TWCable TV: Time Warner Cable's free iPad TV Everywhere app

Time Warner Cable has announced another upgrade to their free iPad TV Everywhere viewing app: TWCable TV.  In addition to ongoing bug fixes, Time Warner Cable’s Jeff Simmermon reports several new features are now included:

1) Basic search function.

With this update, you can search for programs by title or episode name within the iPad app. You do this by using the search bar located on the top right of the screen. To activate the keyboard, you’ll need to tap the search bar. Once the search results display, you’ll also have the ability to filter your results based on matching genres like News, Cooking, Travel, Sports, etc. We are working on advanced search (keyword, cast, crew) which should roll out sometime around the end of Q4/ beginning of Q1.

 2) You can now view closed captioned content.

To do this, look within the Settings menu of the TWCable TV iPad app and turn the closed captioning switch on. Some programs do not have closed captioning available. Those programs will not display captioning even when the closed captioning is turned on. Look for the closed captioning icon within the program description to determine if captioning is available on any given program.

3) You can now block specific live TV channels from viewing on the app.

Once a channel is blocked it will no longer be displayed in the live TV mini-guide. Please note that you will need to visit MyServices to activate parental controls, and you must exit and re-enter the app for the changes to take effect.

To activate/manage Parental Controls for the app, follow these steps:

• Visit myservices.timewarnercable.com and log into your MyServices account
• Click on either the MyAccount or MyTV tab within MyServices, scroll to the “TWCable TV for Devices” module
• Click on the “Edit blocked channels” link
• On the Edit TWCable TV Channel Blocking for Devices page, scroll down to the channel(s) you wish to block
• Click on the lock icon (it will turn red)
• To complete the parental control activation process, restart the TWCable TV iPad app by pressing the home button or signing out

These settings apply to the TWCable TV iPad app only. To manage parental control settings for your television, you still have to modify the settings on your video set top box using your remote control.

Miscellaneous bug fixes:
I’ve seen a lot of complaints about audio issues in the iPad app – many are saying that there’s no sound. This update should fix that.

Some users were not seeing HD channels in the lineup like they should have – that should also be fixed.

We also have made some minor design tweaks.

HBO GO: Finally available for Time Warner Cable premium customers?

The biggest problem we’ve experienced with the app at Stop the Cap! HQ is the highly-irritating paused/re-buffering playback, which has gotten progressively better over time.  Now, most paused playback occurs only within the first minute after changing channels, and usually does not repeat.  We maintain a 30/5Mbps Internet connection, so there is plenty of broadband speed available, but we suspect as more customers found the application, the cable company’s server capacity could not keep up.

The application’s annoying limitations also remain:

1. You must be a Time Warner Cable television subscriber to watch, with Time Warner Cable Internet service. (We haven’t tried to see if Earthlink from Time Warner works with TWCable TV).
2. Playback is limited to the range of your home broadband network’s Wi-Fi connection.  You cannot watch on other networks, and we’ve been unsuccessful trying to watch from another Time Warner Cable customer’s home.
3. Channel lineups vary market to market.  If your local Time Warner system does not carry a specific network, don’t expect to see it on TWCable TV, even if others elsewhere can watch.
4. No local channels are included.

In a related development, Bloomberg reports Time Warner Cable is close to a deal with HBO and sister network Cinemax to finally allow Time Warner Cable customers access to HBO GO and Cinemax GO, assuming you have a subscription to one or both premium channels.

The app allows access to past and current programs on smartphones, iPads and personal computers for no additional monthly charge.

Just over one year ago, Stop the Cap! introduced readers to Sezmi, a cable-TV alternative that delivered a package of selected cable networks, on-demand movies, video podcasts, YouTube content and local broadcast stations with a 1TB DVR set top box for $19.99 a month. Subscribers that decided to forgo the cable networks paid even less — $4.99 a month for service.

But no more.

As of this morning, Sezmi has discontinued its service, leaving customers with a nearly-worthless set top DVR box they spent $149.99 to acquire, and a number of questions about the company’s sudden change of direction.

The company issued a statement telling customers it has ceased monthly billing and giving customers until later this year to use some of the features Sezmi operates in-house:

We regret to inform you that Sezmi is discontinuing its consumer service. As of Monday, September 26, 2011, you will no longer be able to view or record broadcast TV programming through your Sezmi System. However, you will still be able to view movies and shows you have already saved to your Sezmi media recorder. To help ease the transition, you may also rent movies and shows if available at no charge from Sezmi’s On Demand catalog through November 1, 2011.

Why do you have to discontinue your consumer service?
Sezmi has changed its business focus to providing our product and technology platform to service providers, internationally and in the U.S., who are interested in providing broadband video services to their customers. As a result, we are no longer supporting our direct-to-consumer service.

