CBS will roll out HTML5 compliant portal for iPad

Native iPhone Apps use of many HTML5 technologies.

iPhone Apps can only play h.264 video (and certain other MPEG4 formats).
XML is invaluable in things like RSS.

The effort put into developing HTML5 technologies into websites is the first step in seamless integration with the device.
HTML5 is the lowest-common-denominator technology, while the Apps of iPhone, Android, Symbian and the like are specific tools to leverage HTML5 specific to each device.

I talked to Anthony last week too and he confirmed that THEY ARE working on an iPad app, but the HTML5 stuff will be finished first. So the plan as it stands now is to have the whole library HTML5 by the start of the Fall Season, so that the Flash and HTML5 experience is on par with one another -- then the iPad-specific app will be released.

They see value in doing both, they just want to get the website option done first. And really, that makes sense, as that's potentially more device agnostic than doing a native app.

What is the practical difference between watching CBS or ABC on the iPad.

HA! your embedded video is flash. Where's your HTML5 TUAW?

And so it begins. My guess is that by the beginning of 2011 you will be able to see just about any TV show on the ipad (or iPhone for that matter). This is the beginning of a major shift away from flash and into the HTML arena. Television shows offer a very enticing advertising opportunity, so making them compatible with millions of devices (ipads and iPhones) is only logical. When advertisers look at the data consumption, and the popularity of TV shows on mobile devices that idevice users represent, others will be jumping on board quickly.

I know NBC has put all their eggs into Hulu, but visiting nbc.com on an iPad is absolutely hilarious.

still think they should just develop an app