Verizon wants to send cable TV to wireless devices via 4G LTE

By Alex Tretbar August 14, 2014

espn sues verizon over fios custom tv plans xbox mobile interface — Image used with permission by copyright holder

In the near future, Verizon customers will be able to watch cable TV on their smartphone or tablet without having to rely on any kind of quirky, provider-specific “TV Everywhere” service.

Related: TV everywhere nears mainstream status

Verizon has revealed that it plans to deliver its FiOS pay-TV service to wireless devices via its 4G LTE network, according to the Radio & Television Business Report. A spokesman for the New-York based company, Jim Gerace, told the publication that Verizon’s wireless network is in the best position to be able to take on such a task.

Little to no details have emerged thus far, other than the simple fact that Verizon is confident in its abilities to deliver this potentially game-changing service. The company’s 4G LTE network is certainly already powerful enough to deliver high-quality video content to smartphones and tablets, but that’s not really the obstacle that Verizon should be concerned with. The undeniable elephant in the room is the maelstrom of bad press that has gradually built up around Verizon and the cable industry as whole.

Just this week, Verizon was honored by Netflix with the very last-ranking spot at the bottom of the streaming service’s ISP Speed Index for July. The telecommunications company also made a pretty sour PR move this week when it was revealed its plans to throttle the data speeds of customers subscribed to unlimited plans. Then the company proceeded to dig itself into an even bigger crater when, in a letter to the FCC, it claimed it throttles its customers’ data speeds simply because, well, everyone else does it.

Verizon may not be the only company looking to deliver cable-style television services over a wireless network. ATT’s $48.5 billion bid to acquire DirecTV could be seen as a sign that it has something similar in mind.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Alex Tretbar, audio/video intern, is a writer, editor, musician, gamer and sci-fi nerd raised on EverQuest and Magic: The…

Audio / Video

HD to 4K: these home theater projectors are up to $2,000 off

The Optoma UHD55 projector.

While TVs are great, if you want to have a large screen TV that goes over 80 inches, you're liable to spend thousands of dollars, and if you want to go over 100 inches, you may not even find any options at all, especially at the consumer level. Luckily, there are a lot of great projectors that can not only hit those targets but exceed them and do it at a much cheaper cost than a regular TV. Even better, there is quite a big sale right now at Crutchfield on home theater projectors, with everything from budget-friendly options to top-of-the-range stuff.

What you should buy in Crutchfield's projector sale
Not all projectors have to be incredibly expensive, and you can grab a great project for a good price with the Optoma HZ40HDR, which is , saving you a solid $450 in the process. It's an FHD projector, although it can handle 4k and HDR sources, and the bulb has a 30,000-hour life span, which is pretty great for a budget-oriented projector. On the other hand, if you want 4k, Optomo has a good budget option for that too, the Optoma UHD35STx, which is a 4k short-throw projector with HDR10 and HLG HDR going , which isn't a massive discount on the usual $1,549, but it's still pretty good.

Audio / Video

Best AirPods Max deals: New and refurbished for $440

A woman wearing the Apple AirPods Max.

Shopping the best headphone deals will turn up a number of options from a wide variety of headphone brands, but if you’re interested in what Apple has to offer in terms of premium audio, the Apple AirPods Max are where you’ll want to turn. The AirPods Max are Apple’s top-of-the-line headphones, and while they churn out some impressive audio experiences, they also churn out a hefty price point. With the rumors of AirPods Max 2 going on you’ll be able to find some decent AirPods Max deals out there. We’ve done that hefty lifting for you, however, and have laid out the best AirPods Max deals below. You’ll find deals on both new and refurbished AirPods Max, but click quickly if one of these deals works for you, as Apple deals can be unpredictable and we don’t know how long these will last.
AirPods Max -- $519, were $549

The AirPods Max are Apple's first attempt at a set of over-the-ear headphones. They got a lot of things right. We love these headphones, even when compared against some audiophile options that prioritize sound quality. The AirPods Max have awesome noise cancelling. Everything Apple learned with the earbud-style AirPods works even better with the cup style of the AirPods Max. Along with great ANC comes a great transparency mode. With a twist of the Max's massive knob, you'll go from complete silence to feeling like you're not wearing headphones at all. The audio on phone calls is great as well, and they pair better with the iPhone than any non-Apple headphones could ever hope to.

Audio / Video

Best AirPods Pro deals: Get Apple’s flagship earbuds for $122

The Apple Airpods Pro in their charging case.

Apple’s lineup of headphones has grown over the years. It currently makes a number of AirPods models that can be talked about among the best wireless earbuds. Among them are the AirPods Pro. The AirPods Pro are regularly in contention to be among the best headphones overall as well, and because of their popularity it can be difficult to track down AirPods Pro deals worth shopping. We’ve managed to find some out there, however, and below we’ve rounded up all of the best AirPods Pro deals you can shop right now. You’ll find discounts on both new and refurbished AirPods Pro models, as well as some information on why each model might be best for you.
Apple AirPods Pro (Refurbished) — $122, was $220

While there’s a newer model of AirPods Pro available, the first generation Apple AirPods Pro can still hold their own against some of the best wireless earbuds. Made for a slightly more premium user than something like the Apple AirPods 3, the AirPods Pro have higher end features, including active noise cancellation and a transparency mode, which allows you to hear and interact with the world around you while you have the headphones on. Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking is another impressive feature. This makes watching movies and other content a truly immersive experience. This refurbished model of the Apple AirPods Pro comes with free 30-day returns and a 1-year warranty.