Now you can watch CNN just about anywhere. The cable newser is boasting this week on-air and online of launching "the new CNN video experience," which provides high-quality live streams of its TV networks CNN and HLN via both web and mobile apps.
But here's the small print. You need to "unlock" CNN's streaming TV channels, which requires "logging in" with your cable/satellite account info -- in other words, no freeloaders, you're paying for this some way somehow.
From my laptop browser, I clicked on the CNN streaming video page, chose LIVE, then faced an "unlock" tab for each channel. I picked the Comcast tab from the provider list that popped up, signing in with my broadband account's log-on and password. And I was watching CNN on my laptop in just seconds, widescreen, in pretty spiffy quality to boot. Very cool to watch on-the-go where wifi is available.
For mobile users, there isn't just small print but medium print, too. You need to watch through a CNN-provided app -- which is only provided for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch (free at the App Store).
Too bad for Android users like me. We have a CNN app of our own, yes, but it only seems to replay stored video clips. (Of course, a sneaky person could probably watch live streams through a mobile browser's desktop agent.)
Here's the CNN press release touting the live streams.