The Price: $199 w/ 2-year contract.

The Verdict: Underneath the shiny mobile TV veneer with its crystal clear, mondo-size-for-a-candybar screen, it's actually a fairly basic phone. (Which wouldn't be a problem, except for the price—you're essentially paying for the privilege of watching mobile TV.) The UI is better than average (other than the generous slathering of orange), but you'll get nothing truly deep here. It has the same gimpy built-in email client as LG's Vu (no Gmail or custom IMAP or POP support) but the non-QWERTY keyboard means you wouldn't be doing any heavy lifting anyway. Also the browser's not very robust—expected for this kind of phone, but at the same time, I feel like the phone's slick aesthetics promised me more (a la N95).

Let's talk about what this phone is supposed to do well, though: Mobile TV. It does succeed there. The screen is pretty exceptional, if a bit smaller than what I'd want to watch mobile TV on. But I can definitely get through Colbert or 30 Rock on it, and pretty much everything good (and bad) about the service comes through here: Resolution, clarity, content (yay CNN), etc. Yet, if you're really buying this phone because you're dying mobile TV, you should stick with the Vu (if you're paying $15-$30 a month for TV, I'm guessing the price difference is non-consequential for you).

The Vu has a bigger screen, enough said there—even though the Access is taller and wider, making it a tighter pocket fit (this won't fit in a hipster's jean pocket). (They both have lame proprietary headphone jacks though, grrr.) Also, the mobile TV signal is better with the Vu (tested by descending into the bowels of my apartment building), courtesy of the mondo antenna you can whip out to look like you're visiting from the 80s. And the Vu's only $100 more, plus is simply an overall richer phone. [AT&T]

Price: $299.99 w/ two-year contract and $100 mail-in rebate.

The Verdict: It's glossy black, so it will attract fingerprints as bad as Heidi Klum does MILF comments. The screen is bright and clear, with a good resolution—necessary, since it's the phone headlining the mobile TV launch.

The edges of the touchscreen are less responsive than the rest of it—when you flip to the QWERTY layout for text messaging, for instance, you might have to tap the space button more than once, or at least aim for the top of it (in the gallery there's a picture of me mashing the center of the key HARD but it's still not registering). The problem grew from sort of annoying to genuinely frustrating after cranking through a couple of IMs and text messages telling my posse where to meet up for Iron Man tonight.

You get a somewhat smaller, more cramped keyboard when you go into email. (Which doesn't have support for custom domains (that's the "other" services screen), including Gmail, WTF.) It also drops haptic feedback for some reason, which I thought was unnecessary at first, but I kind of missed it with the email keyboard. Still, overall I'd give the typing experience a B-.

The other big feature of the phone, mobile TV, is as good as mobile TV gets, at least in the states (which might not be saying much). Startup is quick; changing channels is snappy enough; and the resolution is decent most of the time (it can get 1996-RealPlayer bad though) though it won't rival locally stored video on your iPod or iPhone by any means. Content-wise, it has more or less what you'd wanna see in mobile TV, with the CNN exclusivity being the real clinch over Verizon's V Cast. Sony PIX is a nice idea, but five minutes of dark, moody scenes in Memento gave me a headache, so I couldn't imagine a whole movie.

Bottom line, the phone is good, but falls short of very good/greatness, for a couple of reasons: The browser could use some work (it renders Giz better than mobile IE, since it tries to replicate desktop browsing, but rendering times are awful, even on 3G, and zooming is extremely laggy). Also, built-in email is only for a few set services. The music syncing feature isn't compatible with Macs, according to the manual. That said, it is a solid multimedia touchscreen phone that does most of what it does well (mobile TV, touchscreen, XM radio) for people specifically looking for an iPhone alternative. If it was $199, it'd be a worthy value—$299 is pushing it. [AT&T]

AT&T MOBILE TV PREMIERES SUNDAY, MAY 4

AT&T to Deliver MediaFLO USA's FLO TV Service in 58 Markets on New AT&T-Exclusive Handsets Designed for Mobile TV Viewing; AT&T Introduces CNN Mobile Live, PIX and CNCRT, a Special Concert Channel

SAN ANTONIO, May 1, 2008 — We interrupt your scheduled programming with an important news bulletin: AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and MediaFLO USA Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), announced today the May 4 availability of the AT&T Mobile TV with FLO™ service. This powerful new mobile television service will provide around-the-clock access to some of today's most popular television programs — live and in color on the mobile phone.

To ensure an unmatched mobile television experience for consumers, AT&T is introducing two new exclusive handsets: the Vu from LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A. Inc. (LG) and the Access from Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung).

