The free WiFi hotspot is available to Time Warner customers who have a standard internet subscription, or a Business Class subscription. Those who do not have either will be offered a free trial period to test out the hotspots, and will later be required to pay an access fee with packages starting at $2.95 an hour. The hotspots have become available starting today, and customers will be able to find their nearest hotspot using the TWC WiFi app available in both Google Play and the iOS App Store.

Google recently confirmed that it will be deploying its Google Fiber network in the city of Austin, Texas. Its internet service offers customers free internet with speeds of up to 5Mbps as long as the customer is willing to pay the installation fee. Customers can also opt for 1Gbps data speeds for $70 a month, or get both 1Gbps data speeds and the Google Fiber TV service for $120 a month.

TWC stated that due to Google’s announcement, the company has to be more aggressive in deploying its free WiFi networks. Not only that, but AT&T also plans on bringing its own 1Gbps fiber service to Austin, Texas as well. The competition is growing dangerously in the city, and in order to keep its subscribers, TWC knows that it needs to step up its game. But we know that its going to take more than free WiFi hotspots to keep customers from switching over to Google Fiber or AT&T, because contrary to what TWC’s CFO might think, customers do want 1Gbps data speeds.

[via Time Warner Cable]

Starting tomorrow, the iOS app will allow users to stream live TV content from Aspire, BBC America, beIn, Big Ten Network, FearNet, Fox News Channel, Fox Business, GMC, Pac-12 Network, TV Guide Network, as well as NY1 for New York citizens. There will also be several video on-demand streaming services available from BBC America, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nick, Univision, and many more networks.

According to Engadget, Android users will receive this update sometime in Q2. Also, users on Verizon Wireless will see some limitations while streaming content over their 3G/4G networks. The limitation will be removed sometime in Q4. Time Warner will also reportedly be seeing a complete revamp of its web portal sometime next month. It’s recommended, for various reasons, that users stream content through WiFi.

When Time Warner launched its live TV app for iPad two years ago, it received an overwhelming demand for the service, so overwhelming that the company’s servers were overloaded. Letting users to stream live content, even while away from their homes, will drastically increase the company’s mobile activity. This will be especially true in the future as soon as it begins allowing more live TV content, as well as on-demand content, to be streamed outside of the user’s home. This is all a part of a new change in television known as “TV Everywhere”.

[via Bloomberg]

Time Inc., on the other hand, will be operating as a publicly traded company. It will focus all of its efforts on its publications, including very popular magazines like In Style, People, Marie Claire, Sports Illustrated, Time (of course), Entertainment Weekly, and a whole bunch of others. Time Inc. will continue to do fine on its own. It’s publications are read by half of the United States’s adult population, as well as millions of other readers all around the world.

As of right now, Time Inc.’s current CEO, Laura Lang, will continue to stay on with the company while this separation process is still taking place. Eventually, however, she will find a new CEO to replace her. She is searching for someone who is “a different kind of CEO”. Time Warner’s CEO and Chairman, Jeff Bawkes, stated, “She has been a great partner who has given Time Inc. forward momentum to make this transition possible.”

Time Warner is hoping to close this deal by the end of the year. It still has to be approved by the SEC and afterwards, the terms must be finalized by Time Warner’s board of directors. Both of the companies together formed one of the biggest, fully-fledged media companies around, so it’s a bit depressing to seem them break apart. However, they both have enough pull to survive. With Time Inc.’s huge selection of magazines and Time Warner’s TV stations like TBS, TNT, CWTV, HBO (Game of Thrones!), CNN and more, both have all of the assets they need to thrive without each other.

[via Business Wire]

In fact, Esteves pointed out, Time Warner Cable is already selling high-speed service, it’s just that the only people who will pay for it are businesses. “We’re already delivering 1 gigabit, 10 gigabit-per-second to our business customers,” she said, “so we certainly have the capability of doing it.”

For consumers, though, the demand has been quite different, the CFO argues. “A very small fraction of our customer base” pick Time Warner Cable’s faster home options, which top out at the “Ultimate” package with up to 50Mbps downloads and up to 5Mbps uploads. The majority of its packages are under 20Mbps, however, with uploads of at most 5Mbps.

“We’re in the business of delivering what consumers want, and to stay a little ahead of what we think they will want” Esteves says, taking a contrary stance to Google’s “we will need fiber” attitude. However, that’s not to say Time Warner Cable wouldn’t be happy if Google encouraged people to need speedier service, with the CFO pointing out that should the search giant discover a “magic pill” to drive faster broadband adoption, the ISP would move to cater to that demand.

Unsurprisingly, the exec’s comments have divided opinion, with most in the tech world arguing that it’s the limitations of home network connections – often, when it comes to content creation, the limit of upload rates which are usually far slower than download speeds – that has kept services from proliferating, rather than the other way around.

For the ISP, however, which can’t simply offer a “halo” service in one area like Google Fiber, it’s a question of investment versus return, and if subscribers won’t pay the rates, they won’t be pushing the envelope in speeds any time soon. Time Warner – as well as others – has already demanded similar indulgences from Kansas City, the first location to have Google Fiber, for its own competing trial service, but with estimates pegging the cost of a full US fiber roll-out at $140bn it’s unlikely to spread considerably.

