You've just set off on your Christmas holidays when disaster strikes: you suddenly realise you haven't set your YouView to record Snog Marry Avoid while you're away. Not to worry: a new free YouView App lets you record no matter where you are -- if you have an Apple device, that is.
The app works on the iPhone 5, iPad and iPod touch. Got an Android phone? Then you'll have to wait until next year, although YouView couldn't give me any more precise information about when in the year we can expect the Android app.
With the app, you can record your favourite television programmes to the memory of your YouView set-top box from anywhere in the world. Just connect to the Web on your phone or tablet, browse the TV guide and hit record, and your show will be waiting for you when you get home.
You can download the app now from iTunes, for the princely sum of no pounds and no pence.
Virgin Media recently introduced a similar app, Virgin TV Anywhere, which lets you record to your TiVo box. Sky also has a lineup of apps for Sky+ boxes, as well as the Sky Go app to actually watch Sky movies and TV.
The Sky Go app has also proved controversial because of the time it's taken to arrive on Android devices. This week Sky announced the app would finally work on the Samsung Galaxy S3, Nexus 4 and Jelly Bean devices.
YouView is a set-top box that turns your telly into a smart TV. You can go back in time in the TV guide to catch up on shows you've missed on BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4OD and Demand 5, or watch other films and TV on-demand. Championed by Lord Sugar, a YouView box is available free with a broadband contract from BT or TalkTalk, or you can buy the box on its own if you have a spare £300 kicking about.
Have you got a YouView box? Has it changed your life? And has Android been cheated once again? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
Comments 8
Add your comment
solar0night 13 December, 2012 00:08
I understand developers issues with Android due to it being so fragmented but the Samsung G3 is very popular as well as the nexus 7 why not just launch with at least a jelly bean app with more devices to go. it appears Apple have there fingers in all the pies at the moment, I have a nexus 7 and cant use Iplayer and have only recently been able to use sky go. Its time Developers realise android is as popular if not more with average consumer considering the cost of a new iphone most people I know have gone to the Samsung G3 for innovation as they did not feel the increased screen size was very apple of old
anonymous 13 December, 2012 08:27
£300 for the box, that's just insane....
tbag 13 December, 2012 09:13
Have to agree with solar0night. It perplexes me that developers continue to prioritise iOS apps when it is fairly obvious it is now the minority operating system. It wouldn’t be hard to release an app across all systems at the same time but for some reason it doesn’t seem to happen, have Apple got some sort of deal going on with these companies to halt their release of android apps?
anonymous 13 December, 2012 10:00
It's only natural that developers will leave Android at the back of the queue for the moment, because despite the large number of Android devices floating around, many of their owners are not using them so much for apps or other smartphone uses, but purely as phones.
This is confirmed by all the current industry data on usage.
Naturally this will change over time, but at present in many app categories, there is little commercial advantage to prioritising the Android version of an app.
anonymous 13 December, 2012 11:26
Yeah tell that to all the people who have been clamouring for Sky to update their Go app :/
anonymous 13 December, 2012 20:46
Even Google are providing new versions of their apps for iOS first.
The new Google Maps for iOS was released today. The next Android version will come next year.
anonymous 18 December, 2012 17:17
I think £250 (the price on amazon) for a hd freeview box with 1TB of recording capacity and the ability to access IPlayer, ITV Player, 4OD etc is not unreasonable.
This is particularly true as there would be no monthly costs associated withYouview. Compare this to a basic SKY subscription of approx £18.00 per month (£216 per year) where you get lots of programming you may not want, much less recording space under your own control and can not access and use an EPG if you cancel your subscription after the first year. True you can agee to pay £10.00 per month ad infinitum to keep the epg but this would cost you £120.00 per year. So over four years Youview costs £250.00 whilst sky / freesat costs £576. More than twice as much :-)
Alternativeley sell the Youview box for £50.00 after 1 vear and buy something newer for approx £250.00. Someone gets a bargain and the net cost to you over 2 years is £450. If you kept SKY at £18.00 per month the cost is £432.00 for 2 year (assuming no price rise) approx the same :-)
You pays your money and makes your choice
anonymous 11 March, 2013 01:58
I think the fact that android is kept waiting for apps such as these only goes to show that money talks as you pay more for iphone than for an android which is why the apps are released for those first and thats the facts I dont care what anyone says or thinks but people who cant buy their way through this life is always last in any que but if you have the cash to buy the best then you get priority on everytghing I have a small income but I work for it rather than sit arround and get handouts and I know first hand this is the facts