* LG Vu: A sleek and stunning device, the Vu gives you a clear view of TV, Web, pictures or videos on its large interactive touch screen. It also lets you get the utmost in mobile entertainment with a music player, 2.0 megapixel camera and Bluetooth® capabilities. The LG Vu is available for $299.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate.
* Samsung Access: This stylish handset features a large landscape display, ideal for delivering a rich viewing experience and an internal antenna for exceptional reception. It's a great device for customers who are looking for advanced multimedia capabilities such as a camera, external stereo speakers, stereo Bluetooth, AT&T Music, CV, of course, AT&T Mobile TV. The Samsung Access is available for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate.1

"AT&T Mobile TV is more than a new entertainment service — it is an experience that will significantly change and enhance our customers' mobile lifestyles," said Mark Collins, vice president of Consumer Data for AT&T's wireless unit. "With this in mind, it was imperative that we launch this revolutionary service on devices that were optimal for the best mobile viewing experience imaginable. We worked closely with LG and Samsung to deliver these two iconic handsets, which are designed with the specific needs of what will soon become our Mobile TV viewing audience."

AT&T Mobile TV proves that big things come in small packages. The service will offer unmatched TV-quality programming from leading news and entertainment brands: CBS Mobile, ESPN Mobile TV, FOX Mobile, NBC 2Go, NBC News 2Go, MTV Networks' COMEDY CENTRAL, MTV and Nickelodeon, as well as PIX and CNN Mobile Live, which are both AT&T-exclusive channels on MediaFLO USA's FLO TV™ service.

PIX, from Sony Pictures Television, offers a variety of contemporary films, including comedies, cult classics, action films and family favorites from the studio's vast library.

CNN Mobile Live provides users with access to 24 hours of breaking news with live streaming anchored coverage from CNN.com Live as well as CNN's most popular programs, including "American Morning," "Lou Dobbs Tonight," "CNN Election Center," "Larry King Live," "Anderson Cooper 360º," and "CNN International."

"Our research revealed that news and movies were the two most popular program categories consumers wanted to watch on their mobile phones. We have exceeded their expectations with AT&T Mobile TV," said Collins. "Together with MediaFLO USA, we are changing the picture of television-viewing by giving our customers an innovative way to stay connected to breaking news from CNN Mobile Live, an arsenal of movie favorites with PIX and a formidable lineup of other quality programming while on the go."

Additionally, for the next 60 days, the AT&T Mobile TV service will feature CNCRT, a special concert channel delivered by Control Room, a leading producer and distributor of world-class entertainment. Every day, for 24 hours, the CNCRT channel will air one of approximately 30 recently recorded concerts from major recording artists, such as Avril Lavigne, Chris Brown, Fall Out Boy, Jay Z, Sheryl Crow, Akon, Daughtry, Lenny Kravitz, Rage Against the Machine and more.

"With the authority of CNN, the cinematic variety of PIX and the star power of CNCRT, AT&T Mobile TV adds an exciting dimension to the FLO TV service," said Gina Lombardi, president of MediaFLO USA. "We are thrilled to be working with AT&T to provide consumers with such a powerful new mobile entertainment experience."

MediaFLO USA's award-winning FLO TV service features premium full-length, high-quality programming delivered to mobile phones over MediaFLO USA's own dedicated multicast network. Using an intuitive program guide, AT&T customers will be able to easily flip from one channel to the next on their mobile FLO-enabled phones to experience the best-quality mobile TV.

There are more than 150 simulcast and/or time-shifted programs, as well as live sports events, currently available for viewing. Below are examples of some of the entertaining TV programs and events that are scheduled to air the week of May 4:

* CBS Mobile: New episodes of "CSI," "CSI:NY" and "How I Met Your Mother"
* CNN Mobile Live: Live breaking news coverage, including real-time results from the Democratic and Republican primaries in North Carolina and Indiana on May 6.
* Comedy Central: New episodes of "The Daily Show with John Stewart" and "The Colbert Report"
* ESPN Mobile TV: Live game coverage as well as ESPN Mobile TV shows such as "ScoreCenter," "ReSET" and more
* FOX Mobile: New episodes of "Bones," "Back to You," and LIVE Big 12 College Baseball
* MTV: New episodes of "The Hills," "Real World: Hollywood" and "The Paper"
* NBC 2Go: LIVE NHL Stanley Cup Playoff and Final games and finale episode of NBC's "30 Rock" (Thurs., May 8)
* NBC News 2Go: LIVE coverage of the Indiana and North Carolina Democratic Primaries
* Nickelodeon: Episodes of "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "iCarly"
* PIX: "Memento," "In The Line of Fire," "Groundhog Day," "Kung Fu Hustle" and "Resident Evil"

AT&T Mobile TV will launch in 58 markets including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, Seattle and Washington, D.C. The service is a perfect complement to the wireless carrier's already impressive portfolio of wireless video offerings, including CV, which gives subscribers mobile access to thousands of on-demand video clips — including news, sports, entertainment, music and movie previews. With the addition of Mobile TV, AT&T customers now have even more choices in how they experience and enjoy video content from their phone. As with CV, AT&T Mobile TV will have the Parental Controls feature, which provides content filtering and purchase blocking on your phone so that you can restrict access to content that may be inappropriate for younger viewers.