AT&T’s methods will focus more on educating its users about online piracy in order to deter them from it. If a user reaches their 5th or 6th warning, AT&T will “demand they take an extra step to review materials on an online portal that will educate them on distribution of copyrighted content online.” Users will have to review the materials before they are able to access other websites. AT&T has said that they will not throttle its users data speeds.

Verizon, however, will throttle its users data speeds. Customers who reach their 5th or 6th warning will have to watch instructional videos about downloading copyright material legally at first, and if they still proceed to pirate, they will have their data speeds reduced to dial-up speeds. The throttle will last 2-3 days. The users will be warned 2 weeks in advance before their speeds are throttled, just in case there is something wrong on Verizon’s side and the users want to dispute the warnings. To appeal the warnings, users will have to pay a $35 fee, which will be returned if the user is granted the appeal.

Comcast, like AT&T, will not cap its users data speeds. If they reach their 5th/6th warning, they will receive constant in-browser alerts about their piracy, and in order to stop the alerts, they will have to call Comcast Security Assurance, who will then lecture them on copyright methods and how to download legal content. Like AT&T, Comcast’s goal is to inform its customers.

Time Warner Cable will not throttle its users data speeds either, but users will receive a lock on their internet browsers if they reach the 5th/6th alert. In order to remove the lock, like Comcast, users will have to contact customer service where they will receive a lecture on copyright methods and legal alternatives to downloading media.

Cablevision didn’t chime in with their consequences, but it seems that Verizon will be the only company that will throttle its users’ data speeds. With Cablevision, you’ll probably receive a lecture as well. So far none of the companies plan on terminating their contracts with their users due to piracy. These details of the consequences for violating the “six strikes” program does make the program seem less intense, compared to when we really didn’t know what they had planned. What do you think of the ISPs’ anti-piracy program?

[via Mashable]

“We believe it is wrong for Netflix to withhold any content formats from our subscribers and the subscribers of many other ISPs” the ISP continued. “Time Warner Cable’s network is more than capable of delivering this content to Netflix subscribers today.”

The contention is around Netflix’s insistance that, if ISPs want to serve up its more bandwidth-demanding content like higher-resolution Super HD or 3D, they need to also opt into the (free) Open Connect scheme. That puts a direct pipe between Netflix and ISP, by co-locating a caching server – storing copies of the most frequently-viewed media – on site with the ISP’s own hardware.

Such a scheme saves Netflix on bandwidth costs. Super HD content, for instance, requires a 5Mbps connection; a current list of Open Connect-participating ISPs is here.

“Open Connect provides Netflix data at no cost to the location the ISP desires and doesn’t seek preferential treatment” CCO Jonathan Friedland told We hope TimeWarner will join the many major ISPs around the world who are participating in Open Connect to reduce costs, minimize congestion and improve data delivery to enhance the consumer experience.”

It’s uncertain whether the ISP will settle for complaining about Netflix’s policies, or if there’s a lawsuit in the offing.

[via GigaOm]

Time Warner has 12 million subscribers, and less than 1-percent of them tune in to Ovation. This makes Ovation one of TWC’s “poorest performing networks,” and gives the service provider little incentive to keep it. Ovation has expressed criticism over the amount TWC has invested in its regional sports network while moving to drop its only arts network, while Time Warner has countered stating that Ovation shows too many infomercials and reruns.

As can be expected, Ovation isn’t happy over this change of events. The station’s Executive Vice President Brad Samuels offered this statement. “While they are investing huge amounts in sports programming, they’ve chosen to limit their customers’ viewing options by cutting the only arts network in their lineup.”

Ovation has a petition to keep Time Warner from dropping it up on its website; subscribers can check it out and sign it if desired over at KeepOvation.com. If Time Warner cable stands by its decision to remove the station, Ovation will no longer be available starting December 31, which is when the company’s contract expires with the service provider.

[via Reuters]

We had a couple of quarterly reports land this afternoon, with both Activision and Qualcomm looking great as they charge into Q4 2012. Apple executive Eddy Cue has joined Ferrari’s board of directors, while AT&T is putting up a whopping $14 billion to boost its LTE and U-Verse services. There were rumors of an iPad Mini 2 with Retina Display floating around today, and ZTE was spotted teasing a new Windows Phone 8 device with a massive 5.9-inch screen.

Gearbox has squashed a nasty exploit in Borderlands 2 with a new patch, and we learned that Kim Dotcom’s new website has been killed before it even got off the ground. AT&T has revealed off-contract pricing for the Nokia Lumia 920 and 820, and Time Warner Cable is trying to lure new customers in by giving away free Xbox 360s. We got to see Nintendo President Satoru Iwata unbox the Wii U, found out which features will be on the Wii U from launch day, and were even told that the Wii U will allow for 12 user accounts per console.

Verizon is waiving voice and text fees for those who were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, and Microsoft has released its SkyDrive app for Windows Phone 8. A new Sandvine report gives us an idea of just how popular Netflix is in North America, and Yahoo has hired a former National Geographic photographer to head up Flickr. A*STAR has revealed a new hybrid disk drive that’s only 5mm-thick, and DC Comics are now available digitally through iOS, Kindle, and NOOK devices.

