Further blurring the distinction between what different screens are used for, a new update to the Twonky Beam Browser video streaming app makes it work with iPad and Android tablets, its parent company PacketVideo announced.
Its primary function is for consumers to use their tablets to browse and select videos, which are then added to a viewing queue and wirelessly sent directly to any Internet-connected TV. The tablet also serves as a smart remote control for playbacks, volume and other functions.
The app starts users off by suggesting recommended websites with videos available to beam, but viewers aren’t limited to those. An icon button appears next to videos on other sites that can be beamed, a category that doesn’t include Flash videos, and users also can bookmark their favorite sites.
The Twonky Beam Browser also works with audio and photos, so it can be used to send podcasts or Internet radio stations to the better sound quality of a networked sound system, or to create a slideshow of queued photos.
Additionally, the tablet can multitask while the app is doing its thing. For example, users can continue to read a news article on the tablet while the related video plays on the bigger screen, or they can listen to Internet radio while browsing or shopping.
“All of our Twonky products are created to improve the digital experience, and since tablets represent a new platform for engaging with digital content, they’re a natural extension for us,” Osama Al-Shaykh, chief technology officer of PacketVideo, said. “Twonky Beam Browser makes it easy to discover new video content and have the best possible viewing experience by instantly beaming it from the tablet to the TV.”
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Photo by flickr user krystyl, used under Creative Commons license.
