Streaming

Amazon confirms problems with Instant Video app on jailbroken iPads

Online retailer Amazon confirmed that its newly released video streaming client for iPad, the free Instant Video app, doesn't run correctly on jailbroken iPads. Amazon yesterday released the program which enables its $79-a-year Prime subscribers and regular users to easily stream and synch via an iPad their video purchases and thousands of movies and television shows the company has on offer...

Amazon releases video streaming app for iPad

Online retailer Amazon has stepped up its game on the iOS platform. Just as it updated its Cloud Player with a new scan-and-match service akin to iTunes Match and featuring high-quality 256Kbps song downloads for both music purchases and ripped CDs, the company today released a brand new video app which enables streaming of video content available through the company's Prime service and Instant Video store.

It supports offline viewing, automatic syncing of your play state across various devices and platforms and more. More screenies right after the break...

Check out Google’s pricey, albeit cool-looking media streaming sphere, Nexus Q

I'm sorry for polluting your reading list with more Google news, but this thing warrants a quick mention. So we already told you about impressive Android stats, Google's own tablet called the Nexus 7, a new Android version (4.1, called Jelly Bean) that sports Siri-like features and a brand new native Google+ app for iPad and Android tablets. Google also surprised us with the coolest live tech demo ever: a parachute landing on the Moscone West building, seen through the eyes of the participants' Google Glasses.

By the way, Tweetbot developer has gotta win the coveted title of The Most Original Google I/O Review for his tweet. So, one thing that especially captured my imagination is this cool-looking accessory aimed at streaming media at your home. Classed as a yet another piece of hardware designed and engineered by Google, the Nexus Q sports unique industrial design calling for a round chassis which reminds me of a lot of a sci-fi-like alien probe. It's also got some noteworthy features, as seen in a video demonstration...

New in iOS 6: iTunes Match now lets you either stream or download songs

One of the markedly little improvements in iOS 6 that many people originally missed is the ability to stream songs stored in your music locker in the cloud. When Apple introduced iTunes Match last August, much of the debate centered around the question whether or not it streams songs.

Though it appeared as if it did, Apple denied iTunes Match streaming. Semantics aside, iTunes Match in iOS 5 used to exclusively download and store songs on your device. With iOS 6, you can now choose to either stream a song as many times as you'd like or download it for offline listening...

TiVo confirms that iOS streaming solution is coming this summer

TiVo, Inc. today announced that this summer TiVo Premiere or Premiere Q DVR subscribers will be able to stream content to "alternative screens" such as the iPhone and iPad by way of TiVo Stream.

TiVo Stream is a new service that provides transcoding to enable content viewing on mobile devices and is "the first product to enable streaming or download of shows simultaneously to multiple portable devices without interrupting what's playing on the television"...

Viacom and Time Warner Cable settle dispute over iPad streaming rights

Media giant Viacom and cable telecommunications company Time Warner Cable have finally resolved a legal dispute concerning streaming of Viacom content through Time Warner Cable's iPad app. As a result, Time Warner Cable subscribers will soon be able to enjoy their daily fixture of Viacom shows such as The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and Jersey Shore on their iPads.

Remember, a year ago Viacom filed a suit in Federal District Court in Manhattan to prevent Time Warner Cable from streaming its content through their iPad app, claiming the cable company did not have legal rights to stream shows via its own app.

Viacom's  similar lawsuit against the Cablevision Systems Corporation and its iPad app is still pending, though...

Time Warner Cable CEO: “I’m not sure I know what AirPlay is”

This one made rounds on the web today. Apparently, head of Time Warner Cable is totally oblivious to the existence of AirPlay, a technology from Apple that beams photos, music and videos from iOS devices to your television through an Apple TV set-top box.

He also called the Apple TV a little hockey puck (we heard that one before) and expressed his dislike for set-top boxes per se due to the complexities they bring to the living room experience (hard to argue against that)...

Rumor: Apple and EPIX in movie streaming deal that includes the mythical iTV

Apple is (again) rumored to be negotiating content deals with Hollywood studios that would give the company necessary rights to stream premium Hollywood entertainment via the iCloud to your living room.

Two people with knowledge of the negotiations apparently told Reuters that the EPIX movie streaming deal could include “a long-anticipated” television set from Apple.

However, industry sources indicated that any Apple-EPIX streaming deal cannot be realized before end of September 2012, when EPIX's prior streaming arrangement with Netflix is set to expire...

iOSLiveTV.com streams live television to your iOS device totally free of charge

Here's something pretty cool (or should I say, 'magical'): a website that streams live television from anywhere in the world, right to your Apple mobile device, using an iOS-friendly MP4 video format via the AirPlay protocol. You just pull up the webpage using the Safari browser on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, pick one of the listed countries and up pop live television channels airing in the selected territory.

From here, tap the channel of your choice and live television content begins streaming, licensing restrictions be damned. In case you were wondering: yes, they have the XXX section covered as well. It's a hack, no question about it, so expect either Apple or broadcasters (or both) to restrict or even take down the site as we speak...

HBO to finally allow Universal and Fox movies into iCloud

According to recent reports, Apple is secretly trying to put together its own TV subscription service. And by the sounds of things, it doesn't seem to be going very well. Studios are afraid to let Apple anywhere near their multi-million dollar industry.

But it appears that at least one major content provider is coming around. The Wall Street Journal has learned that HBO is finally going to relax its terms enough to allow iCloud users to stream previously purchased content to other iOS devices...

Is the BBC planning to go head-to-head with iTunes?

Content is king in the online media world, and while Apple currently has a lock on music and video distribution via iTunes, it seems one of the planet's oldest media companies may be set to mount a challenge.

The BBC, according to reports, is currently working on something it dubs "Project Barcelona" which, should it come to fruition, could see a huge amount of BBC content find its way to users via a download-to-own business model.

Currently, the BBC only allows streams content via its own iPlayer apps, but Project Barcelona would see an iTunes-like model, where viewers would pay a fee to keep a digital version of their favorite shows...

Apple working on “adaptive streaming” for audio

Apple is currently working on a new file format for its iCloud service, according to reports.

Writing for The Guardian, Charles Arthur cites sources with "inside knowledge" and claims that Apple is set to bring a new format to the music world which will allow for adaptive streaming of music from iCloud, with the quality being altered depending on the playback method.

Apple's iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match both rely on music being stored on servers owned by the technology company. Being able to alter the music quality as it is being distributed could potentially save in bandwidth costs for the end user...