Starting next Monday, metro Detroiters will have another option as to how they watch their local television channels. With membership starting at $8 per month, Aereo consumers will be able to access and store network television channels using cloud-based antenna/DVR technology.
Aereo allows users to access network television on web-enabled devices, on which they can pause, rewind, and fast-forward any live program or save a show for future viewing. Chet Kanojia, founder and CEO of Aereo, says the technology “brings the old-fashioned antenna into the 21st century, making television watching simple again.”
The company’s expansion into nine Michigan counties — Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Sanilac, Saint Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne — comes amidst various legal battles from major TV networks and others to stop Aereo from rebroadcasting programs. While cable companies pay broadcasters millions of dollars and fees to show top networks, Aero pays nothing. Earlier this month, a federal judge in Massachusetts denied a plaintiff’s request to shut the service down
“This year, our focus has been on growing our footprint across the country. It’s been an exciting year for the Aereo team as we’ve expanded beyond the East Coast and into the South and West,” Kanojia says.
As far as Detroit goes, Aereo users will have access to more than 20 over-the-air channels including WJBK (Fox), WDIV (NBC), WXYZ (ABC), WTVS (PBS), and special interest channels such as BounceTV, MOVIES!, ThisTV, MyNetworkTV, AntennaTV, and Qubo. Consumers can add Bloomberg Television, as well.
Aereo is supported on Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer 9, Firefox, Opera, AppleTV (via airplay), and Roku devices. It is also supported on the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and devices running Android operating system version 4.2 or higher. The Aereo Android app will be available for download from the Google Play Store starting Tuesday.
