Time Warner Airs TV on iPad

Time Warner Cable has made an application that will play live television on iPads, reported the Los Angeles Times. Subscribers who pay for video and Internet may use the app to watch on their iPad 30 cable channels, including Fox New and Comedy Central. However, there are limitations. Due to difficulties in re-creating feeds from local TV stations and the unpredictability of regional blackouts, the app does not show broadcast network programming. Also, if consumers leave their home, they cannot continue to watch live television because that would necessitate separate agreements with programmers.

Time Warner reportedly plans to add more features to the app, including setting home recordings, watching on-demand videos, and using the iPad as a remote control. Just last Friday, Apple released a new version of the iPad, the iPad 2, and sold nearly a million over the weekend. This app demonstrates how Time Warner and other cable operators are looking for ways to retain their subscribers against growing online coporations. Warner's strategy is not original though because  Hulu and Netflix already stream film and television shows to iPads.

Pictured: iPad (Photo: Getty Images)