As CBS has been at the forefront of opposition to new TV tech like Aereo or Dish’s commercial-skipping Hopper, the network has also been considering some interesting mobile and web options of its own. A CBS mobile app, launched today for iPhone and iPad, lets users stream full episodes of some shows, including CSI, How I Met Your Mother, and The Late Show with David Letterman. New episodes of daytime and late-night shows will be added within 24 hours, and prime-time shows will arrive on the eighth day after broadcast. CBS is also touting extra “second screen” features for some shows. Warner Brothers launched a similar app with one-day delays last year, but only for Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
CBS launches iOS streaming TV app with one-week delay for new episodes
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.
While the app is currently only for iOS, CBS says Android and Windows 8 options are coming soon; all are limited to the US. Like other networks, CBS already offers streaming on the web with roughly one-day delays across the board, but the app is a move towards more versatility and viewing outside the living room. Unfortunately, it also doesn’t seem to have the same content you’d find online. Episodes of The Big Bang Theory, for example, can be streamed at the CBS video site, but we found only clips on the app. For shows with full episodes, the back catalog seems similar to web options: you’ll be able to catch up on a handful of episodes, but not a complete series.
Update: We previously listed the app’s name as “CBS Interactive,” when it’s actually simply “CBS.”
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