Finally tonight, Don Reisinger asks if Apple actually helps its competitors, we take a closer look at Qualcomm Halo, and Chris Davis gives us his review of the Phillips hue lightbulb. That does it for tonight’s edition of the Evening Wrap-Up, enjoy the rest of your night everyone!

If you’re fed up with your satellite provider, or maybe you’ve finally decided you’re tired of waiting for current episodes of The Walking Dead to hit Netflix and you want to get cable in your home, Best Buy and Time Warner cable have teamed up for an interesting exclusive deal. Perhaps the most interesting part of this deal is that Time Warner cable seems to be so desperate for customers it’s willing to hand out some impressive freebies to lure customers in.

The exclusive Best Buy deal works for new and existing customers who upgrade to the Triple Play package. The package will cost you $89.99 per month for one year and includes Internet access, home phone service, and digital TV.

In exchange for agreeing to use the service for a year, Best Buy and Time Warner will give you a Xbox 360 4 GB console and a $150 Best Buy gift card. Ironically, many customers will end up using that free Xbox 360 to stream video from Netflix and other competitors.

According to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, only a very small number of 911 call centers have been impacted by the storm. Thus far, no numbers have been given on how many customers have been affected by the various outages. Sadly, the situation is expected to worsen in the coming days. The National Hurricane Center is reporting storm surge advisories until 4AM November 2.

Said Genachowski, “The storm is not over. And our assumption is that communications outages could get worse before they get better, particularly for mobile networks because of the flooding and loss of power.” It is estimated that 7 to 8 million people are without power. Some systems are currently running on generators, and could also go out if not catered to before the backup power goes down.

Several wireless carriers and cable providers have reported outages and various other problems, including the big names like Verizon and Time Warner. Several websites have also experienced outages, including Buzzfeed and The Huffington Post. Consumers are being urged to avoid non-essential mobile use, reserving calls and text messages for emergency communication only.

[via USA Today]

This comes after the team-up of AT&T, Comcast, Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon, who joined ranks with the MPAA and RIAA to form the Center for Copyright Information (CCI). The providers and MPAA/RIAA set out an agreement in which Internet subscribers would receive warnings for downloading copyrighted items. The subscriber will receive several warnings before the provider can then enact a harsher punishment.

None of the five providers have publicly commented on their involvement in the anti-piracy scheme. The leaked AT&T training documents provide the first glimpse into the plan, which is not without (extensive) controversy. The documents explain the upcoming changes to staff, and include this bit of info: “AT&T will not share any personally identifiable information about its customers with content owners until authorized by the customer or required to do so by law.”

An alleged source within the Center for Copyright Information told TorrentFreak that all five providers planned to launch the program on the same day. If true, this means that Verizon, Comcast, Cablevision, and Time Warner customers will begin receiving piracy notices November 28th, in addition to AT&T subscribers. The “online education tutorial on copyright” will be triggered on the fifth or sixth warning notice, at which point access to certain frequently visited websites will be blocked until the tutorial is completed.

[via TorrentFreak]

Traditional business logic says that if there is more competition, prices will decrease. Nevertheless, even with Netflix, Hulu, and other services putting a kind of pressure of satcasters that they have never seen before, prices are going up. NPD said the average increase is about 6% per year. By 2015, it said it expects the average bill to go up to $123 per month. It will be within the next year or two that it eclipses the $100 mark.

Most of the blame was attributed to content providers and licensing fees. So channels like ESPN, Disney Channel, TLC, whatever it may be, are now more expensive for cable and satellite operators to license. And do you think that affects them at all? Not at all; they just pass that cost on to the consumers. “As pay-TV costs rise and consumers’ spending power stays flat, the traditional affiliate-fee business model for pay-TV companies appears to be unsustainable in the long-term,” NPD warned in its analysis.

[via VentureBeat]

This isn’t the first time we’ve ventured into streaming television on the mobile platform, and it certainly isn’t the last. Android and iOS have both had access in the past to single episodes of programs via streaming services such as TV.com and everyone’s favorites Netflix and Ustream, not to mention YouTube. T-Mobile has a streaming content service offered on many of their smartphones, Windows Phone included as well. Check out our review of the Nokia Lumia 710 for one example of a T-Mobile device with their streaming television app and service.

The Time Warner Cable service is likely to take shape in a new application that will stream their channels through a pay service. The update comes from @jeffTWC who says that the update date is “VERY loose” so we shouldn’t be surprised if there isn’t a brand new Time Warner Cable app at the end of next month – but you never know! Here come the television channels, Androids!

Meanwhile you can get TWC TV on iPad or iPhone now – have fun!

[via TWC]

There’ll also be what the cable companies and Verizon Wireless are describing as “an innovation technology joint venture for the development of technology to better integrate wireline and wireless products and services.” Exact details on what each of the cable providers might use the Verizon services for are unclear, though Comcast has said it sees them as a way to potentially extend its Xfinity TV services to mobile users.

Bright House and Time Warner have been more circumspect with their plans, simply indicating that they may repackage and offer on wireless service as a sideline to their existing subscriptions.

Of course, Verizon is making no bones about its intentions for the spectrum, which will be used to bolster its LTE coverage. “Spectrum is the raw material on which wireless networks are built,” president and CEO Dan Mead said, ”and buying the AWS spectrum now solidifies our network leadership into the future, and will enable us to bring even better 4G LTE products and services to our customers.”

