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iPhone users can watch live TV for free

14 October 2009

iPhone users can now watch live programmes on the move through an online TV streaming service.

For the last year TVCatchup.com has allowed UK-based computer users to watch over 30 Freeview channels over the internet.

Now to mark its first anniversary the founders have created a Beta application for iPhone users.

A post on their official forum said: 'As a special treat, we are pleased to give a preview of one of the things we have been working on over the past few weeks: TVCatchup on iPhone. Now there is no excuse for not watching TV wherever you are!

'The streams will become freely available to all mobile platforms shortly, this is a test at the moment.'

iPhone and iPod Touch users simply log on to the TVCatchup website with their device to watch their channel of choice.

There are currently 11 channels available for testing purposes, including the five main channels, BBC Three. ITV2 and the Channel 4 spin-offs such as E4 and Film4.

The streams are optimised to work on both 3G and WiFi, although WiFi is more stable. The footage runs about 20 seconds behind the actual television signal.

TV programmes can be paused and watched in portrait or landscape mode.

However, the website founders have warned the service could prove very expensive if used on a pay as you go data plan. They recommend an 'unlimited data' phone tariff such as that offered by O2.

Before now, Apple users could watch a number of BBC programmes live through the BBC iPlayer.

However, a larger selection of TV channels was only available on services that paired the iPhone with a home computer running software such as Orb.

Orb works by recording live TV on a personal computer, which is then accessible on the owner's Apple device using the Safari web browser. It requires a £70 TV tuner card and £5 Apple app to work.

A number of iPhone users have been suitably impressed with the new service, although many have mentioned teething problems such as server timeouts on the TVCatchup forum.