Dish Network To Offer Live TV On Mobile Devices

Soon, Dish subscribers will be able to watch live television via their mobile devices at no extra cost. In September, Dish Network is planning to launch an app for the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and BlackBerry devices that will enable this functionality. An app for Google's Android OS will launch in October.

In order to take advantage of the new feature, users will need the mobile app as well as special hardware. One option is Sling Media's SlingBox, which sells for $180 to $300. Alternatively, Dish subscribers could opt to upgrade to Dish's high-definition digital video recorder with SlingBox features. If you choose this latter option you'll need to pay $10 per month for multiple DVR service, but you'll also get recording capabilities.

Using the new app, viewers will be able to switch channels remotely. However, if someone at home is watching one channel, the person using the mobile device must also watch that same channel. The only way around this is if you have a DVR with a second tuner. SlingBox will let you access programs recorded on your DVR, but the box itself isn't capable of recording.

Currently, Dish offers free apps for Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that let users program their digital video recorders, browse TV shows, and use their devices as a remote control. These apps will be updated for live streaming. For BlackBerry and Android users, the apps will launch with the live streaming feature.