The deal will need to be approved by the FCC, among others, before it gets the green light to go ahead.

The promotion is seen as a move by Time Warner Cable to spite Viacom in the ongoing legal stalemate between the two companies over Time Warner Cable’s TV-streaming iPad app. The cable company launched the iPad app back in March as a way for its cable customers to stream TV programs to their iPads to use the devices like another TV screen. And although it only allowed customers to use the app while in their homes and connected to their Time Warner Cable network, program providers, especially Viacom were adamantly opposed to the service.

Viacom sued Time Warner Cable claiming that the company did not have the rights under its contract to stream its programming via the internet. Viacom has similarly sued Cablevision for an even more advanced iPad app that allowed streaming of channels beyond the home network. This lawsuit, however, has recently been settled.

[via NY Times]

The HBO Go app allows users to stream recent HBO programs as well as older shows and episodes along with bonus features and behind-the-scenes extras. Its customizable Watchlist makes it easy to mark programs for watching later, and a Series Pass feature auto populates your list based on shows that you’re following.

However, it is only available to HBO subscribers who are also customers of a participating television provider. This makes sense, since one of the company’s subsidiaries is Time Warner Cable. But the content is accessible via both WiFi and 3G, and you’re not restricted to using the app in the home.

Time Warner’s plan to bring HBO Go beyond the mobile platform, means that the service could soon come to internet-capable TVs and game consoles such as the Xbox and PS3. But exactly when that would be has not been confirmed.

[via Electronista]

I guess I don’t fit into the TV-less group, but my TV is just a screen that makes it easier for me to watch, as I would prefer not to watch on my laptop. I have no plans to get cable or a satellite dish anytime soon. Just not interested. Anything I really want to watch, I can do it online, and not having cable means I’m less likely to spend hours watching TV and am more selective about what my family watches. I suspect that point of view is unlikely to become mainstream, but I do think that the group of people who are willing to pay a premium price for cable is likely to shrink, especially as more and more content is available online, and is available immediately. Also, the rise of Smart TVs and set top boxes like the Boxee Box, Apple TV, and the Roku make watching internet content easier and more accessible (you don’t have to hunch in front of your laptop).

Nielsen is now looking at including internet video in their surveys, something that I think is already overdue. According to the report:

“While Nielsen data demonstrates that consumers are viewing more video content across all platforms — rather than replacing one medium with another — a small subset of younger, urban consumers seem to be going without paid TV subscriptions for the time being. The long-term effects of this are still unclear, as it is undetermined if this is also an economic issue that will see these individuals entering the TV marketplace once they have the means, or the beginning of a larger shift to online viewing.”

To further gauge interest in streaming, we have a poll running right now asking our readers their opinions on Smart TVs.

The vast majority, 46%, say they have no plans to buy one. Only 11% say that they have a Smart TV and use all the features. This is not really surprising, since most Smart TVs come with a premium price. Vincent Nguyen just reviewed the Samsung D8000, which sells for around $3500. It’s a beautiful TV with a great picture and amazing features, but priced out of the range of many. There are cheaper options, like the Sony Google TV for $999, and if you go the set-top box route, the cost is much lower, starting at $59 for the lowest-end Roku.

Kristine at Katharses.org has an interesting perspective, as after she got a $170 cable bill, stated weighing the cost of cable vs. the cost of cutting the cord and going with a Roku player. She found that she would save about $740 per year by dumping cable, which was enough to justify the switch, and even allowed for some extra purchases renting movies on Amazon.

I don’t see people giving up their TVs, the TV is still the center of the American living room, and TV ownership is well over 90% in the U.S. and likely to stay that way. But I can definitely see cable subscribership declining, and more people cutting the cord and watching via streaming. Paying for cable, or even satellite, is going to start making less sense as more options pop up for getting what you want when you want it, and for less. With Netflix now getting original content, and seemingly everyone getting into the content streaming game, namely Amazon Prime, YouTube, Hulu Plus, Epix HD, possibly Facebook, and most recently Warner Brothers, there is no question that online streaming is where content delivery is headed.

If Nielsen wants to stay relevant, they had best start studying internet TV viewing sooner rather than later, and if cable networks want to stay in business, they will need to step up their efforts to work with streaming companies like Netflix and others instead of trying to oppose them. I’m quite happy with my Roku and my Netflix subscription, and even with small kids, I don’t feel that I need Nickelodeon. My kids are fine with their DVDs, and watching the shows that are available via Netflix streaming. And I am happy with the choices I have watching on the Roku or on DVD. The one thing my husband and I sometimes miss is being able to watch live sports, especially football. But that isn’t enough for us to justify paying for cable. If I was more of a dedicated TV watcher, though, I might feel differently. So what do you think? Have you cut the cord yet? Would you? Or if you really love having cable, why would you hate to give it up?

The Time Warner Cable iPad app has been super popular since launch and simply allows its cable customers to view their already paid for cable channels on their iPads in a way where the iPad acts as a handheld TV. For instance, a customer can enjoy watching TV shows in their bed or keep their eye on a sports game while heading to the kitchen. Customers can only stream the channels while on their home WiFi network. Despite this modest approach, networks are upset and have been sending cease-and-desists to Time Warner Cable.

