A new app announced today from Verizon Wireless aims to make it easier for 4G LTE customers to find and stream specific video content from a broad range of content providers.
The free app, dubbed Viewdini, acts as a mobile video aggregator, advising customers if a specific title, topic or star’s name is available from any of several popular content sources, including Comcast Xfinity, Hulu Plus, mSpot and Netflix. More content sources, including Verizon FiOS, will be added soon, Verizon Wireless said. The app also will let customers know which services have mobile video streaming available and whether it is available at no additional charge, by subscription, to rent or for purchase.
“Verizon Wireless has the network to deliver the video choices our customers want with the quality and speed customers demand,” said Dan Mead, president and CEO of Verizon Wireless, in today’s announcement. “Working with a wide range of providers, we’re giving our customers a simple and intuitive way to find shows, movies and other videos from the sources they have relationships with and discover new sources of video as well.”
Initially Viewdini will be available to Verizon Wireless customers with 4G LTE and Android devices later this month. The company expects to add support for other operating systems soon.
When Verizon Wireless announced its co-marketing agreement with four of the nation’s largest cable companies late last year, a stated goal was to co-develop products that integrate Verizon’s wireless service with the cable companies’ offerings, so it’s not surprising to see Comcast Xfinity as one of the content sources that Viewdini initially will support. What is surprising, though, is that support for the Comcast offering is available in advance of support for FiOS video from Verizon Wireless’s parent company.
There may have been some technical or content rights question involved. Nevertheless, the announcement shows that Verizon Wireless increasingly is viewing its landline parent as just one of several landline broadband partners.
I would expect we also will see Viewdini eventually support content from other Verizon Wireless cable partners including Cox, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks.
