October 26, 2011 DirecTV iPad App Update Brings Home Streaming

Last month I first wrote about the DirecTV iPad app. Being a DirecTV subscriber I use both the iPad app for around the house browsing when the wife is watching TV and the iPhone app when I want to record something and I am not at home. Both work great and up until today the iPhone app was more functional and the iPad app was more of a cool toy. That changed when DirecTV updated their iPad app today.

Now in additional the full functional recording and remote control ability to the app, you can now stream TV shows from your system to your iPad. There are a few caveats that come along with this but it's a great step to taking your home entertainment with you everywhere you go.

The new guide, streaming options in the middle column

Like the iPad app before you have to be on the same network that your DirecTV receivers are on, so no over the internet streaming... yet. Second, it's not every show that's on at this moment that's available it is a select channels, but there are not all bad. The big names that would say are good choices are the NFL Network, CNN, USA, TNT, SyFy, TBS, A&E, History, Discovery, TLC, Fox News, Cartoon Network, MSNBC. There are others on top of those. The app stream what is showing on those channels at the time.

Tonight I was testing it out tuning into various channels and shows and I am very impressed. The quality is great, it's fast, and very responsive. Like live TV you can pause it, 30 second rewind, and fast forward through it. You can also shrink the viewing window and drag it around if you want to look at the guide while you watch.

The screen shots you see here are right from my iPad 2 while I was watching one of my favorite shows Storage Wars. Didn't skip a beat.

At first I was trying to think why would customers like something like this. I can tell you why, DirecTV locks your viewing on televisions with DirecTV boxes. Myself for example, does not have a TV in my work office. Now if I am bored I am fire up the iPad and have the news scrolling in the background without having to leave the room. I can sit out on the porch or in the yard with it on, the garage, basement, whatever. The uses for this is not that widespread since you have to be on the same network which means you have to be at home, but there are enough little extras to keep me going and get that extra little edge of sticking around with DirecTV.

The next step in this evolution is to get this to work outside your network and have it remotely. Then that will set the stage for the elimination of 'home cable' and usher in the new era of 'cable service'. Right now cable TV is becoming archaic in their adoption of mobility, one off TV show episodes from Netflix, NBC, TBS, or Hulu apps will wear thing. Get me live TV then we will start talking serious.

End of Line.

Posted in: Entertainment,Technology,Television