Optimum

News
January 26, 2012
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Hands on with Cablevision’s upcoming Optimum App for Laptops

By on January 26, 2012 at 5:45 PM.

Hands on with Cablevision’s upcoming Optimum App for Laptops

Last summer, Cablevision was one of the first cable providers to release an app for watching live TV on mobile devices. The Optimum App for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch allows Optimum subscribers to watch live television when connected to their home networks. Cablevision is now testing the Optimum App for Laptops, which transforms a user’s laptop into an additional TV when connected to a home network. A beta version of the application is currently available to select customers for a limited time and we managed to put it through the paces on Thursday. Check out our hand-on photo gallery below and hit the break for some quick impressions.

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mobile
August 9, 2011
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Optimum launches iPhone app, allows full TV viewing, remote controlling

By on August 9, 2011 at 8:45 PM.

Optimum launches iPhone app, allows full TV viewing, remote controlling

Cablevision launched a unique implementation of TV viewing with the company’s iPad app a few months back. In short, the iPad actually sits behind your home network, connects through your Optimum cable model directly to the company’s internal network, and essentially acts as a TV tuner. This delivers every channel you’re subscribed to that you can view on your TV, and now Optimum is bringing this capability to the iPhone and iPod touch. In addition to TV viewing, you’re also able to use the iPhone as a remote control giving customers even more flexibility and control over their shows. We’ve been playing with the app for a little while and it ‘s pretty solid — watching TV on the iPhone is crystal clear, and it’s sure better than digging for the remote control every few minutes. Optimum’s updated app is available for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad in the App Store. More →

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Services
June 14, 2011
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Cablevision increases free Optimum Wi-Fi to 15Mbps across NY/NJ/CT

By on June 14, 2011 at 9:45 AM.

Cablevision increases free Optimum Wi-Fi to 15Mbps across NY/NJ/CT

Cablevision’s Optimum Wi-Fi service, free for subscribers, has been extremely popular in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state area, giving customers access to fast Wi-Fi from tens of thousands of locations. Today, Cablevision is announcing that the company has bumped up speeds at all Wi-Fi locations to 15Mbps down and 4Mbps up — the same speeds home subscribers get with entry-level Optimum Online service. Over 500,000 people use Optimum’s free Wi-Fi service, and this move makes Optimum’s Wi-Fi faster than any 3G or 4G network, barring Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network, which we’ve seen trump those numbers from time to time. Additionally, Cablevision previously partnered with Time Warner and Comcast to allow customers of all three providers to roam onto all three provider’s Wi-Fi networks, so this change affects Time Warner and Comcast subscribers as well which is great. The full press release is after the break, and the new download and upload speeds are already available across the tri-state area. More →

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Software
April 2, 2011
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Optimum iPad app hands-on!

By on April 2, 2011 at 8:28 PM.

Optimum iPad app hands-on!

We knew that Cablevision was involved in creating an iPad app that enables the viewing of TV content, but we didn’t know that the app would offer iPad owners a better experience than FIOS’ and Time Warner Cable’s offerings. Cablevision’s Optimum app lets you, from behind your own network at home, view your entire channel lineup directly from up to two iPads simultaneously, complete with program guide information, access to the company’s more than 2,000 VOD offerings with the rest coming this summer, while also letting you record and control your DVR directly from the app. After entering my Optimum account username and password, I was immediately able to access every Optimum channel that I subscribe to from my iPad, and after some quick buffering, video looked absolutely great. It doesn’t look like you’re able to currently watch any recorded video from your DVR, but that’s not such a big deal in my book. Cablevision told me that their app doesn’t use the internet to deliver video to your iPad, nor is the content streamed, rather it’s sent over the company’s network just as it works with your set-top box. If you are an Optimum customer that doesn’t have a cable modem, Optimum will provide an internet-blocked cable modem for free that will enable you to use the iPad app with a user-provider secure wireless router. Cablevision also said that they plan to deploy the same experience to other devices, so we anticipate an iPhone and Android app in the future. Check out some screenshots of the app in our gallery, and if you’re an Optimum cable customer, the app is available for free in the App Store. Press release after the break.

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Services
June 2, 2010
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Cablevision submits proposal to bring Optimum Wi-Fi to MTA trains

By on June 2, 2010 at 2:20 PM.

