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Epix
Epix is joining Amazon at the offline viewing party.
The premium cable and satellite TV network has announced that it will allow subscribers to download and watch its content on mobile devices, even if there’s no Wi-Fi or cellular connection available. The download feature will be present on all of the company’s mobile apps, compatible with Kindle Fire, Apple, and Android devices when it debuts later this month. (The Epix service is a “TV anywhere” app that allows authenticated subscribers to the cable channel to view the same movies and shows on those aforementioned compatible devices.)
The offline viewing feature is a change from the streaming video norm, which generally requires a strong broadband connection for real-time viewing. The ability to download content for later viewing is a boon for travelers who can download shows and movies in strong Wi-Fi area before transitioning to wireless challenged environments such as trains, planes and cars.
Amazon announced a similar feature earlier this month for Prime customers, and in a similar fashion, only a few hundred of the top titles in the Epix library will be available at launch, including hit movies like “The Hunger Games” and “Star Trek,” as well as original events starring Katy Perry and Louis CK.
Despite frequent requests for offline TV and movie viewing, Netflix continues to refuse customers the opportunity. When asked to comment at the IFA show in Berlin last month, Netflix’s Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt told Gizmodo that it “adds considerable complexity to your life.”
Netflix also recently announced that it has decided not to renew its movie licensing deal with Epix when the current contract expires at the end of this month.
