By Isabel Eva Bohrer on February 1, 2012 in
Long gone are the days when you had to be at home in order to watch TV. Now, using your tablet or smartphone, you can watch video on the go - and not just YouTube. Thanks to a growing number of video apps, you can now view your favorite movies, TV shows, and just about any channel from all over the world on your portable device. Here's how you can turn your smartphone or tablet into a portable TV. Note that unless you are using WiFi or viewing previously downloaded content, you will be be incurring data charges.
News
Live Station (Free; Apple, Blackberry)
Open up m.livestation.com on your mobile device's browser to watch a variety of channels, from CNN international to France 24 and the Democratic Voice of Burma. Live Station is also compatible with the PlayStation 3 and a free Desktop Player is also available.
BBC News (Free; Apple, Android, Blackberry)
The BBC app enables you to view breaking news and choose news stories by geographical region or by category, including business, technology, entertainment and sports. Spanish, Russian, and Arabic channels are also available. One-minute video news summaries keep you up-to-date on the go and if you know you'll be without Wi-Fi or 3G for a while, you can also download content for offline viewing later.
Business
CNBC Real-Time (Free; Apple, Android)
CNBC offers news videos, but also real-time financial quotes before, during and after market hours. You get real-time and historical interactive charts direct from the NYSE and NASDAQ, with custom timeframes from one day to five years, including pre and post market trading, as well as company specific news, videos, profiles, returns and key metrics. The app also allows you to create your own stock watchlists.
TV shows and movies
Netflix (Free with membership; Apple, Android, Kindle Fire, Nook)
If you're a Netflix member with a streaming subscription, you can watch video on the go as often as you want, and resume watching where you left off on your TV or computer. The app also enables you to browse movies and manage your instant queue.
Hulu Plus (Free with subscription; Apple, Android)
Hulu Plus ($7.99 per month) allows you to stream current and classic TV shows to your phone, tablet, and other devices. You can also search for shows directly from your mobile device. As with Netflix, if you start watching something on the go, you can resume play from where you left off on other Hulu Plus devices (computers, internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players).
Device-specific services
In addition to these apps, there are also some device-specific services that can get you even more videos. The Kindle Fire ties in directly to Amazon's Instant Video store, where you can either buy or rent video downloads. On Apple devices, you can download videos from the iTunes store. If you'd like to watch videos on a bigger screen, you can also wirelessly stream videos, music and photos from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to an Apple TV (2nd generation) via the AirPlay system.
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