Aereo
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|
| Private | |
| Fate | Bankruptcy, assets and intellectual property later acquired by TiVo |
| Founded | February 2012 |
| Defunct | November 21, 2014 |
| Headquarters | New York City, USA |
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Area served
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Various US cities |
|
Key people
|
Chaitanya Kanojia (Founder and CEO) |
| Products | Over-the-air television on Internet-connected devices |
| Website | Official website |
Aereo was a technology company based in New York City that allowed subscribers to view live and time-shifted streams of over-the-air television on Internet-connected devices. The service opened to customers in March 2012, and was backed by Barry Diller's IAC.
On June 25, 2014, the Supreme Court ruled against Aereo in a case brought by several broadcast networks. The Court found that Aereo infringed upon the rights of copyright holders. The point of contention was whether Aereo's business model constituted a "public performance", which would legally require it to obtain permission from the copyright owners of any programs it transmits. The court ruled in a 6-3 decision that Aereo's business model was no different than that of a cable television provider, despite the differences in technology. As a result of that decision, their case was returned to the lower Court, and the company announced on June 28 that it would immediately suspend its services while consulting with the Court on how to proceed. Aereo's services were suspended on June 28 at 11:30 a.m. EDT and the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on November 21, 2014 in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. It was later purchased by DVR company TiVo for $1 million in March 2015.
Aereo leased each user an individual antenna and DVR situated in a remote warehouse that they could access over the Internet, allowing subscribers to view live broadcast television and to record the broadcasts for later viewing. The existence of an individual antenna for every user distinguished Aereo from purely internet-based streaming services. As of October 2012, Aereo could be used on Windows, Mac and Linux PCs with a compatible browser, or iOS devices including the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, or Apple TV (2nd and 3rd Generation) via AirPlay. Aereo could also be watched using a Roku box via a stand-alone app and, as of January 21, 2013, the updated app allowed onscreen navigation with the standard Roku remote control instead of using an iOS device as a remote.
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Wikipedia