can’t serve as a hub for the various channels that already have apps? Comcast, Time Warner and the rest bid for town contracts and therefore have no possibility to attract subscribers who live outside their area. A web-based gateway delivered to an iPad customer would give them access to customers outside their markets. And give customers choice and services. Win-win.
Why on Earth if I am sitting in my house would I want to use my iPad to watch TV on … I have a lovely 37″ I can watch it on.
More 12 year old dork thinking.
How about so your kids can go sit in their rooms to watch whatever they want to watch on the iPad, while you watch the NFL game on the big screen?
How about using an iPad on a nightstand as a substitute for buying another TV for a bedroom?
How about mounting your iPad to the treadmill / bike / sauna so you can watch the News while working out?
How about using the magnetic smart cover to mount the iPad to the fridge while you follow a recipe on a cooking show?
More “I don’t want it, why would anyone else want it” thinking.
And you forgot to mention the “strap it on one twin while the other” option. Guess you missed that one. Works great!
well if you are like me… I GO OUTSIDE and sit on the deck and enjoy the nice breeze, and watch some Action flick or something. oh… at full blast at 11pm.
yep I’ll just drag my 55″ HDTV outside, along with my home theater system… by the time i’m done setting everything back up outside.. I could have just watched the whole thing on the iPad.
Or maybe people could watch the TV/Movie on their iPad in Bed and not wake up their spouse?…
Oh and as iFan pointed out. I also have a mount in my kitchen while I cook… With my bluetooth stereo headset.
Or should I drag everything in there as well?
Many reasons to watch the stuff on your iPad, if you are not smart enough to think up any…. well there you go.
MDN:
According to you Comcast is a company that deserves to be “hated”. Given your unabashed dislike and animosity toward Comcast how is it that Comcast, as described in the article, is also the nation’s largest cable and internet provider?
That is, how is it possible that company with such success in securing and maintaining a customer base did so without providing some reasonable measure of customer service at a price that customers were willing to pay? Wouldn’t customers have chosen another competitive internet or cable service provider if there needs were not being met? Please explain.
they are the biggest due to the purchases they make…
they bought MANY rivals to become that largest cable company.
I have CONcast, and let me tell you… they DESERVE all the bashing. (for my internet, not my TV)
I told them why my internet was out, they kept telling me it was my fault… wanted to charge me to come out and prove they were right. (this is cust service 1000 miles from me… not local people)
The tech they sent, along with two…… supervisors, apologized after 10 minutes. when they realized THEIR equipment was broken on the pole.
this was over a period of 3 F’n weeks of telling them daily they had a problem with their box on the pole, I told them I could look out the window and SEE the problem… but It was my PC causing all the problems….
I won’t go into the BS they just did to me this spring when I switched to business class at home to avoid the stupid 250gb/month data cap…
It’s either Concast business internet at home, Or my local DSL… which is MUCH slower. my only 2 options.
Given the virtual monopoly cable companies have over their territories, you must realize that having the largest customer base has nothing to do with being the best. If there were true competition, then cable rates would have dropped over time. In fact, they’ve risen. DSL is limited to a maximum geographic distance from the repeater, or whatever it is it needs. Satellite is limited by a need for direct view to the satellite.
I can’t speak for MDN but at my house there is no alternative, practically speaking. Comcast Internet is fast and reliable for the last 15 years. The TV service though is irritating. I don’t pay for their digital TV services and since the federally mandated switch to digital OTA transmission Comcast is increasingly compressing and shrinking the screen dimensions of programs that are on their channels like USA SyFy, etc. Channel logos are now pixelated because of the extreme compression. But more irritating is the screen dimensions because the program is shrunk but commercials are not nor are the teaser overlays (think Characters Welcome).
If I bypass the decider box and cable directly to the TV, local OTA digital transmission come across gorgeously (I’m rural and digital TV signals don’t quite reach my house). I called Comcast about this recently and was told that over time I won’t get even local OTA channel on the cable. And as for their programming, the bought SyFy and cancelled Eureka as being too expensive and are showing more wrestling on the SyFy channel — go figure.
So I bought the Splashto HD iPad app so Hulu on a desktop can be redirected (audio and video) to my iPad.
So comcast’s business model is essentially pay us more to see the programming full size and full quality as it was originally delivered. They pay for video gear to shrink and compress programming that they resell at a lower cost. That’s irritating.
as for the SyFy/Wrestling stuff.
For those that care 😉
WWE when they moved to SyFy on fridays (I know cause they came on right before Sanctuary, in turn making it start LATE every week… grrrrrr) SyFy has had higher ratings during wrestling than any show they have ever made… Sad but true.
Now I heard WWE will make their own wrestling channel next year, will they still be on SyFy? I dunno.. I doubt SyFy wants them off though.
As for your shrinking etc on your Concast… yeah, My parents have ConCast cable at their house… I noticed that also.
I went to Dish years ago, 10+ at least.. I have no problems with them. If you are that far out there, look at Satellite. I prefer Dish, but DirecTV is the bigger company. (I just never liked DirecTV’s pricing and UI)
Yes customers would, and that’s exactly what I did. Dumped Comcrap for DirecTV. They’re no saints either, but at least their signal is clear.
Sounds like they are “sling”ing the feed, presumably building a Slingbox inside the cable box.
Comcruft. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruft)
AnyPoop.
Could be MDN but I have HBO GO and it’s great! Works perfectly even when I’m not at home. All I need is WiFi and I have HBO. Beautiful.
Yeah i LOVE HBO Go also. works exactly as advertised.
I also have the NBC app…. does NOT work as advertised lol. (ABC player does though)
Everyone should hate Comcast. I have not yet encountered a cable provider that deserves anything better. The same applies to wireless providers. They *all* suck to greater or lesser degrees. Their top priority is profit, and it shows in the capricious and unscrupulous manner in which they treat their “customers.”
Key characteristics of a doomed technology proposal that would benefit only a few companies and screw consumers:
I like to give companies credit for trying. This service would be kind of cool around the house. It might not be identical as the Time Warner or Cable Vision apps but it’s very similar. Directv is talking about their new Nomad box that will download DVR recordings to your device while you’re home. Sounds interesting but I don’t need anything else taking up memory on my phone or tablet. This is all in a push for “TV Everywhere” but in the end you are still tied to your home network. I have the only service that lets me watch Live TV and DVR recordings on my phone or tablet. I have the Sling Adapter from DISH Network, my TV provider/employer. Only Sling lets me watch all of my 250 plus channels everywhere I go. If I have cell signal I have live TV and full DVR play back/control. The TV Everywhere race is interesting to watch, but I see there are some teams with some catching up to do.