14 DAY TRIAL // Time Warner is telling the roughly 300,000 customers who downloaded the TWCable TV App for iPad that the network is forced to remove some channels from Discovery, Fox and Viacom, Softpedia has learned.
Upon launch last month, the TWCable TV app promised iPad users the ability to watch their favorite networks on their tablet’s screen, indoors.
Subscribers were told that the app would turn their iPad into another TV screen that lets them watch selected cable TV channels with their home WiFi connection.
Now, it appears that promise is no longer available for those who enjoy watching channels like Animal Planet, BET, CMT, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, FX, MTV, National Geographic, Nickelodeon, Spike, and VH1.
Time Warner issued the following announcement in an email sent out to customers this week (transcript).
Important Update to Your Cable TV App for iPad
As you know, since launching our TWCable TV App for iPad on March 15th, you and hundreds of thousands of other Time Warner Cable customers have enjoyed the flexibility and freedom of being able to turn any room in your house into a TV room by using your iPad.
And, while most TV network owners agree with us that this is a great convenience for our customers and their viewers, a few networks disagree. As a result, for the time being, we have decided to focus our iPad efforts on other enlightened programmers who understand the benefit and importance of allowing our subscribers - and their viewers - to watch their programming on any screen in their homes.
Unfortunately, that means that channels form network groups Discovery Communications, Fox Cable and Viacom will be removed form your iPad lineup, effective immediately.
· Discovery channels: Animal Planet, Discovery, TLC · Fox channels: FX, National Geographic · Viacom Channels: BET, CMT, Comedy, MTV, Nickelodeon, Spike, VH1
Updated a few days ago to version 1.0.2, the TWCable TV app for iPad adds detection of WiFi connection and automatically dismissed "Loss of WiFi" dialog if present.
The software also has a "video only view" now where the title bar is hidden when the mini guide is hidden.