Aereo App Launches on Android Devices Amid Legal Victory in Boston

So if you don’t have an iPhone or a TV, and you live in one of seven metropolitan areas …

Aereo, Inc., will release its first Android application on Oct. 22, the company said Thursday.

The news came as Aereo scored another legal victory over broadcasters who accuse it of stealing their signals: A federal judge in Massachusetts rejected a motion by Boston station WCVB for a preliminary injunction against Aereo.

The Aereo app will be compatible with phones and tablets running Android operating system 4.2 or higher. Aereo members will also now be able to connect a Roku box to their Aereo account using their Android device.

Also read: Broadcaster Aereo Battle Inching Toward High Court

Aereo users can pause, rewind and fast-forward any program that they are watching live on a “smart” device, or save a program for future viewing. In addition to the Android app, Aereo is currently supported on iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Chrome, Internet Explorer 9, Firefox, Safari, Opera, AppleTV (via airplay) and Roku devices.

Also read: TheGrill: Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia – ‘Cable’s an Inefficient Packaging System’

“We know consumers have been waiting a long time for an Aereo Android app and today, we’re happy to announce its release later this month,” said Aereo CEO and Founder Chet Kanojia. “At Aereo, we believe consumers should have more choice and control over how they watch television and a big part of that is expanding the universe of devices that they can use to access Aereo’s technology. This year, our focus has been on growing our footprint across the country.”

The app will be available to Aereo members residing in markets where its technology has launched. The service is currently available to consumers residing in New York City, Boston, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Miami, Houston and Dallas.

The app itself is free, though the service is not. Aereo membership begins at $8 per month, for access to Aereo’s cloud-based antenna/DVR technology and 20 hours of DVR storage. For an additional $4, consumers get 60 hours of DVR storage.

Aereo, which uses a series of tiny antennae to catch broadcast signals, has been challenged quite a bit in court by networks.

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