Cablevision submits proposal to bring Optimum Wi-Fi to MTA trains

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In a response to a Request for Proposal from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Cablevision announced today that it has submitted a bid to bring its Optimum Wi-Fi to Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North trains on Long Island as well as in Westchester and Southern Connecticut. Access to the network will be free for Optimum Online customers, while everyone else will be able to make use of the service for “reasonable rates.” Cablevision currently has Optimum Wi-Fi hotspots in some 200 MTA stations, and says it is committed to having the hotspots up and running within 12 months and will build and maintain them on its own dime. Anyone hoping this proposal is accepted, especially in light of today’s unlimited-data-plan-killing announcement from AT&T? Let us know after hitting the jump to check out the press release. You know, if you’re into that sort of thing. More →

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Services
March 25, 2010
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Time Warner Cable offers free Wi-Fi to its NYC subscribers

By on March 25, 2010 at 9:31 AM.

Time Warner Cable offers free Wi-Fi to its NYC subscribers

time-warner-cable-logo

Time Warner Cable has blessed one million of its customers this morning with the announcement it will be offering free Wi-Fi too all of its clients who reside in New York City. Made possible by a partnership with Cablevision’s Optimum Wi-Fi service, Road Runner clients will be able to access literally thousands of Wi-Fi hotspots across the city at no additional cost while Optimum clients will be able to use TWC hotspots when away from home. Some of the Wi-Fi hotspots include in the partnership include:

  • Eight commuter rail platforms on the Long Island Railroad Port Washington line: Woodside, Flushing Main Street, Murray Hill, Broadway, Auburndale, Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck;
  • Manhattan: Bryant Park, Madison Square Park and 79th Street Boat Basin;
  • Four parks in Queens: Bowne Park and Kissena Park in Flushing, Baisley Pond Park and Railroad Park in Jamaica.

No word yet if TWC plans to expand this service beyond New York City. More →

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Services
April 30, 2009
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Verizon responds to Cablevision's Optimum Ultra service

By on April 30, 2009 at 9:10 AM.

Verizon responds to Cablevision's Optimum Ultra service

Honestly, we absolutely love it when a company ignores its instincts along with the onslaught of advice from its PR firm and talks, err, smack. Despite what some flacks may tell you, people want to hear it like it is and sometimes PR-ified nonsense does more harm than good. Then again, sometimes the opposite is true. Like this time, for instance. Verizon has publicly responded to Cablevision’s new $99 Optimum Ultra 101Mbps residential Internet service in much the same manner a preteen with a hand-me-down Sega Genesis would respond to one touting a brand new Xbox 360. If you’d like to forgo reading Verizon’s response, here are the key points found within:

  • Cablevision’s network is old.
  • Delivering 101Mbps is easy.
  • If a few people in the same neighborhood are heavy Ultra users, it will rip a hole in the space time continuum
  • People don’t want fast Internet service
  • Verizon can offer speeds waaaaaaay faster than 101Mbps — we just don’t want to
  • Optimum Ultra’s upstream is 15Mbps and we offer 20Mbps [in the $150/month package]
  • Most servers you hit on the Internet are way slower than 100 Mbps
  • Cablevision just wants bragging rights
  • Nanny nanny poo poo

While there is a valid point or two buried deep within the ‘we’re better but we choose not to be’ cries, the bottom line is that this was the wrong approach to take. Wrong. Verizon first contends that there is no demand for faster Internet service in the home, then concludes with the canned “the future is gonna be faaaaaast” claim. Well, Verizon, the future isn’t going to be fast unless service providers take incremental steps toward making it so.

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News
April 4, 2009
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Optimum Online accessed over 1,000,000 times for free

By on April 4, 2009 at 8:05 PM.

Optimum Online accessed over 1,000,000 times for free

Cablevision’s Optimum Online service recently announced that its subscribers have connected and used their free Wi-Fi access points over 1,000,000 times. Pretty amazing, actually. We got a heads up they are offering free Wi-Fi on all of their Wi-Fi hotspots across their service area (NY/NJ/CT) to subscribers of its Optimum Online internet service. At a time with so many consumer Wi-Fi applications and services like T-Mobile’s Hotspot@Home, the new Skype iPhone app and more, it’s quite an enticing offer. So if free Wi-Fi is the sort of thing that floats your boat, be sure to hit up the read link for an interactive network coverage map. We don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the very generous coverage.

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