The networks consider this to be a new means of content delivery that requires re-negotiation of terms—meaning they want more money. Viacom seems to be the most aggressive of all the networks declaring the Time Warner Cable iPad app as “unlicensed distribution of Viacom’s programming.”

Viacom pretty much expects Time Warner Cable to pay them extra for the rights to stream their content to tablets and expects the cable company to eat the additional cost. Their issued statement with the lawsuit reads, “With $5.2 billion in cash from operations last year, Time Warner Cable can certainly afford to provide our programming through this new broadband service without passing along any additional cost to its customers.”

The Time Warner Cable app is said to have been downloaded more than 360,000 times. If you’ve tried the app, what do you think about this whole deal? Should Viacom have the right to charge Time Warner Cable extra just because you basically have a new TV set (in this case an iPad) in your house? We’d love to hear arguments for both sides.

[via NY Times]

Apparently, Daniel DeVirgilio got a notice from Time Warner that his credit card has been declined for a charge of $16,409,107. Time Warner says the number was human error. A spokesperson for Time Warner cable said, “We apologize for the inconvenience that it caused. We are going to work with the customer to get this resolved.”

DeVirgilio said that by his numbers he would have needed to watch about 1.6 million PPV movies to rack up that bill. He expects that the issue will be fixed without affecting his credit or his service.

[via Dayton Daily News]

The TV networks’ beef with the new app stems from their view of the iPad streaming as a separate service than cable TV. The networks, therefore, want to negotiate new terms and control the rights for this new avenue of content delivery. They don’t seem to take into account that the service only works when a subscriber is at home and connected to their Time Warner Cable modem, which is part of their paid-for cable and internet service.

It is unlikely that Time Warner Cable will be forced to shutdown the app. They are more likely to have to remove some channels and go through a new round of negotiations with each network. Considering that you can only view the channels on your iPad at home from the cable service you already pay for, do you think its fair that networks are asking to charge an additional fee for this?

[via Business Insider]

10. Sprint’s first Windows Phone 7 device, the HTC Arrive, hands-on and unboxing.

9. The Motorola XOOM WiFi-only version arriving March 27 and priced at $599.

8. Samsung product announcements:
– Galaxy Players 4 and 5
– Series 2, 4, and 6 notebooks
– Series 9 ultraportable
– Samsung 3D HDTV Monitors TA750 and TA950

7. Time Warner Cable launches live TV streaming iPad app to high demand.

6. RIM warns BlackBerry 6 users to disable JavaScript due to security issue with the new BlackBerry Browser.

5. The New York Times and The Daily both announce paywalls starting within the next two weeks.

4. The T-Mobile G2X and G-Slate are rumored to launch on April 20th.

3. The WiFi-only Dell Streak 7 now available for pre-order on Amazon.

2. Review of Infinity Blade game for iPad 2.

1. HTC Thunderbolt review.

Giveaways:
1. Wrapsol
2. StealthArmor

The TWC iPad app allows for live streaming of TV programs to your iPad. It is the first app amongst cable or satellite companies to live stream TV while competitors’ apps only can turn your iPad into a giant TV remote. TWC views the resulting crash of their app as a good sign of demand. The following excerpt comes from the TWC blog:

We were pretty sure that our iPad app was going to be fairly popular, but we had no idea that it was going to be the most downloaded app in the iTunes store yesterday. The demand was overwhelming, in more ways than one. At about 8 o’clock last night the app crashed under a much heavier load than we anticipated. Our engineering team is working as hard as they can to put a fix in place and get everything up and running as soon as they can.

For the time being, the app is running with only 15 channels. We have found that by temporarily reducing the number of available channels, we can ease strain on the authentication process. This will enable us to offer at least some sort of an experience to our customers while we get a fix in place. We’ll add the other 17 channels back in as soon as we can fix the underlying issue, and we’ll be adding more channels in future iterations of the app as well.

On the one hand, this is a nice problem for us to have — it’s great to see that our customers are excited about this, and we’re thrilled to know that our vision of TV’s future is one that the public wants. In other words, it’s not a good party unless you run out of beer.

On the other hand, this is really frustrating for us and our customers, too. And we’re really sorry for the inconvenience. We know how frustrating it can be when a brand-new product doesn’t work well. Please bear in mind that this our first foray into the iPad app world, and the first cable company to offer live streaming to the iPad at all. We’re going to figure out a fix and implement it as soon as we possibly can.

We appreciate your patience and understanding, and again, we’re sorry for any frustration.

[via Business Insider]

“For all intents and purposes … this enables you to convert any room in a house into a TV room,” said Rob Marcus, the company’s chief operating officer and president. The app will play 30 basic cable channels in high definition with more channels to come soon.

At this moment, competing cable companies only have iPad apps that act like giant remotes or might play video on demand. However, Time Warner Cable’s biggest competitor, Comcast Corp., has promised that its app will get the ability to play live TV before the end of this year.

[via Wall Street Journal]

The DirecTV deal will see Samsung integrate RVU chips into its LED D6000, LED D6400 and LED 6420 TV models, allowing each HDTV to receive streamed content from a single DirecTV server. They’ll go on sale in March 2011, offering DVR services, live pause on all screens in the home, 200hrs of shared storage, PiP and the ability to record up to five shows simultaneously.

