CBS Launches TV.com iPhone App

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CBS may have recently lost out on Hulu content, but they’re pressing forward with their re-imagined TV.com initiative. And, yesterday, they introduced a free TV.com iPhone app.

What caught my eye in the press release was the mention of “full episodes” – So I immediately rushed out to the parking lot, where I have AT&T reception, to download the software. While many CBS properties are represented (CBS, Showtime, CNET), the “full episodes” are few and far between… other than plenty of original Star Trek installments. In fact, I couldn’t figure out how to filter specifically for the good stuff. As it turns out, “full episodes” are broken up into multiple video clips. Which bugged me at first, but now I see the wisdom in it – should you lose your connection, you won’t have to scrub through 50 minutes of content to find your spot. Speaking of connections, CBS says the video streaming will work over EDGE, 3G, or WiFi. TV.com doesn’t seem as snappy as the Joost app, but I’m hopeful of seeing more mainstream, current content going forward.

Lastly, TV.com is powered by Veveo, developer of the vTap mobile video search and playback platform. Former Akimbo CEO Josh Goldman turned me on to them maybe a year back (his current company is a backer).

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6 thoughts on “CBS Launches TV.com iPhone App”

  1. I forgot to mention to check out the reported duration of CNET video clips… several hours per video seems a bit extreme. ;) (Far left pic in the gallery.)

  2. When I search for something, all I find are YouTube clips. Is there any need for one more outlet of YouTube clips on the iPhone? Would be much better if results are restricted to CBS videos. Or, is TV.com trying to get back NBC and Fox clips via pirated clips on YouTube? Overall quality of the app was quite pathetic. When you type something in the search bar, the app starts to do something and blanks out the screen which is quite annoying.

  3. CBS has unfortunately set itself up for defeat against Hulu with this app. I agree with @Poster. These YouTube clips all over the place is completely annoying. CBS has such a great number of its own programming. No idea why it has to rely on YouTube for clips. May be their technology partner that you mention has imposed YouTube search on CBS just because they have it. I am sure Hulu will come out with a pure play TV show iPhone app and blow this half-hearted attempt out of water. Many clips showed multiple hour run times and often the app will say I am not in the USA. I just checked if I had been beamed out of the US with StarTrek and all – but no, I am still here in the good old US of A.

  4. I’m not seeing YouTube clips. Perhaps your experience has to do with incorrect geocoding? By the way, are you related to Poster? You seem to originate from a similar location…

  5. Some of them look like they are Youtube apps, but the are not. but Mobile brings up a good point – I was talking to someone yesterday, wondering when the Hulu app is coming??

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