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Television On Your Cell Phone
XopherMV writes "MobiTV is billed as the first streaming service to broadcast real-time video to cell phones. Offered by Sprint, it costs an additional $9.99 monthly, is adding new channels, and supports various handsets. My phone features 21 channels, some of them typical broadcast channels like Fox Sports and MSNBC, while others are designed for the mobile environment, such as NBC Mobile. What's it like to watch TV on a cell phone? The TV junkie in me says it's great. I really like the idea that I can pull my cell phone out of my pocket and catch up with the latest news and sports scores in an instant. Read on at MSN."
The screens are too small for good TV watching.
TV programs that take this into account would work, but even so, I think radio is a Bigger Win.
You can augment radio with things like instant polling, charts, hyperlinks, and other goodies.
Here's an idea:
24 hour traffic and weather reports tailored to the cell towers you are closest to.
Gee, I hope nobody tries to patent "sending video signals over a wireless device." There's a wee bit of prior art on that, and I'm afraid our poor beleagured patent office might miss it.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
Why not just buy a used phone on eBay? They have lots of antiques for people who like to live int he past.
World's tallest building rises in the desert
What's it like to watch TV on a cell phone? The TV junkie in me says it's great. I really like the idea that I can pull my cell phone out of my pocket and catch up with the latest news and sports scores in an instant.
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Looks a little familiar? Cause the text is right here on this PCWorld review:http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,
If you're going to plagiarize, make sure it isn't the first Google result.
From PC Magazine review:
Video quality isn't as good as on your television set. In general, 15 frames per second (fps) is the minimum required for humans to perceive continuous motion, and 30 is the goal. Idetic currently aims for 1 fps
How the heck can anyone put up with 1 fps? I get annoyed watching streaming video on the net that isn't fluid. I understand its cool and all, but isnt this a stretch?
Europe is already switching to the third generation of mobile communications (3G)
"is switching" is a good way of saying it. In reality, 3G is not going anywhere soon. While there are some networks being rolled out (3 in the UK was the first), most have pretty crappy coverage for the moment. Now, they're mostly operated by pre-existing GSM operators, so your phone will just handover to GSM for phone coverage, but there goes your "fast" data connection.
In the Netherlands only 2 of 5 of the networks that received a license have actually built a "network" (spotty coverage of the largest cities); at least one operator is on record as saying they won't even bother building it and are writing the license off as a loss, unless they can sell it.
The bandwidth is of course a joke. We were promised 2Mbps (at a time when that was a top of the range DSL connection), not 384, and in practice it turns out to be more like 144kbps. Not too mention if it were to get crowded. I say integrate 802.11g in handsets already. Or better yet, leave networking to your pda/laptop and let your handset go on the internet via bluetooth (or let your laptop connect via your handset, depending on conditions).
And why you'd want to receive *broadcast* signals over a unicast channel beats me. It just sucks up bandwidth for each user.
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