Monthly access packages for AT&T Mobile TV begin at $15 a month for the Basic package, which includes unlimited access to Mobile TV, as well as access to the exclusive CNCRT channel for a limited time. AT&T also offers a Mobile TV Plus package for $30 a month, which includes unlimited Mobile TV, unlimited mobile Web browsing on MEdiaTM Net and unlimited CV mobile video. Customers can also subscribe to a limited basic package for $13 a month, which gives them access to four channels: CBS Mobile, FOX Mobile, NBC 2Go and NBC News 2Go. Because AT&T Mobile TV operates on MediaFLO USA's own dedicated multicast network, AT&T customers do not incur data or voice charges. Additionally, programming is subject to change, and sports programming is subject to blackout restrictions.

To learn more about AT&T Mobile TV, including service, programming and handset details, visit www.att.com/mobiletv beginning May 4.

SEOUL, KOREA - April 30, 2008 - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a leading mobile phone and No. 1 TV maker, announced today P960, the world's first slider type Digital Video Broadcast - Handheld (DVB-H) mobile TV phone P960. As a pioneer of slider mobile phones and TV, it was only a matter of course for Samsung to develop a device that contains both of its strongest strengths in one. P960 is also the world's first DVB-H mobile TV phone that supports both of European mobile TV standards, Digital Video Broadcast - Convergence of Broadcast and Mobile Service (DVB-CBMS) and Open Mobile Alliance Mobile Broadcast Service Enabler Suite (OMA-BCAST). DVB-CBMS is DVB Forum initiated DVB-H standard based on DVB-T standard, currently available in Italy through H3G, TI and Voda. It will soon become available in France, Belgium, Poland and Russia. OMA-BCAST is OMA initiated DVB-H standard known as the next generation DVB-H solution. It will first become available in Netherland and will continue to be adopted in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. P960 offers an optimized television-on-the-go experience with a large 2.6" QVGA TFT screen with vivid 262K color image-enhancing DNIe. TV watching experience is enriched by numerous innovative DVB-H features such as Electronic Service Guide (ESG) that provides an on-screen TV guide and Picture in Picture (PIP) that allows users to view two channels at once, and Time-Shifting feature that shifts TV program schedule when a show is interrupted by incoming calls. P960 also proudly features Bang & Olufsen ICEPower® technology for a professional quality audio experience. The battery life of 1200mAh ensures up to 5 hours of TV watching time. In addition to DVB-H technologies, P960 also offers satisfying entertainment features to meet even end-users needs. A 3 megapixel camera with power LED, a music player with Music Library feature and codec support, a FM radio with RDS for around the clock news and music, are all included in P960 to provide the users convenience and enhancement in both audio and visual entertainment life. As Samsung mobile's well-known reputation, P960 does not compromise an outstanding design with technologies. The device features all the up-to-date technologies within a slim 16.7mm thin metal body, softly brushed with hairline pattern. Geesung Choi, President of Samsung's Telecom Business said P960 is a milestone for mobile TV technology, as the launch of the device will signify the beginning of DVB-H phone era in Europe. "Samsung has already achieved a stable No. 1 leader position in Korea as the mobile TV phone provider. There is no doubt Samsung will continue the success in Europe with P960."

Expect a 30GB version of the 605 Wi-Fi with the GPS receiver in May for $400. If you currently own a 605 WiFi, you can pick up the navigation add-on separately for $130. The Web TV and radio plugin will also be available next month for the 605, 705 and ARCHOS TV+models as a $19.99 download. Speaking of the TV+ device, it will get a separate TVportation upgrade that will let users watch their home TV anywhere—similar to the Slingbox. TVportation will be available for $49.99 (or free if the device is registered to the Archos website). Right now, it'll work with laptops and Archos 605 and 705s, with Windows Mobile support launching soon, and Symbian shortly thereafter. As for the Flash 9 and WMV9 capability, you can enjoy that free of charge when the firmware update is released.

Finally, Archos has struck up a deal with Paramount to pre-load movies on its TV+ devices. The box still be stocked with about 50 flicks, but you've still gotta purchase them—the idea is instant VOD, not giving you free shit. They've got a total catalog of about 250 in the pipe, and they're working on deals with other content providers. Oh, and it's still all in standard def.

From the press release:

ARCHOS Introduces GPS, Mobile TV, and Flash Video for Portable Players

ARCHOS announced today several new ways to move your media from the home, to the road, in the car and beyond, with services that are unseen in any other portable media player.