What does this mean for me?
You will no longer be billed for Sezmi service. As of September 26th, you will no longer be able to utilize the programming guide and your digital media recorder will no longer operate as a recorder. You will be able to view movies and shows you have already saved to your recorder and YouTube access will not be affected. Between now and November 1st, you may rent any movies or shows at no charge to you. After November 1, Sezmi’s On Demand catalog will no longer be available but you will be able to use your Sezmi system to view all programming you have saved to the media recorder.

No Service After Sept. 26, 2011 didn't make the list.

What it also means is customers are stuck with a proprietary DVR box that won’t work with other services.

Sezmi’s business model was most operational in the Los Angeles market, where it leased unused spectrum from several LA-area television stations to carry its lightweight cable package.  In other markets, Sezmi simply wedded over the air digital free television stations with its online lineup of on-demand programming and charged $4.99 a month to watch.  It was never a compelling offer outside of Los Angeles, and even in that city, trouble brewed when Sezmi discontinued the cable package in December.

Among the difficulties Sezmi encountered:

1. Finding cooperative local broadcasters willing to lease unused digital spectrum to Sezmi proved to be a difficult proposition.  Broadcasters are zealously guarding the frequencies they control now and do not want to get into long-term contracts with third parties.  Network owned stations in major cities may have already committed significant spectrum to their own sub-channels and other projects, or want to hold them in reserve for future use.  Besides, why lease spectrum to a company for a cable package large networks could theoretically build themselves.
2. Sezmi lacked access to many popular cable channels, notably ESPN and HBO.  It’s difficult to get consumers to drop a cable or telco-TV subscription in favor of one that is limited to two dozen cable channels, some of which were hardly deal-sealers.  Efforts to move cable channel programming to online distribution were met with difficulty because content owners increasingly want a piece of the action.  Deep pockets are required to sustain video streaming businesses.
3. Consumers never really understood the product and were not convinced to choose it over better known alternatives that included satellite TV.

Sezmi’s new focus on working with larger players could meet with some success, but Sezmi’s best chances of all could be developing the technology for ethnic audiences or other narrowcast opportunities where the lack of a hundred plus channel cable package would not be a factor.

For Sale?

A Wall Street analyst predicts Netflix’s recent announcement to separate itself from its DVD-by-mail rental service (now run independently as ‘Qwikster’) is the first step in selling its online streaming business to Amazon.com.

Michael Pachter, of Wedbush Securities raised his buy rating on Netflix stock, claiming the company could be on the verge of a lucrative sale of its increasingly-important streaming business to the online retailer:

Pachter said that Amazon has always wanted to be in the video-streaming business, but has been hampered by tax considerations due to state sales tax issues. Most states require companies that have physical operations in those states to collect sales taxes on transactions done within those states.

Amazon has so far been able to get around most of those sales-tax issues by virtue of its being an online retailer. Pachter said Amazon would likely have had to begin collecting state sales taxes had it purchased Netflix outright because that company has a wide network of distribution centers across many states.

However, Pachter said a separate video-streaming business from Netflix is more appealing to Amazon, as the company could still avoid enforcing the state sales taxes, and dramatically increase its own video offerings.

“If Amazon were to acquire only Netflix’s streaming business, it could triple the size of its content library, and gain traction as an industry leader,” Pachter said. “Netflix’s streaming has current content deals that provide it with access to movie content during the premium cable TV window, and Amazon has the financial resources to secure additional streaming rights.”

But not every analyst is convinced Pachter is on the right track.

Brett Harriss, an analyst with Gabelli & Co. in Rye, New York, told Bloomberg News that potential buyers are more likely to wait until Netflix gets cheaper before making a bid.

“At some point, this does get cheap,” Harriss said in an interview. “But I don’t think we’re down there yet.”

Other analysts think the concept of a sale is correct, but the buyer is all-wrong.

“The name that would pop in my mind first is Google,” Tim Ghriskey, who oversees $2 billion as chief investment officer of Solaris Group LLC in Bedford Hills, New York, told Bloomberg. “Google loves to throw money at ideas and companies that they think have the potential to be game changers and become major players.”

[flv]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/CNBC Netflix Feeding Frenzy 9-21-11.flv[/flv]

Netflix Feeding Frenzy: The vultures are circling as analysts on CNBC pound Netflix’s recent price and service plan changes as this compilation of reports illustrates.  (18 minutes)

Cellular South, a regional wireless provider serving Mississippi, western Tennessee, and parts of Florida and Alabama, relaunched operations this morning as C Spire Wireless.

