Tag: Television »

Netflix, the master of video subscription services, has updated their mobile app to Version 7.0. Now the Netflix app is optimized for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus so you can see more content, and you'll be able to watch your favorite shows and movies in 1080p on the iPhone 6 Plus. They have also added iOS 8 support and Chromecast improvements.

You can download Netflix for free on the App Store.

Zeebox used to be an app about following your favorite TV shows and stars, chatting with like-minded fans, and enjoying the benefits of having a personalized guide to help you discover new shows. Now, well, it's still all of that. It's just that now we're calling it Beamly TV.

Beamly TV is the new name and look for the older app. 24/7 updates for TV shows and actors, chatrooms you can visit to gush about your favorites (and sometimes even chat with the celebrities themselves), and so on.

You can download Beamly TV off the App Store for free.

Does an iPhone or iPad share the couch with you while watching TV? The Zeebox app wants to be your goto info app for TV info. It help by showing you what's hot, and integrates social services to share your favorites. Give it a shot and let us know what you think.

The CW is the latest network to fully embrace the mobile space as they have announced the launch of their new app on iOS. Now fans can watch shows like The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl, Hart of Dixie, 90210, America’s Next Top Model, and more whenever they want. The CW is promising that their full episodes of their entire prime time slate of shows will be available, so fans can easily catch up on shows they missed or just relive favorite episodes.

The app is also packed with extra goodies including interviews, a peek behind the scenes of your favorite shows, exclusive previews, and other content. You can also set reminders for shows you want to watch and dreamily gaze at photos of the cast from various CW programming.

This is a great option for those who can't get enough CW or maybe folks who don't watch much TV but still want to check this programming out. Why pay for TV when you can watch it for free and it's officially sanctioned by the network?

iOS users with a Sprint subscription are in for a treat as the company has just launched SprintTV, a new way to stream television content right to your iPhone or iPad. The app offers free episodes of TV shows like 30 Rock, NCIS, Access Hollywood, and more, as well as live sports from ESPN Mobile and breaking news from ABC and NBC.

The basic service is free to all Sprint subscribers, with options to purchase additional packs for a monthly fee. Channels, such as Nickelodeon, Lifetime, Discovery and more are available, and Sprint offers a number of packages for folks who would rather watch their TV on a tablet than at home.

Sprint's appearance marks another entrant into a marketplace featuring apps from ESPN, ABC, HBO and others. It seems we're quickly marching towards a future where nearly all of our entertainment is available not only through our home TVs and cable boxes, but via smartphones and tablets as well. Seems that the day when we may be able to cut cable and live a life free of the service providers could be fast approaching.

The advent of smart televisions is great, but sometimes it can be a pain in the rear trying to fiddle with a browser on a device that wasn't really designed with such things in mind. Enter Clik, a new app which allows you to connect your smartphone to a television, computer or pretty much anything else with a screen and a browser. Then, you can browse YouTube and display anything you choose up on the big screen. Even better, the company is looking to lock in deals with developers to bring games and other content to the service, eventually making it a one-stop shop for your entertainment. You can even link multiple smartphones to the same screen so you and your friends can all set the playlist or, theoretically, play games together.

The process of getting Clik up and running is super-simple. All users need to do is download the app, head to the Clik website and scan the onscreen code. The service works on all the major cellphone carriers as well as via Wifi, so no matter your setup you're good to go. We can't wait to hear about all the fights that break out when friends and loved ones interrupt your hilarious cat video marathon with a RickRoll, because you know that's going to happen on a ridiculously regular basis.

Function (X) Inc. launched the first loyalty program for television last week called Viggle. What seems like technology similar to Shazam, the fourth most downloaded app of all time, Viggle automatically identifies the show the user is watching by listening to what the characters are saying. After users launch the app and check in to their show the app awards them with points that can be redeemed later at places such as Best Buy, Burger King, Fandango and Old Navy.

Extra bonus points can be earned by watching featured shows such as "American Idol" and in-app commercials. Currently, the app awards two points per every minute watched. Most $5 gift cards to places such as Starbucks and Burger King cost 7,500 points, but right now the company is running a limited time only special for a $5 gift card to Amazon for only 4,000 points. Users can also set reminders and read detailed information on their favorite shows from within the app as well as share their check-in on Facebook and Twitter.

This week at 148Apps.com, we took a first look at Garmin's new StreetPilot onDemand app. Rob LeFebvre writes, "The app itself offers 30 days of premium features for that dollar, including multimodal pedestrian routing, bus/train schedules, spoken turn-by-turn guidance with street names, 3D representations of buildings, traffic rerouting, photoReal Junction View and Google Local Search. Once the free month is up, users can pay $2.99 monthly or $29.99 annually, with a special introductory $19.99 annual price for this first year."

