How to Watch Free, Live Broadcast TV on Your iPad, Right Now

November 5, 2010 at 9:27 am PT

The broadcast networks only put their stuff on the Web under very specific conditions. So this is exactly what they don’t want: Free, live streams of their stuff delivered to your iPad, via the browser.

You can get it right now, by heading to FilmOn.com, where you can get streams of several local L.A. TV stations, which means you can get whatever NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox are broadcasting. You can also get a few cable channels, like Time Warner’s CNN International, as well as a couple of porn feeds.

It’s incredibly easy, and it’s a very high-quality feed, with very little lag. This screenshot of NBC’s “Today Show” isn’t very exciting, but it is current–I took it a few minutes ago.

You can also get FilmOn via a conventional PC, but that requires a download, so it’s not quite as convenient. But it’s still very easy, and while FilmOn has said it would charge for the service, it’s free for now.

How is this possible? It shouldn’t be, according to the networks, who are suing FilmOn and founder Alki David. They’re also suing ivi.TV, which is doing something similar with feeds from Seattle TV stations.

Both FilmOn and ivi are arguing that they’re within their rights based on an interpretation of FCC rules that allow “secondary transmissions” of broadcast signals.

The networks, of course, will work very, very hard to shoot down that argument, for obvious reasons. Ivi and FilmOn have been out for several weeks, but a note from industry analyst Rich Greenfield (registration required) this morning is going to increase the attention the two companies have been getting.

Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how Apple plays this. Steve Jobs has big plans for the TV business, but they generally involve working with the networks and studios so that they can charge money for their shows on his devices.

On the other hand, since FilmOn is getting to the iPad over the free Web, instead of an Apple-approved app, I’m not sure how Jobs could stop the transmission. Even if he wants to.

UPDATE: Ivi’s Hal Bringman wants us to know that in addition to Seattle, his service also offers streams from New York broadcast stations, and will start offering from L.A. this weekend. Up next–Chicago and Philadelphia. Bringman says his company also has an iPad app in the works, but that one will require a $4.95 monthly fee.

Tagged with: ABC, advertising, Alki David, app, Apple, blogs, broadcast, browser, cable, CBS, channels, Chicago, CNN International, digital, Disney, download, entertainment, FCC, FilmOn, Fox, free, GE, Hal Bringman, Internet, iPad, Ivi, Live, local, MediaMemo, NBC, networks, News Corp., PC, Peter Kafka, Philadelphia, Rich Greenfield, rules, search, Seattle, signals, software, stations, Steve Jobs, streams, television, Time Warner, Today Show, transmission, TV, video

comments so far. Add yours.

Anonymous

It keeps telling me that I need to install Adobe??
http://twitter.com/mikepetrucci Mike Petrucci

Thanks for the post! I’m not getting it to work on my end, but it may be my wifi. A little spotty right now. Hopefully I’ll get it fired up soon!
Anonymous

wow! it’s working like a dream on my ipad here in london. wonder how long before they take it down? until then I’ll just enjoy the novelty of it.
http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/ PKafka

It’s really interesting. The service is already being sued. And it’s being delivered over the Web, not an Apple app. So unless Apple wants to block a specific Web address, not sure what can be done — assuming Apple wants to do anything, anyway.
Anonymous

Hmm – why would the Network sue – their content is being watched along with their ads… seems like it would be the access providers such as Comcast and DirecTV that should sue… although those lines are being blurred…

But at the end of the day – i don’t see the difference between this and connecting/embedding a digital OTA antenna into the iPad (great idea Apple)… at that point the iPad is just a tuner/receiver only difference is that the digital bits are delivered via TCP/IP vs. OTA…
Fanfoot

Because most people pay them for access to these channels. Rumor has it something like a dollar per subscriber per month on cable in the US. I assume this is for access to all of Fox’s channels–mostly for the main Fox channel, but also FX, National Geographic, etc. Not sure what ABC wants for ABC and ESPN for example, but its probably higher than that. Sure some people can get some of these channels for free if they are willing to put up antennas and the signal is good enough, but cable/satellite/telco penetration in the US is around 85% so presumably a bunch of people don’t consider Over The Air solutions adequate. And some of those people might stop paying if they could get those channels over the internet. That’s the idea anyway.
http://www.davidsanger.com David Sanger

Seems like a great idea, works for broadcast shows but not for premium content CNN on my iPad.

Advertisers should love it since it is more eyeballs. If they could track viewers networks could raise their rates/circulation.

However their actual reaction is sadly predictable.
http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/ PKafka

Well, that’s essentially the argument that these guys are making/will make. The networks will argue that they have the explicit right to control distribution of their stuff, which is why they’re able to charge cable networks for retransmission rights.
http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/ PKafka

Less than a dollar per sub in most cases, but yes, that’s part of it. Important distinction is that in the past, cable distributors have not paid – technically speaking – for broadcast channels, only for cable ones. But that’s changing now, as we’ve seen with Fox, ABC, et al.
http://bigjim.org/ jim

That site crashed my iPad so hard I’m having to do a full restore. Buyer beware!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1314585821 Jamie Potosnak

Crashing my iPad as well. Tried twice. Crashed twice with an extended reboot afterword.
http://twitter.com/chotty Jimmy Faivre

Same here. REAL hard crash… avoid. Seems fishy.
http://twitter.com/leggett Michael Leggett

Crashed hard the first two tries and loaded the third time. Works well for ~30 seconds and then video freezes.
Anonymous

Web site comes up but video never shows with my iPad on iOS 4.2
http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/ PKafka

I’ve noticed lousy performance today as well. Assume the company is straining under increased traffic, but I’ll ask…
http://twitter.com/soylentgoodness Soylent Goodness

starts out great, then the ipad go to the silver-apple-of-death. does it every time. apple is officially evil.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000042323621 Christopher Trumbull

I just tried it on my i-Pod Touch and it works great!
Anonymous

playing with it on my iPod touch right now. KTTV is working fine. Haven’t tried the others.