Company officials claim C Spire will be the first carrier to offer “personalized wireless services” that will adapt to customers based on how they use their phones and other  devices.

“We have entered a new era in wireless – an era centered on broadband networks, mobile computing devices and now personalized services. Completing calls is only a small part of what we deliver our customers,” said Hu Meena, president and CEO of C Spire. “Since 1988, our main focus has been on providing exceptional service for our customers and their wireless needs. Those needs have changed dramatically and will do so at an even more rapid pace in the future.”

Among the changes underway across the mobile industry is an effort to end unlimited wireless data plans for smartphone customers, but that won’t be the case at C Spire, which is retaining unlimited smartphone data usage for many of its service plans, sort of.

“C Spire understands that when customers have to measure and limit their data, they aren’t getting the optimal experience with their wireless provider. That’s why the company is introducing Individual and Family Choice Plans that offer customers the ultimate in choice and flexibility, and access to infinite data,” the company said in a statement.

But there is a major catch — that “infinite” data usage does not include streaming multimedia content.  That comes extra: priced free through October 29. Then 2 hours for $5, 5 hours for $10, or unlimited usage for $30.

How many "percs" can I win picking out the sloppy spelling errors on C Spire's website?

C Spire does away with counting megabytes or gigabytes and asks customers to guess how many hours they expect to use streaming media applications on their phones. That means customers will pay $50 a month for C Spire’s Choice D 500 plan, which includes unlimited web browsing and e-mail, plus 500 talk minutes per month.  But if you want to listen to unlimited online radio or stream video, that price increases to $80 a month.  But that $80 does buy an unlimited experience at that point.

C Spire’s pricing reflects the failure of strong Net Neutrality protection, allowing carriers to charge extra for different types of content on its network.

Wireless mobile broadband customers still face a cap on C Spire’s data-only plans: 1GB for $19.99, 3GB for $29.99 or 5GB for $49.99.

Users must spend at least 50 percent of their usage during the month within a C Spire service area.  Excessive roaming can get your service suspended.  As a regional carrier, that means “home usage” is limited to a handful of southern states.

But company officials are spending little time discussing their pricing and plans, instead focusing on how C Spire will “personalize” the wireless experience.

No other wireless provider understands its customers and adapts to their wireless needs like C Spire. Customers will see this unique personalization in apps and content that fit who they are, services that anticipate their needs, and rewards they’ll get just for using their phone in new ways. C Spire’s industry-leading personalization capabilities are powered by Pulse, a proprietary system that enables the company to understand and develop a closer relationship with its customers. In turn, C Spire recommends and provides the right selection of technology experiences tailored for each customer – giving them unmatched wireless personalization.

C Spire offers what they are calling “percs” — points that customers can collect based on interacting with the company’s website and social media platforms, the number of years they remain loyal to C Spire, and opting into company research programs including their Scout Program, which track apps usage.

The rewards on offer at the moment are not impressive — waiving late bill payment fees, priority access to customer service, feature upgrades, and discounts on accessories and shipping.

The company’s website has been unresponsive at times this morning and customers on C Spire’s Facebook page are complaining they are confused about pricing and plan changes, particularly those related to streaming data usage.

C Spire's Rewards Program

[flv width=”480″ height=”290″]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/C Spire Ads 9-26-11.flv[/flv]

Magic Sparklies: The wireless company’s new advertising campaign introduces Cellular South’s new brand: C Spire Wireless (1 minute)

Time Warner Cable plans to expand its budget-priced TV Essentials package market-tested in New York City and northeastern Ohio across the east coast over the next several weeks in an effort to reduce video package cord-cutting.

Rob Marcus, president and chief operating officer at Time Warner Cable made the announcement Wednesday at a Goldman Sachs-sponsored investor conference.

The package delivers a largely sports-free experience, deleting expensive ESPN and other sports-specific networks from the lineup.  News channels are limited to networks from CNN, and while HGTV is included, Food Network is not (although you can watch the Cooking Channel to get by).

With Time Warner Cable customers now paying an average of $73.50 a month for television service, a package priced between $30-40 may help keep income-challenged consumers from canceling service.  But it is unlikely to reduce cord-cutting among those switching to online viewing.  Time Warner Cable does not heavily promote the package, instead pitching it on a targeted basis, especially to those who call to disconnect service.

Every little bit helps, says Marcus.

“We’ve been challenging ourselves to design an offering that might be more attractive and affordable to those customers who might not be able to handle the full packages,” Marcus said. “The numbers are still pretty small, but the results are sufficiently encouraging that we’re going to roll that out more broadly.”

In northeast Ohio, the TV Essentials package includes all local broadcast channels, public, educational, and government channels, and these cable networks: