Hauppauge Digital, which makes digital TV tuner cards and USB dongles
for PCs and laptops, has created a new software application that allows its WinTV-HVR
TV tuner boards for PCs to stream live TV over the Internet to the iPad, iPhone
and iPod touch portable devices as well as any Apple Macintosh computer which
supports a Safari web browser.
Certain WinTV TV-to-PC cards had previously been able to support
streaming to iPhones and other mobile devices by downloading companion software
from Orb Networks, effectively creating a "placeshifting"
application that allows one to enjoy regular TV programming on the go.
Hauppauge is now marketing the capability directly with "WinTV
Extend", which uses the PC to transmit live TV to Internet and Wi-Fi
connected devices such as the Apple iPad, iPhone and others.
On the large screen iPad or a Mac computer, the live TV image can be
displayed along side the TV tuner channel list from the Hauppauge WinTV-HVR
installed on one's home computer. On the iPhone and iPod touch, the user
can switch between the display of the TV channel list and live TV.
WinTV Extend will be a feature in Hauppauge's new WinTV v7.2
application that will be available directly from Hauppauge at a cost of $9.95. Current
owners of WinTV-HVR's will be able to upgrade to the new software, which also
facilitates TV recording to PCs.
Hauppauge's new functionality is one of a bevy of TV-based
applications aimed at the video-friendly iPad. It comes at the same time
broadcasters are launching new live mobile DTV services aimed at cellphones,
laptops and other portable devices.
