Replacing TW cable box

[red41]

Has anyone tried this? I'm trying to avoid running a cable to my bed room. I would be fine using the Apple TV full time in my bedroom but I'm worried about my wife trying to use it, as she typically watches live television more than I do.

I have 2 ipads, one that I've jailbroken and put the Time Warner app on. I know they don't allow you to mirror the TW app without a jailbreak. Does anyone have experience doing this? I was hoping just to stream from one ipad to the Apple TV but Time Warner obviously has no incentive to do that.

 

[d21mike]

I am on Verizon FIOS but know a number of people in my area that are on TWC. Really hoping for a Native TWC App for Apple TV like they have for Roku. Until that happens I think you are stuck waiting for most channels.

However, there are a number of Apps that you can authenticate with you TWC Subscription. Like Watch ABC which has Live TV. But there are not a lot. But just notice 3 more Apps added recently. I think the key to find out what your wife really likes to watch and keep checking for those. Or maybe get a cheap Roku Stick for those channels that are must have. I have my last 2 Roku's to a family member that needed the TWC App.

For me on FIOS, I am able to use the HDHomeRun Prime Turners with Cable Card and I use the Channels App to watch 95% of my Channels Live. The problem for doing this on TWC is because TWC has DRM Encoding for most of their channels (my understanding) except for the local channels (like OTA channels). And the Channels App does not support DRM Channels. That may change in the future but I would not expect soon.

I would contact TWC and ask them to port the iPad TWC App to the Apple TV like they have done on Roku. Maybe if enough customers request it, it might happen.

 

[red41]

I am on Verizon FIOS but know a number of people in my area that are on TWC. Really hoping for a Native TWC App for Apple TV like they have for Roku. Until that happens I think you are stuck waiting for most channels.

However, there are a number of Apps that you can authenticate with you TWC Subscription. Like Watch ABC which has Live TV. But there are not a lot. But just notice 3 more Apps added recently. I think the key to find out what your wife really likes to watch and keep checking for those. Or maybe get a cheap Roku Stick for those channels that are must have. I have my last 2 Roku's to a family member that needed the TWC App.

For me on FIOS, I am able to use the HDHomeRun Prime Turners with Cable Card and I use the Channels App to watch 95% of my Channels Live. The problem for doing this on TWC is because TWC has DRM Encoding for most of their channels (my understanding) except for the local channels (like OTA channels). And the Channels App does not support DRM Channels. That may change in the future but I would not expect soon.

I would contact TWC and ask them to port the iPad TWC App to the Apple TV like they have done on Roku. Maybe if enough customers request it, it might happen.

Thanks for the reply. It's strange because TW streams to computers and to tablets but not Apple TV. I have a Mac Mini hooked up to my main tv for movies and streaming, but TW streams terribly over the internet on the computer, bad frame rate and very jittery (only TW does this, Netflix, Hulu and Amazon do just fine). However, it streams great on my ipad. I've thought about just plugging my ipad into the TV to stream but that would mean having to get up to change the channel and I don't want to live in the 1960's.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Think about the business motivations. Does TW want you to be able to get by without leasing a TW (extra) box or do they like the extra money? All "what's best for us consumers" thinking- even that which seems completely logical- is often explained by just thinking about the money motivations. In short, money motivations override doing what's best for consumers... especially where there's little-to-no competition to play such a card in their strive to steal away customers.

If all of us consumers could swear to a willingness to pay the TWs of the world more money for an TV app that works at least as good as their dedicated boxes, they'd be all over delivering such apps. The problem to getting what we want is that what we want is usually about cutting their revenues. Thus, we don't get much of what we want.

 

[d21mike]

Think about the business motivations. Does TW want you to be able to get by without leasing a TW (extra) box or do they like the extra money? All "what's best for us consumers" thinking- even that which seems completely logical- is often explained by just thinking about the money motivations. In short, money motivations override doing what's best for consumers... especially where there's little-to-no competition to play such a card in their strive to steal away customers.

If all of us consumers could swear to a willingness to pay the TWs of the world more money for an TV app that works at least as good as their dedicated boxes, they'd be all over delivering such apps. The problem to getting what we want is that what we want is usually about cutting their revenues. Thus, we don't get much of what we want.

That makes sense. So why did they create the TWC App for the Roku box. And with the NY Trial of Internet Only TV using the Roku. Makes me think they could be coming to others boxes at some point.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/time-warner-cable-roku-3-beta-service/

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Does the TW app for Roku work well or like the OP says in #3. My point was that it appears the OP is looking for a TW box replacement using the TV instead. If any of the big cable players roll out a complete solution as an app, it seems likely it would hurt their box lease revenue. So why do they want to do that? Instead, we'll probably get apps that work so-so but come with some kind of compromise.

 

[d21mike]

Does the TW app for Roku work well or like the OP says in #3. My point was that it appears the OP is looking for a TW box replacement using the TV instead. If any of the big cable players roll out a complete solution as an app, it seems likely it would hurt their box lease revenue. So why do they want to do that? Instead, we'll probably get apps that work so-so but come with some kind of compromise.

I actually do not have much first hand experience. I don't have TWC. I gave an older Roki to my son and daughter in law and they have been using it in a guest room over wifi and she said it works fine but do not use it much. I just gave them a Roku 3 that I stopped using but they have not installed it yet. I think it is mainly for Live TV. I am not sure but I do not think you have access to On Demand and DVR Recordings.

Read about it here:
https://channelstore.roku.com/details/23048/time-warner-cable

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

No doubt they have apps. I'm have DISH and DISH has a pretty great app for iDevices. But I believe they have apps for little screens on the premise that the family won't gather around the little screens. Big screens are probably reserved for leased boxes even if an TV app could be well crafted to replicate anything those boxes could do. What we you do if you were them- kill your leased boxes revenues to further enrich Apple or keep enjoying your leased box revenues?

From a consumer standpoint, I want the same as OP. I actually want the full functionality of the leased boxes on my TV so I don't have to pay for an extra box hooked to each TV. But the problem is always why does the seller want what I want? And that's always a problem (only for them) if what I want cuts their revenues.

 

[zhenya]

If you just want a cheap extra cable box, get the Roku and use the TW app. It works great although you don't get any DVR features like recording or ff/rw/pause, etc, but you get all the channels so far as I am aware (including local stations) and even on-demand content. My wife uses it every day. Also get the one with the headphone jack in the remote - awesome feature that both of us appreciate (me for the silence!) Don't mess with an ATV for this.