Read more about StreetPilot onDemand on 148Apps.com.

Meanwhile, at GiggleApps, we got the music playing with our review of Sylvester's Band. Reviewer Amy Solomon states, "The illustrations are simply gorgeous to look at and I really appreciate how each location Henry visits has a unique landscape all its own, while maintaining the style used throughout this book, such as squared-off trees or cloud formations. I enjoy a great deal how the look of this story changes, becoming dark as the gang makes their way high into the clouds looking for William the Wolf. The details about lassoing the moon in order to bring it to the party create wonderful images that stayed with me after reading this book, my favorite moment of this story. It is also great fun the way each time Henry collects another band member they can all be seen, one by one, running to a new location. These creatures look great as well..."

Read the rest of Amy's review on GiggleApps.com.

148Apps.biz featured an article about tablet owners and TV viewing habits. Kyle Flanigan writes, "According to the report, some 50% of tablet owners – iPad included – watch films and TV shows on their portable device for leisure. In the words of research director Keith Nissen, “tablets, in particular, have become a primary video device, both inside and outside the home.” There are few adjectives that come to mind to describe such a high percentage: unexpected, unanticipated and unprecedented began to scratch the surface."

Find out more by reading the full story at 148Apps.biz.

And finally, AndroidRundown writer Carter Dotson announced G5 Entertainment's first simultaneously-launched iOS and Android app, Stand o' Food 3. "While G5 Entertainment only recently got on to the Android train, they aren’t wasting their time making sure their library of sim games are well-represented on the platform. In the past few weeks, both Supermarket Mania 2 and Virtual City have been released for Android, after their initial mobile releases on iOS."

Read all about it on AndroidRundown.

That's it for this week, but don't forget to check out our ever-changing lists of apps, and make sure you keep up to date on all the latest news and happenings by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook. See you next week, true believer.

As Comcast updates their interesting Xfinity app, TiVo delivers on their long awaited iPad promise. TiVo for the iPad makes use of the massive real estate, the touch controls and the snappy navigation potential within the device in order to deliver, according to them, “the world’s most amazing remote control.”

The app has been designed specifically with the TiVo Premiere and Premiere XL boxes in mind. The whole pitch with this application is that you can now search, browse and share without ever interrupting your television viewing. From the application, users will be able to browse channel listings (up to 14 days in advance), set and manage recordings, view actor and actress bios and even comment on specific shows, events and movies.

TiVo’s also included the ability for users to post to Facebook and Twitter from the application in relation to what they’re currently watching or doing.

The TiVo system has always been designed to work in conjunction with users’ home television setups. Its purpose is to complement the experience customers already receive. With the Xfinity app from Comcast and this new TiVo iPad app, the marketplace is getting tougher and tougher to manage. Comcast keeps adding functionality to what they offer, at a cost, as they try to push competitors like TiVo away from the market.

It actually looks like the only thing TiVo’s application does that Comcast’s doesn’t is the ability to discover and learn more about programming and actors. And with the potential addition of live streaming to the Xfinity application, is TiVo’s wonder remote enough to keep the device relevant? Our guess: probably. People do love their TiVo.

[gallery imagesize=”thumbnail”]

[via TiVo]

Those who love watching TV on the go will be pleased to hear that Hulu Plus is now available on iOS devices. The preview phase is over and the service will now be available to all iPhone and iPad users for $7.99 a month. Those who have been paying the higher rate during the preview need not worry, as your subscription will be adjusted in the next billing cycle and you'll be given a $2 credit for every month you've been a member of the preview program.

While Hulu has always been a great resource for watching current seasons of to television shows, Hulu Plus takes things to the next level by offering the full catalog of hundreds of shows to watch whenever you want. Sure, you can keep up with House or Modern Family, but you can also go back into the vault and watch the full run of 21 Jump Street or The A Team. The service already supports over 200 shows from CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox, and the lineup continues to grow at a staggering rate.

Considering the fact that the holidays are fast approaching this app seems like the ideal gift for the constantly moving business traveler or friends who insist on living off the grid and not subscribing to cable. Unfortunately, Hulu Plus doesn't yet have deals in place with networks like TBS or AMC, so while you can get current episodes or clips of shows like Mad Men or The Walking Dead, most of the content is still off-limits.

Disregarding this rather small hang-up, there's still plenty to love about Hulu Plus making its iOS debut. If you love having your entertainment on the go then this is an absolutely must-own app.

[via AppModo]