Meanwhile, Samsung has also announced a deal to put Adobe AIR 2.5 on its smart TVs and Blu-ray players, together with adding Flash Player 10.1 support to the browser on its sets. Apps written in AIR will be cross-platform compatible with Samsung HDTVs just as they are on PCs, Macs and other platforms today.

Press Release:

Samsung and DIRECTV Partner to Deliver World’s First RVU-Compatible Production Television

DIRECTV and Samsung Showcase Multi-room DVR Technology On Samsung Smart TVs

2011 International CES
LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today at the International Consumer Electronics Show, DIRECTV and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced they have partnered to present the world’s first RVU-compatible production televisions, which will provide more than 19.1 million DIRECTV subscribers with the ability to watch live broadcast and stored content from their DVR on Samsung smart TVs, without the need for additional set-top boxes. As founding members of the RVU Alliance, Samsung and DIRECTV are committed to providing a more seamless entertainment experience for consumers across multiple rooms and a variety of screens, through the use of standardized Remote User Interface (RUI) technology.

“Making DIRECTV features and content available to Samsung’s televisions through the RVU server allows consumers to enjoy our innovative service without the need for additional set-top boxes. We are pleased to see our successful partnership with Samsung expand to include support for RVU in their 2011 model range.”
The RVU protocol will be supported on Samsung’s LED D6000, LED D6400 and LED 6420 TV products that reflect the company’s commitment to delivering consumers high-quality, visually enhanced and connected entertainment experiences in their home. A RUI technology based on industry standards such as DLNA and UPnP, RVU allows a set-top box server to provide a multi-room, complete viewing experience that includes DVR services, without the need for additional set-top boxes in homes that have more than one connected TV.

“We are very happy to be working with an esteemed satellite provider like DIRECTV and provide the world first RVU service to consumers with Samsung TV,” said Boo-Keun Yoon, president of Samsung’s Visual Display Business. “Products developed on RVU standards, one of the major RUI standards, will help accelerate the development of features and applications that can provide our customers with a truly customizable, immersive entertainment experience that can be enjoyed from the comfort of the home.”

“The CES demonstration of the first RVU compliant television is exciting news for the industry and consumers who want a consistent, superior user experience throughout the home,” said Romulo Pontual, CTO of DIRECTV. “Making DIRECTV features and content available to Samsung’s televisions through the RVU server allows consumers to enjoy our innovative service without the need for additional set-top boxes. We are pleased to see our successful partnership with Samsung expand to include support for RVU in their 2011 model range.”

Capable of supporting multiple connected televisions, DIRECTV’s RVU server enables the UI and features to be displayed directly on those connected TVs. Under this partnership, Samsung will embed support for RVU in their smart TVs and provide its customers with the full DIRECTV experience, including DVR services, live pause abilities on all screens in the home, 200 hours worth of shared storage, picture-in-picture capabilities and the power to record up to five shows at once. Samsung’s RVU-compatible TVs will be available in March 2011.

More information on Samsung’s Smart TV strategy and Samsung’s new partnerships were announced during Mr. Boo-Keun Yoon’s keynote address, which can now be viewed at www.samsungces2011.com.

Press Release:

Samsung and Time Warner Cable Announce Collaboration for Smart TV Service and Multi-Room Solutions

Time Warner Cable App to be Available to the Company’s Subscribers on Samsung Smart TV and Samsung Galaxy Tab

2011 International CES
LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Time Warner Cable shared the stage today at the International Consumer Electronics Show to announce a collaboration that will allow Time Warner Cable customers to access their cable subscriptions on the Samsung Smart TV and Samsung Galaxy Tab in their homes. Time Warner Cable Chairman and CEO Glenn Britt joined Samsung Visual Display President Boo-Keun Yoon on stage during Mr. Yoon’s keynote speech, where the two companies jointly announced the collaboration and demonstrated the services.

“The era of smart TV is here, and innovative partners like Time Warner Cable, that can utilize this ground-breaking technology to deliver new entertainment solutions to their consumers, will be the first to succeed.”
Available as an app within Samsung’s application storefront, the Time Warner Cable service ultimately will give Time Warner Cable’s subscribers access to all of their cable channels directly on Samsung smart TVs and Galaxy Tab in the home. All of the content can be consumed through Samsung’s award-winning LED, LCD and Plasma smart TV line-up, which delivers a high-quality, visual enhanced and connected entertainment experience to the home.

In addition to watching live TV on the Smart TV and Tab, Mr. Britt demonstrated the capability for Time Warner Cable customers to access recorded content from a DVR elsewhere in the home directly on the Samsung Smart TV, without the need for a connected set-top box. This creates a multi-room viewing experience that doesn’t require multiple set-top boxes in homes that have more than one connected TV.

“We are very excited to announce Time Warner Cable as our newest partner in delivering new smart TV experiences,” said Boo-Keun Yoon, president of Samsung’ Visual Display Business. “The era of smart TV is here, and innovative partners like Time Warner Cable, that can utilize this ground-breaking technology to deliver new entertainment solutions to their consumers, will be the first to succeed.”

“We’re excited to bring together Time Warner Cable’s high-value content and high-quality delivery with Samsung’s innovative products,” said Mr. Britt. “Time Warner Cable is committed to making it easier for our customers to watch what they want, when they want, on multiple devices. We’re giving customers more control than ever in ways that are simple and easy for them. Samsung’s leading technology and large base of consumers make the company the perfect partner as we deliver services that will change the way people watch TV.”

The Time Warner Cable applications will be demonstrated at the Samsung booth in the Central Hall at the International Consumer Electronics Show, Jan. 6-9, 2011.

Time Warner Cable anticipates beginning to offer the apps commercially on Samsung devices later this year.

Press Release:

Samsung and Comcast Partner to Transform TV Viewing on Smart Televisions and Tablets

New Comcast Xfinity TV Experience to Launch on Samsung Smart TVs and Tablets This Year

2011 International CES
LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today at the International Consumer Electronics (CES) Show, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., and Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) jointly announced the companies’ partnership to continue to revolutionize the way consumers access content and watch TV. For the first time on a connected TV, the new Xfinity TV service will offer a rich, Web-like interface, enabling simpler navigation and the ability to seamlessly search across linear TV, DVR recordings, and video on demand among tens of thousands of content choices. A sleek graphics-rich display will guide the viewer to their favorite programming.

“As we begin this exciting new decade, Samsung is also launching a new era of TV technologies that will delight and amaze consumers unlike ever before”
The partnership also will deliver a customized and integrated multi-platform viewing experience on Samsung smart TVs and the Android™-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab. On the tablet, the Xfinity TV experience is a virtual television guide and a mobile video player all in one. Xfinity TV digital customers will be able to browse, discover and sort video content, change the channel on a Samsung smart TV in real time, and program DVRs. In addition, they can watch streaming TV programming and movies directly on the tablet, and access that content across multiple devices. The service’s roadmap includes the ability to begin watching a favorite movie on the Samsung Galaxy Tab, then pause the movie and resume watching it on a Samsung smart TV from the exact moment it was paused, and vice versa.

The Xfinity TV service was unveiled today at the International Consumer Electronics Show by Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian L. Roberts during a keynote speech by Boo-Keun Yoon, president of Samsung’s Visual Display Business, and will also be demonstrated at the Samsung booth in the Central Hall.

“As we begin this exciting new decade, Samsung is also launching a new era of TV technologies that will delight and amaze consumers unlike ever before,” said Boo-Keun Yoon, president of Samsung’s Visual Display Business. “To partner with the renowned Comcast brand enables us to deliver on our promise of giving consumers greater variety, easy access and control of the content they discover and deliver a more immersive and entertaining experience to Comcast customers.”

Brian L. Roberts, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Comcast Corporation, said, “Our partnership with an industry leader like Samsung is another important step in Comcast’s plan to totally reinvent how consumers watch television wherever and whenever they want. We have the technology framework in place to deliver new features to Comcast customers faster than ever, including on connected TVs, tablets and multiple devices, which is core to our strategy and a key facet of the future of television.”

The Xfinity TV experience will be distributed later this year on the Samsung smart TVs and on the application store for the Galaxy products interacting through the Comcast set-top box, giving consumers yet another access point for discovering and connecting to Comcast Xfinity TV services. Content can be watched through Samsung’s award-winning LED, LCD and PDP TV products that reflect the company’s commitment to delivering consumers high-quality, visually enhanced and connected entertainment experiences in their home.

More information on Samsung’s smart TV strategy and Samsung’s partnership with Comcast were shared during Mr. Boo-Keun Yoon’s keynote address, which can now be viewed at www.samsungces2011.com.

Press Release:

Samsung and Adobe Bring Adobe AIR to Smart TVs

Samsung Becomes First to Integrate Adobe AIR 2.5 into Televisions and Blu-ray Players; Announces Plans to Bring Adobe Flash Player 10.1 to Smart TVs

2011 International CES
LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today at the International Consumer Electronics Show, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Adobe announced that Samsung’s Smart TV platform will be the first to integrate support for Adobe® AIR® 2.5 for TV, making it easy for developers to build, distribute and monetize standalone applications through Samsung’s Smart TV applications store, Samsung Apps. The integration of AIR for TV with Samsung’s Smart TV platform will create new opportunities for a growing community of more than three million Adobe Flash® Platform developers who can use Adobe Creative Suite 5 to author content for AIR for TV. All of Samsung’s 2011 Smart TVs and Smart Blu-ray players will include support for Adobe AIR for TV.

“Adobe is a key partner for Samsung and we are thrilled to be the first TV manufacturer to support Adobe AIR across the Samsung Smart TV platform”
Samsung also announced plans to bring Adobe Flash Player 10.1 to its Smart TV browser, extending the company’s current support for Flash Player 10.1 on Samsung smartphones and tablets. With the addition of Flash Player 10.1, users will enjoy a more complete web browsing experience on the TV, with access to millions of websites with rich videos, games and other multimedia content.

“Adobe is a key partner for Samsung and we are thrilled to be the first TV manufacturer to support Adobe AIR across the Samsung Smart TV platform,” said Boo-Keun Yoon, President of Samsung’s Visual Display Business. “Together, Samsung and Adobe are transforming the ways in which consumers interact with devices and content, providing rich, interactive applications built with industry-leading, cross platform tools.”

