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iPad Watching live TV on iPad?

Annorax

Annorax

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 18, 2006
5
0
MA
Hello all,

I have an iPad 1 64GB model. I subscribe to Comcast and have their Xfinity TV app and it works OK but I'm open to and looking for other solutions for watching TV when I am out.

Is there a way to watch live TV and local news channels on the iPad?

I know many TV channels each have their own apps - do I need to download so many apps (one for each channel) or is there a consolidated app that plays all of them (aside from things like the Xfinity TV app which I have).
 
Honey Badger

Honey Badger

macrumors 6502a
Jul 14, 2011
606
58
If you can get it, the U-Verse app by AT&T allows you to watch all TV channels live on your iPad or iPhone using wifi or cellular. Also, the CNN app allows for live viewing of CNN.
 
J

jcmeyer5

macrumors 6502
Sep 7, 2008
416
309
You could get into a TiVo setup. They have either built in streaming or streaming via external module.
 
P

Pat too

macrumors member
Oct 24, 2012
80
18
Over here in the UK we can use a dongle-like TV tuner device that plugs in the Lightning port (30pin and Micro-USB version also available) which can typically receive around 30 to 50 Free-to-air TV channels.

http://www.amazon.com/EyeTV-Micro-Mobile-Tuner-black/dp/B00JKG73I2/
I had a look at the Amazon.com and it looks like a similar device available in the US is running on a "Dyle" service which sounds very restricted judging by the reviews. What is this service, is it the only Free-to-air TV you guys in the US can receive?
 
Uofmtiger

Uofmtiger

macrumors 68020
Dec 11, 2010
2,353
1,067
Memphis
Another vote for Slingbox. The one I have even has an input for an antenna if you just want to watch live local TV while someone is watching the cable/satellite box. It works great with the Directv box I own, too, but it takes over the box, so you would want to hook it up in a location that gets the least use when you are away.
 
virginblue4

virginblue4

macrumors 68020
Apr 15, 2012
2,025
693
United Kingdom
Pat too said:
Over here in the UK we can use a dongle-like TV tuner device that plugs in the Lightning port (30pin and Micro-USB version also available) which can typically receive around 30 to 50 Free-to-air TV channels.

http://www.amazon.com/EyeTV-Micro-Mobile-Tuner-black/dp/B00JKG73I2/
I had a look at the Amazon.com and it looks like a similar device available in the US is running on a "Dyle" service which sounds very restricted judging by the reviews. What is this service, is it the only Free-to-air TV you guys in the US can receive?
Click to expand...

To get some of the basic channels you can use TVCatchup, it's free and available on the App Store. Don't be deceived by the name, it is actually live TV. This is in the UK only though.
 
rigormortis

rigormortis

macrumors 68000
Jun 11, 2009
1,813
229
I got a hdhomerun, it sells for $99 or so. Has 2 or 3 tv tuners. The newer ones have cable card support. The 3 tuners allow 3 different recordings at the same time. HDTV over wifi can be a little choppy. It's great cause it's a networkable tv tuner. It's what they sell in those eye tv boxes. You can have multiple hd home runs each with it's 3 tuners.

Theres not a lot of apps for the iPad though. You can buy the hd home run and bundle it with eye tv and use eye tv to pipe it to the iPad. I think.. Someone else made an app called insta tv pro , that lets you watch tv with a hd home run but they want $11.99 for the in app purchase for the tv watching part.

I don't wanna spend $11.99 on something that might not work.

I think eye tv might allow watching tv over the net. I don't know. Insta tv I think only works on your local network

hdtv over wifi with a hdhomerun run can get choppy because the hd home run is more or less sending live video straight off the antenna to your computer or iPad with little or absolutely no transcoding whatsoever. You get the exact 15 to 25 Mbps that you get from your local broadcast station. It's all digital so its pristine. Works with over the air and cable tv. They have cable card versions and just regular versions that work with unencrypted qam cable channels.


Just passing it along
 
Last edited:
shacky

shacky

macrumors regular
Sep 27, 2008
140
35
I think what it comes down to is that you can really only use an app that works with authentication of your cable account. In your case, you are using xFinity. Other than that, in the US, something like Sling is the only thing that will open up new viewing for you.

This is an evolving area, in fact, CBS is experimenting with an on-line subscription right now. (Which may be another option for you.)
 
rigormortis

rigormortis

macrumors 68000
Jun 11, 2009
1,813
229
I got the newer hd home run plus to go with my dual. The plus has its own dlna and upnp server. It doesn't have cable card support. When I am home I can just launch Vlc by video lan and click on upnp and watch live tv without having to buy insta tv.. The plus encodes live tv using h264 so it takes less bandwidth then the older dual which was MPEG 2

I got a plex pass and it was easy to install a beta or hdhr viewer plug in for plex server. I can watch actual live tv over the net on my iPad

It's not 100% reliable for streaming over the net. Sometimes my plex app sees my plex home server over the net and sometimes it says I don't have a net connection.

Silicon dust say they are working on a native app for iOS

Playing from my plex media server to a Roku with live tv can make it look like a bad YouTube video.. But playing directly on the Mac , iPhone and iPad looks great.
 
N

nebo1ss

macrumors 68030
Jun 2, 2010
2,909
1,709
Pat too said:
Over here in the UK we can use a dongle-like TV tuner device that plugs in the Lightning port (30pin and Micro-USB version also available) which can typically receive around 30 to 50 Free-to-air TV channels.

http://www.amazon.com/EyeTV-Micro-Mobile-Tuner-black/dp/B00JKG73I2/
I had a look at the Amazon.com and it looks like a similar device available in the US is running on a "Dyle" service which sounds very restricted judging by the reviews. What is this service, is it the only Free-to-air TV you guys in the US can receive?
Click to expand...
There is no need to buy a Dongle in the UK just use the tvcatchup app for live tv.
 
rigormortis

rigormortis

macrumors 68000
Jun 11, 2009
1,813
229
i saw some tv tuner dongle or iPad for $13 and another for $99 but they both only work for dyle. its some special mobile tv thing, and not regular atsc. only picks up 6 channels here

anyone know of any dongles for iPad / iPhone that pick up regular atsc?
 
Last edited:
K

kevo1011

macrumors regular
Oct 3, 2010
121
0
Any truth to the silicon dust app for the homerun prime? I am currently using instatv but hoping they come out with their own app.
 
P

Pat too

macrumors member
Oct 24, 2012
80
18
nebo1ss said:
There is no need to buy a Dongle in the UK just use the tvcatchup app for live tv.
Click to expand...

Of course, but TVCatchup and dedicated Live TV apps like iPlayer require a data connection when you're out and about and not everyone has, or wants to pay for a high data plan. By using a dongle/TV tuner there's no need to put up with constant buffering problems in congested 3G/4G areas. Another advantage of certain dongles is that they allow basic PVR functions like pause and recording.
 
M

machtv

macrumors regular
Oct 6, 2014
171
41
JB the ipad then install the kodi entertainment center. and watch anything you want for free.:)
 
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