10 Aug 2007

I Want My M-M-Mobile TV...

You've probably seen the commercials. Verizon's VCAST, Sprint's Power Vision, YouTube on your AT&T iPhone... it all sounds very exciting. But what is it, exactly? What does "mobile TV" mean? Can you actually watch live television on your phone? What's the difference between these services, and what cell phones support this next-generation technology? The answers to these questions, and public reaction to these features, will have a significant effect on the future of cell phones and mobile content.

Mobile TV, as a general term, covers varying degrees of content delivery. The most common form of mobile TV in existence today involves streaming small bits of pre-programmed video from a source to your cell phone. The options are dictated by exclusive content deals between content producers and the wireless carriers. In the near future, however, the full spectrum of live television is likely to be made available.

Currently, there are two main ways of delivering live video - which is really the future of the medium. The first, based on a two-way cellular network, is how most streaming feeds are transmitted today; one way of viewing this two-way system is as an "on-demand" service. Video is sent from a source to the user based on individual requests, and, as a result, many duplicate streams exist at once. The alternative to two-way delivery is a one-way system, more along the lines of traditional broadcasting. One main source sends out one signal that many individual devices can receive, using MBMS technology.

Most experts believe the future of Mobile TV is a combination of these two delivery methods, with the most popular programming available via one-way transmissions, and more niche content remaining available on-demand.

With that as background, Point.com presents a run-down of the current mobile TV services offered by the most popular carriers, designed to help you differentiate the existing options:

Sprint Power Vision - Sprint's Power Vision services provide several different levels of mobile TV access. The basic Power Vision Access Pack includes Sprint TV (channels include the NFL Network, The Weather Channel, Fox Sports, CNN, and more), as well as 10 channels of Sprint Music. Other optional packages offer up to 20 additional channels of live television. On top of all that, Sprint Movies provides a pretty decent selection of downloadable films from Universal, Sony, and Buena Vista, at $3.99 to $5.99 per title.

Alltel Axcess TV - Alltel's mobile television offering features eleven live channels, identical to an actual TV feed. The selections, for now, are largely news-oriented - ABC News Now, FOX News, CSPAN and MSNBC - but also include niche channels like Discovery, TLC, and Animal Planet. Alltel also recently added Axcess TV on Demand, which expands their mobile TV programming to include over 200 clips available at anytime, covering a wide range of content.

Verizon VCAST - The Verizon VCAST service offers a huge selection of over 300 different on-demand video clips at any given time, from content providers like NBC News, CNN, and ESPN. Other specialty products cover the world of sports, including NBA TV and NASCAR To Go. Much of VCAST revolves around "made for mobile" clips that run from one to five minutes - in fact, Verizon has deals in place with several of the major networks and produces special "mobisodes" of favorites ranging from "24" to "Sesame Street."

AT&T MobiTV - AT&T's mobile television service also offers short clips covering news and sports, and adds HBO Mobile as an exclusive content developer. Through HBO Mobile, you can access full episodes or scenes from The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Entourage, and more.