Watching satellite TV on your tablet device

Isn’t the future great? Not only do we have access to hundreds, even thousands of TV channels, but we have on-demand movies, instant pay-per-view, and so much more instantly available content. You know what’s even better about the future? Taking your TV away from the TV and onto a portable device, such as a tablet computer. Let’s take a look at what the two major US satellite providers offer for tablets and smartphones.

DISH Network

While DirecTV is certainly the king of satellite in the US, DISH really stepped up its game in terms of mobile compatibility. You can find the DISH mobile app on the two most popular mobile platforms, Apple and Android, and it won’t be long before you can even get it on the BlackBerry. The more compatible devices, the more people can make use of the app. That’s the first step in creating something great. Even better: each platform contains the same perks. That is, Apple customers don’t get something that Android users do not. There is no cross-platform resentment with DISH Network.

Of course, it helps that DISH included the one feature that everyone wants: the ability to watch live TV right from your mobile device. Many cable companies have a similar app for tablets, but they work only on the user’s home network. Take it outside on a 3G connection, or even a friend’s WiFi network, and it will not work. But with DISH you can watch anywhere. That’s because they work with SlingBox. You need either the ViP 922 SlingLoaded DVR — which is highly recommended — or the Sling Adapter for another box. But once you have that you can watch TV, even live sports, from anywhere.

Beyond the main feature, the DISH app allows you to search through the channel guide and schedule your DVR. We’ve all had that moment when we’ve been out and have realized that we forgot to record a show. With the DISH app you can search and record, and even manage the data on your DVR. That comes in handy if you have a full DVR and need to delete a few apps before scheduling a new one. As an added bonus, you can use your smartphone or tablet as a remote control. I need not describe the frustration that ensues when losing your remote. Chances are, you don’t lose your phone or tablet. (And if you do, there are apps that can locate it.)

The iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad apps are available at the App Store. The Android app you can get at the Android Market. The BlackBerry might not be the best smartphone for watching TV, given its small screen size, but if you have a BlackBerry it’s better than nothing. You can sign up fro the Beta test at DISH Network’s mobile page.

DirecTV

Despite its status as the top satellite TV provider in the US, DirecTV’s mobile offerings pale in comparison to DISH Network’s. In fact, DirecTV doesn’t even have a feature that allows you to watch TV on your tablet from your home network. There is no way at all to watch TV on any DirecTV mobile app. That’s a shame, because it seems that most television providers are providing at least some level of TV access.

That’s not to say that DirecTV leaves its users high and dry. It does have apps for both iPhone/iPad and Android. From the app you can perform basic functions, such as setting your DVR from anywhere, browsing the channel guide, adn even recording an on-demand movie. Really, the DVR is the main function. You can also control your DirecTV receiver from your tablet. While these features are nice, they just don’t stack up to the features that DISH offers.

Of course, there’s an easy solution that will allow you to watch TV anywhere, even with DirecTV. You’ll need to go out and buy a Slingbox, which can run you about $140 for the most basic model, and then buy the Slingbox app. Again, that’s not ideal. But it does provide you with a way to get that one killer feature on your tablet or smartphone.

You can get the official DirecTV apps at the App Store and Android Market. If you want the Slingbox app you can get it here for iPhone, here for iPad, here for Android smartphones, and here for Android tablets.