Live TV streaming company Aereo has upgraded its service with an application that lets users access live or recorded local television without going through an iOS device, which is good news for both companies as they push Aereo's live TV model into additional markets.
It's not necessarily being greeted with open arms by broadcasters who continue to question--in court--whether Aereo should even be allowed to operate. The Barry Diller-backed start-up and target of litigation by broadcasters questioning its legality had been available on Roku boxes but, through a torturous bit of technological handiwork, required an iPhone or iPad for a remote. The updated version lets viewers use the standard Roku remote for onscreen navigation.
The ongoing litigation with broadcasters, in particular CBS, raised its ugly head when CBS, as the parent corporation of CNET, banned that organization from reviewing Aereo going forward, citing a "conflict of interest."
The ban caused some eyebrows to arch, coming as it did on the heels of CBS's decision to ban Dish Network (Nasdaq: DISH) for consideration for a CNET Best in Show at CES award and future reviews as well because CBS is upset with the satellite provider's Hopper DVR service and its ad-skipping capabilities.
Effectively, CBS has drawn a line in the sand for CNET. Product news can be reported, but those same products cannot be reviewed if there is litigation with CBS involved. Thus, what started with Dish has hopped over to Aereo and could end up with other companies, depending on the lawyers.
For more:
- CNET carried this story
- The Verge added this explanation
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