Last Updated on February 19, 2012 by New-Startups Team
You can always watch movies at home on your favorite devices and on a TV with platforms like Netflix, but very few options exist (legally) that are worth mentioning for television. There is Sling, a nifty piece of hardware that lets you stream your cable or satellite television on to your mobile device. And now, Aereo is launching at $12/month to let you watch all your favorite broadcasts (NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, FOX and more) on your iPad/iPhone live or to record shows like traditional DVR’s.
Backed by billionaire Barry Diller, Aereo is set to launch on March 14 as an invite-only opportunity and limited to New York City. But the startup’s technology and broadcast connections is a very exciting idea and way to view your favorite shows anywhere you go by allowing subscribers to access live and recorded over-the-air broadcasts.
Aereo runs a HTML5 web application so there is no need for apps, installing of hardware or wires and cords – thus, making the television watching experience simple and clutter free. The platform will also allow subscribers to save up to 40 hours of programming through this remove DVR opportunity. And all of this is housed in an intelligent and responsive user interface to make television viewing ever more elegant.
“Aereo is the first potentially transformative technology that has the chance to give people access to broadcast television delivered over the Internet to any device, large or small, they desire. No wires, no new boxes or remotes, portable everywhere there’s an Internet connection in the world – truly a revolutionary product,” said Mr. Diller.
The technology behind Aereo is a solution that involves many, many tiny antennas housed in an antenna array within New York. Each mini-TV antenna is for each subscriber that allows for the user to tune into one channel at a time by receiving the local over-the-air TV broadcasts which is then streamed over the internet. But why a single mini-antenna for each user? Well to put it simply – to avoid legal problems. Barry Diller explained it, “Think of every little antenna having someone’s name on it,” and allowing them to avoid getting approval from the big networks.
This startup and opportunity to view live HD TV is an irresistible idea that we can’t wait to see make its way throughout North America soon.
Want to Read More
- CNET – http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33199_7-57377530-221/aereo-brings-over-the-air-tv-to-the-cloud/
- Wall Street Journal – Startup sends live local TV to the iPhone
- Wired – Introducing Aereo: One Small Step for Cord Cutting, One Giant Leap of Faith
- TechCrunch – Barry Diller Wants To “Transform Television” With Aereo, A DVR In The Cloud