Cox adds live TV streaming app for iPads to higher-tier service

Like many other telecommunications companies, Cox now supports free streaming television on iPads for higher-tier customers. The service makes 35 national channels available when connected to a Cox home Wi-Fi network.

by Adi Robertson

Via GigaOm | Source iTunes Store and Cox

Dec 6, 2011, 1:16 PM UTC

Cox TV Connect

Adi Robertson is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.

Following the lead of Cablevision, DirecTV, and other cable and satellite providers, Cox has released a free app that lets subscribers stream 35 national channels on their iPads. Cox TV Connect is available to customers who have both a higher-tier TV package and non-basic internet service from the company. It can be used on up to five different devices, essentially turning each iPad into a mobile television. Unfortunately, you're required to be on home Wi-Fi to connect, and the channels comprise a fraction of Cox's offerings, making the service somewhat limited in scope.

The above features are on par with those of other telecom streaming apps, but there’s nothing that really sets Cox’s offering apart from the crowd. Viacom’s suit over Cablevision’s similar app was resolved without a clear statement on whether it’s legal to stream video without negotiating a separate license, so it’s possible that Cox is still weighing the risks of expanding online streaming. Still, even something like an Android streaming app (like the one Time Warner is planning to release) would help put the company above the fray.

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