“Content publishers want to extend their reach from smartphones to the largest screen in the home – all without sacrificing the unique context and experience of each screen,” said Shantanu Narayen, president and CEO of Adobe. “Samsung is the first device manufacturer to embrace Adobe AIR for TV, and together we will enable developers to extend media applications, social games and other forms of rich content to televisions and a wide range of Samsung devices.”

With Samsung’s Smart TV platform and Adobe AIR for TV, developers are able to leverage existing code to create and deliver standalone applications across devices and platforms. The Samsung Smart TV platform was built with the developer in mind, enabling content creators to develop applications on an open platform, using common web standards like Javascript and XML and now support for Adobe AIR. The platform uses a single Software Developer Kit (SDK) for Apps that runs across HDTVs, Blu-ray players and Blu-ray Home Theater systems so developers can write once and deploy apps across several platforms. This gives developers the opportunity for more versatile monetization and enables a consistent and intuitive experience for consumers.

More information about Samsung’s Smart TV strategy and Samsung’s new partnerships was announced during Mr. Boo-Keun Yoon’s keynote address, which can now be viewed at www.samsungces2011.com. For more information about Adobe AIR for TV visit http://www.adobe.com/devnet/devices/flash_platform_tv.html

The only answer to that problem is adding another DVR to the house, but then we can’t watch all the shows in the living room. I bet lots of you have the same problems with being able to record all the shows you want to watch. If you are on Time Warner Cable, they have a new service called Look Back that will let you watch some of the shows you miss going back a few days without having to DVR them.

The service has 48 channels to start with 24 HD and 24 SD offerings. The content offered on those channels can be accessed right after they show for the first time on the networks. To use the service all the user has to do is hit the select button on the remote and then choose Look Back to find the program they want to watch. The past shows will be available for 72 hours after they air. Time Warner isn’t specific on what networks are covered with the service.

Sony Pictures, Disney, and Warner Bros. are all named specifically to be in talks with In Demand (a partnership with Cox Communications), as well as Time Warner Cable and Comcast Corporation. The talks are in hopes to somehow create new sales numbers from movies, as the numbers in sales from DVDs are beginning to decline. The studios are trying to figure out a way to charge consumers for viewing movies “early.” Instead of waiting the three to four months, and sometimes longer, to get your hands on the DVD copy of a movie you enjoyed, the studios would let you watch them right on your TV, sooner, but for a higher price.

To make matters more interesting, Disney is contemplating the option of providing this premium service on Internet-connected devices, like Sony’s PlayStation 3 or Microsoft’s Xbox 360. The premium services on these devices would be the same on others, and still make the consumer pay upwards of $30 to get their eyes fixated on a new release movie, before it releases on DVD.

The tests are supposed to begin later this year from Time Warner, but there’s no word on how the tests will be rolled out, or how consumers would be able to gain access to the movies. While it would make sense that the movies would be made available through services already put in place, and by setting up a premium channel of some kind, that movie is completely up to the studios and those they are talking with. As for Disney, they are thinking about setting up tests which would start in the first half of 2011, and be centered around the release of one particular movie. Which movie is probably still up for grabs.

And while Sony has tried the same deal, but cheaper, in the past with single movies, like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs in 2009, it seems that the company isn’t saying what their new test would be quite yet. Sony also didn’t comment on allowing the premium services on their PlayStation 3. And Microsoft didn’t respond, either.

What do you think? Charging $30 for a movie, before it comes out on DVD may seem like a lot, but is it something you’d pay?

[via Bloomberg]

But, it’s not all good news. While unlimited WiFi at a park, for free, sounds great, and that’s indeed what you’re getting here, it’s not always free. In fact, you only get 30 minutes of free WiFi access per month. And it’s not in a 30 minute increment, either. You get 10 minutes per access, and then you have to take a break. The WiFi access itself will be supplied by Comcast and Time Warner, which means an exchange was made: for their efforts, the two companies get a ten year extension of their city cable contracts.

After you finish up your 30 minute access, probably sooner than in that month time, you’ll have to pay 99-cents to access the WiFi network. This probably means that the companies involved will see a boat load money, considering 99-cents doesn’t seem like all that much to get that extra access — especially considering you’re (hopefully) in a nice park. We’ll see how this pans out — it will probably start popping up all over the place soon enough.

[via NY Daily News]

It’s just a USB drive that will connect you to Time Warner’s wireless 4G network. However, right this moment, the service has only been launched in certain cities inside the Texas state line. Inside Time Warner’s 4G service area, customers can see download speeds up to 6 Mbps. Though, luckily enough, if you manage to find your way out of that 4G service area, you’ll still get access to 3G speeds. So, where are those areas? 4G service is available in Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Corpus Christi, and Wichita Falls.

But, there’s good news here, bundled up with the rest of the good news. While the Business Class 4G Wireless data service is being launched in Texas, you’ll be able to access Time Warner’s 4G network outside of Texas, too. Those markets are: Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro, North Carolina, as well as Honolulu and Maui, Hawai’i. Even better, if you find yourself outside of the Time Warner 4G footprint, you can still access 4G speeds in cities like Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, and Houston. Time Warner hopes to roll out to Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C., later in the year as well, amongst other cities.

[via Hot Hardware]