Channel 4 catch-up app shuns old Android devices

Channel 4 has unveiled the Android version of its 4oD catch-up TV app, but it doesn’t support Amazon’s tablets or older devices.

The free app works on Android 4 and above – and has been optimised for use with newer devices such as the Google Nexus 7 and Samsung Galaxy S III – but doesn’t work on Amazon’s Kindle Fire or Kindle Fire HD, or on rooted devices, Channel 4 said.

It admitted that will leave some users without the native app – but that doesn’t mean they’re completely left without Channel 4. “As of January 3 2013 it was estimated that 60% of all Android devices were running operating system 2.1 – 3.2, these users can continue to use the Flash mobile web site,” it said.

The app can be used to look for shows over 3G, but content can only be streamed over Wi-Fi. It includes content from Channel 4, E4 and More4, and gives users 30 days to watch a show after it’s been aired. Archived content will also be available.

Channel 4 said last year that the 4oD app would be updated in early 2013 to include downloads for offline viewing – a feature recently added to Sky’s app for a £5 per month charge – as well as “pause and play”, allowing users to stop a show on one device and resume on another, and live television, but those features haven’t yet arrived.

The free 4oD app is available now on the Google Play store. The iOS versions were released in 2011, while a Windows 8 app arrived in December.