So you have an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch and you have Cablevision a.k.a. Optimum service for TV and Internet service. Why don’t you have this app then? Let me tell you why you should be up on it.
The Optimum App for your Apple device of choice allows you to make use of several features that can make your life significantly easier. The first thing you must do before downloading it though, is make sure you meet two simple requirements. First, you must have created an Optimum ID which is the username used to access your account information on the company’s website, because you’ll need that to login to the app. Second, you must also be connected to your own personal wireless network, which means running off your own router. Note that the service will not work off of Optimum’s WiFi network. So as long as these two things are done, feel free to download the app immediately.
The application is simple yet intuitive. At the bottom of the screen you will see layout of the features you can make use of. If you want to see what’s on TV, you can pull up the channel guide, which in our testing proved to respond much faster than accessing the same information through the set top box. For those of you who use the DVR service offered through their SA 8300 DVR box you can check manage your recordings. Speaking of the box, the app also allows your device of choice to double as a remote control, handy for those who have misplaced their originals. Not having the tactile feel of physical buttons means you’ll probably have to look down to use it but that’s a small inconvenience.
The big draw here though is obviously the ability to watch live TV on your device of choice and we found this to be a rather pleasant experience. Especially on the iPad, in my personal experience, it was nice to be able to watch a separate program than what was on my main TV when that was occupied (especially with overlapping football games on Sundays), or put something on for the kids so that they can watch their shows while I watched mine all in the same room. The picture, though not HD, comes across good after a few seconds. The lack of HD is no problem anyway since access to HD channels in addition to video on demand is not provided through the application anyway. But, having an extra portable TV to watch anywhere in the house for free makes this application invaluable in a ton.
To wrap up this nicely, this application is free so there is absolutely no downside to having it if you can get it. Unfortunately, there is no talk so far of an android version though we are confident that one can’t be too far off since a version to be used on desktop computers in currently in testing. Once you start using this app however, watch how much a part of your regular routine it will become, and when your TV is being held hostage by Nick Jr. or The Real Housewives of some state, you’ll be very happy to have it. Get up on it for real.
The following post was made by Jonathan Baez as a Guest Contributor. Jonathan Baez is New York native, a lover of all things Anime, Video Game, Music, or Tech related and a certified Geek.
