AT&T Launching Mobile TV May 4th

Engadget is reporting that AT&T will be launching their Mobile TV service on May 4th. The article features a few details and a video of the tech in action. "You'll find Mobile TV running on LG's new $300 (2-year, after $100 rebate) Vu, one of just two Mobile TV compatible handsets launching on AT&T May 4th — the other being the $200 (2-year, after $100 rebate) Samsung Access. Performance looks reasonably snappy when scrolling through the channel guide although some of the exclusive PIX and CNN Mobile Live content is not yet available. S'ok, AT&T has three more days to throw the big blue switch on the broadcast TV service which includes a $15/month unlimited Mobile TV access plan."

Light on details

TFA is a bit light on details. Is this a true broadcast system, or 3G bandwidth sucking streaming out to individual handsets like the UK networks have rolled out? If it's true broadcast, have they adopted DVB-T, Korea's T-DMB, Japan's 1-seg, or done the Am

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I meant DVB-H (H for handheld, T for terrestrial), but I see TFA mentions MediaFLO, which it turns out is a proprietary Qualcomm broadcast technology not just the name of the front end software as I'd assumed.

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I meant DVB-H (H for handheld, T for terrestrial), but I see TFA mentions MediaFLO, which it turns out is a proprietary Qualcomm broadcast technology not just the name of the front end software as I'd assumed.

S'ok.

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Engadget article says it is mediaFLO [mediaflo.com]. It is a broadcast technique developed by Qualcomm.

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I've seen the 3g sucking systems. and I bought a Slingbox. It works better to my Blackjack than any of their services for "mobile" TV. plus I have control of it unlike their systems.

Honestly on my 2" screen 180X120 ad 15fps is more than enough resolution.

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Since the US is not leading the field, like Japan and Korea, I'd expect them to leverage the work done by the DVB consortium to develop a global handheld digital TV standard. At the very least as market followers, they could have gone with the existing Kor

Curious

How often do you stare at your phone? As in look at your phone. I'm sure there's some market for this, but I'm not sure who. Web browsers (quick looking up movie times), email (crackberry, et al.),MP3 players (iPhone), I can understand putting those in

Commuters.

1) Commuters drag their phone with them everywhere.

2) Commuters stuck on public transport for over three hours a day crave portable entertainment.

3) Sell Commuters entertainment they can watch on a device they're already carrying.

4) Who cares if we profit

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> 1) Commuters drag their phone with them everywhere.

damn right. i don't leave home without my nokia e61i.

> 2) Commuters stuck on public transport for over three hours a day crave portable entertainment.

4 hours a day myself. i also drag my ipod 150

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5) Holding your wife's purse, waiting for her to finish shopping.

/me is so glad my wife doesn't read /. ;)

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1) i do drag my phone everywhere
2)15 minutes in the middle of a snow storm to get to work.
3) I would rather watch the road with the other 70% of americans, as most of us live in area's with mediocore public transportation.
4) why can't they simply receive t

Yawn

This stuff has been out for a couple of years in the UK.

Nobody actually cares though. I have yet to see anyone bother to actually use it.

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This service strikes me as the networks and media companies desperately trying to stuff the genie back into the bottle.

Having enjoyed vidcasts, tivo recordings and dvd rips on my n800 for some months, I've seen the way forward.

And it certainly doesn't invo

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The UK isn't getting mobile TV until 2012, when the bandwidth currently used for analogue TV becomes available nationwide. The networks have various video on demand services, but that isn't the same as broadcast mobile TV.

Plus additional costs

AT&T has three more days to throw the big blue switch on the broadcast TV service which includes a $15/month unlimited Mobile TV access plan."

They forgot to mention that you also need the $20/month unlimited data plan, and you'll have to pay $3/month p

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Wow, this should really be modded up. Why would anyone spend that kind of cash?

Already in the US

Sprint has had this via MobiTV for at least 3 years.

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I watch a fair bit of video on mobile devices while travelling (trains/flying). My girlfriend watches a lot on her iPod touch, mostly TV comedy series (Flight of the Conchords, Gavin and Stacey etc.) Provided you have good eyesight, most video is perfectly

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I have a 2" black and white rear-projection TV that runs on 4 AA cells. 3" color should be fine.

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Its been here in australia for years and years too.

I don't know anyone who uses it either.

Watching TV on your phone is just one of the stupidest things i've ever heard of...

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Something similar's been available for two or three years in the UK.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/10/31/vodafone_sky/ [theregister.co.uk]

Nobody used it, though

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MediaFlo, the company doing this or AT&T, has been doing this for Verizon since March last year

True, however this is Slashdot and AT&T is the only provider with the iPhone, so obviously AT&T are the only ones allowed to innovate in the US.

Also,

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Don't complain, there will be new ways to celebrate the Darwin awards!

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Maybe the unlimited dataplan for the cellphone+always on DSL at home.

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The problem with the train ride thing, is that if it's a subway, you won't have service, more than likely,...