Comcast Corp unveiled the plans on Wednesday and revealed users can watch their favorite TV shows on mobile devices using its new wireless Internet service. This follows on from Comcast launching its OnDemand online tv service.

Comcast CFO Michael Angelakis said it would eventually allow its cable television subscribers to watch shows via the Web at no extra cost. This would also be open to cell phones via a mobile browser, or potentially as applications on devices like iPhone or BlackBerry smartphones. Angelakis also said he could envision the company’s On Demand video service having a wireless component in the future.

Comcast’s new mobile streams will be send via WiMax, as Comcast and other cable companies have invested in Clearwire and its 4G networks. Comcast have recently started rolling out its wireless Internet services in various US cities as part of a joint venture with WiMax user Clearwire Corp.

As more consumers increasingly expect to be able to watch video on their home personal computers and on wireless devices such as Apple Inc’s iPod and iPhone, cable companies are seeking ways to ensure they do not lose subscribers to free or cheaper On Demand Web services.

Instead the cable companies are collaborating with content providers to let paying TV subscribers watch shows instantly via the Web at no extra charge.

Amazingly those same content owners let Hulu stream shows into any internet browser window when it was launched, but because they want to be in total control are squeezing back the streams one by one. Hulu was previously pressurised by its paymasters to block streams to the Boxee browser which lets viewers watch internet streams on TV. The Playstation 3 was next and now the mobile browser for Windows Mobile phones – Skyfire.

Hulu have admitted that the networks are pulling the strings here as it makes absolutely zero sense to remove streams from viewers. They also hinted that these restrictions may be removed in the future, whatever that means.

It is of course totally baffling that a company making its content free to view via browsers, now chooses to only allow certain browsers permission to stream. By trying to restrict televisions and mobile phones access is senseless and will of course be worked around by coders on these devices. The fact that the networks will lose advertising revenue with this restriction is also puzzling.

However Adobe have announced that come October, a mobile flash player will allow direct viewing from mobile browsers.

The Flash technology has always in the past been way too resource intensive for smart phones. Adobe’s CEO Shantanu Naraye commented:-

“We are bringing Flash Player 10 to smart phone class devices to enable the latest Web browsing experience.Multiple partners have already received early versions of this release and we expect to release a beta version for developers at our MAX Conference in October.”

Having a flash player will open up tens of millions of devices for Flash developers. Devices expected to run the player include Google’s Android, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile, Nokia’s S60 Symbian, and Palm’s webOS. Adobe’s plan is to create a standard platform that is able to run on other mobile devices as well.

However you may have noticed that missing from the above list are the BlackBerry and iPhone. Although Adobe have said it has been working with RIM the manufacturer of Blackberry, Apples iPhone may never get a flash player.

Steve Jobs, Apple CEO has declared that Flash is’nt going onto iPhone due to its massive resource useage. Of course some may say that by having Flash could take revenue out of the App Store as developers can easily create content with the Flash technology and bypass Apple.

Adobe may well be too late anyway as HTML 5 promises to provide iPhone with Flash type qualities and video streaming. However Apple may have a change of heart.

Silicon Alley has reported that the iPod touch and iPhone will soon have a dedicated Hulu application giving access to Hulu streaming videos. Hulu’s new app will be released via the iTunes app store. It will operate via WiFi or 3G networks

Hulu has already grabbed a large slice of the internet tv market thanks to its website filled with top tv shows and movies, but are still not making money using PC streams. With the iPhone application, Hulu could be in front of a new audience. Attracting more advertisers to the new mobile tv sector.

However there could be problems with a new iPhone Hulu app. AT&T may not take kindly to video streams using their data network. Allegedly AT&T have been pressuring Apple to deny approval for SlingPlayer, a TV streaming app, using ‘network concerns’ as the reason. Hulu also is in competition with iTunes who offer their own ad supported TV streams and movies as a pay per download option.

No firm date has been set for release of the app, the new iPhone OS 3.0 update will however allow developers to build streaming media into their applications. And this may be when a release date coincides.