Aereo launches its first Android app in public beta

App will allow people in the seven markets where Aereo operates to access the cloud-based TV service from Android devices running version 4.2 or higher.

(Credit: Aereo)

Aereo launched its first Android app at the Google Play store on Tuesday.

The app, which was launched in a public beta, allows users in the seven markets where Aereo operates to access the cloud-based TV service from smartphones, tablets, and other devices running Android operating system 4.2 or higher. Aereo members will also be able to connect a Roku box to their Aereo account using their Android device.

The release came on the date promised earlier this month by Aereo CEO and founder Chet Kanojia.

Aereo, which launched in New York last year, uses antenna/DVR technology to let consumers watch live, local, over-the-air television broadcasts over some Internet-connected devices for $8 a month. The company laid out plans earlier this year to expand its service to 22 new US cities in the US by the end of the year, but it currently operates only in New York, Boston, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Miami, Houston, and Dallas.

The service is expected to make its Detroit debut next week, with expansion planned for Cincinnati, San Antonio, Indianapolis, and Columbus, Ohio. A planned launch in Chicago has been delayed.

The company has been a thorn in the side of major broadcast networks like NBC, ABC, Fox, and CBS (the parent of CNET). The companies have sued Aereo, claiming that the service violates their copyrights. So far, the court has ruled on Aereo's side, saying the companies have not been able to prove copyright infringement.