Announced today at media events in New York and Paris, new ARCHOS products let you watch live TV on smartphones, laptops and ARCHOS portable devices wherever you go; stream favorite TV and radio shows from the Web for free; and help you get to where you're going with GPS navigation, and then entertain you once you arrive.

Turn Your ARCHOS Portable Media Player Into a Mobile TV
The new TVportation feature lets consumers watch their home live TV wherever they go using the ARCHOS TV+ as a streaming media server. Consumers can now watch their favorite shows live on their ARCHOS 605 and 705 WiFi portable players, smartphones, and laptops, giving them the freedom to watch TV anywhere.

Need Some Direction? ARCHOS Introduces GPS
The new ARCHOS GPS In-Car Holder turns the award-winning ARCHOS 605 WiFi portable player into a full-fledged navigation system. With more than 50 times the hard drive size, twice the screen resolution, and similar pricing as stand-alone GPS navigation products, the ARCHOS 605 GPS is the ultimate navigation and entertainment device.

Want YouTube and Web TV Shows on the Go? No problem.
For the first time, TV fans can catch up on full-length TV episodes, music videos, sporting events, news, Web TV shows, and even favorite radio stations for free on their handheld ARCHOS players. ARCHOS portable media players are the first to support Adobe Flash 9, letting consumers enjoy the millions of online video and Flash games available on the Web — from YouTube, Google Video, TV network Web sites, and more.

Paramount Opens its Movie Vault
A global relationship with Paramount Pictures brings more than 300 Paramount movies to ARCHOS portable players. Covering North America and Europe, ARCHOS will provide select Paramount movies for its handheld devices and ARCHOS TV+ WiFi digital video recorder, with Paramount movies pre-loaded for immediate playback on the TV — no download required.

•Limited Four channels: Fox Mobile, CBS Mobile, NBC, and NBC News
•Basic Nine channels: Fox Mobile, CBS Mobile, NBC, NBC News, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, CNN Mobile and ESPN
•Plus Same nine channels, plus Sony Pictures

Unless there's some other sweetness to Plus we haven't heard about, that means the Sony channel costs you 15 bucks a month. Verizon's $25 top tier V Pack also throws in unlimited airtime, browsing and email—hopefully that's a part of AT&T's Plus package. [BGR]

Yep, the Open Mobile Video Coalition wants the Advanced Television Systems Committee to explore three technologies we've maybe only talked in passing before:
• LG/Harris' MPH (Mobile-Pedestrian-Handheld)
• Samsung/Rohde & Schwarz's A-VSB
• Thomson/Micronas' variant of the European standard DVB-Handheld

So yes, if the plan is implemented, it means we will someday catch up to where Korea and Europe already are. Since big CE players are already involved in these technologies elsewhere, it wouldn't be costly for them to add the functionality to US product lines—a premium of around $10 per device.

For broadcasters already dealing with the digital switchover, adding $100K in hardware to their terrestrial broadcasting stations wouldn't be such a big deal, especially since it would help them tap into potentially $2 billion in ad revenue. (Unlike cable, local broadcasters are dealing with big revenue falls every quarter, including a 17% dip at the end of 2007.)

The question is, would you watch the stuff even if it were free? Qualcomm's MediaFLO is already an option with Verizon and AT&T, but I don't know many (any?) people who sign up for it. Also, who relies on local TV anymore? Gone are the days when Ron Burgundy and the KVWN Channel Four News Team reigned supreme. [AP]

The selling point of the Vu is definitely the Mobile TV service. It's implementation here is solid. Mobile TV is a legit service, a step up from AT&T's older Verizon V Cast-like CV service. The phone's homescreen has an easily accessible icon at the bottom, and the entire interface is based around the Vu's touchscreen. It comes with a pull-out antenna, but LG says its meant for use in remote areas. The TV screen itself has buttons for channel up/down and another that brings up an electronic program guide similar to what you'd see in satellite or digital cable. The best part is that the guide is completely touch-friendly and you can jump from channel to channel just by touching a show on the guide.

The touchscreen itself is solid for the most part. The haptic feedback lets you know when you've pressed a button, though the screen does require a fairly firm push to get it to respond. It was especially speedy and accurate in the front screen menu and the subsequent apps menus.

The horizontal QWERTY keyboard looks well designed. However, it felt a bit cramped. I made my fair share of typos, partially because I was getting used to the feel of the keyboard, and partially because I couldn't see what letter I was pressing (no iPhone-style pop-up letters).

The music/media player was pretty straightforward, offering categories such as album, artist, etc..., and is all touch-friendly. The VU has a microSD card slot in its back panel that supports cards as big as 8 GB.

The proprietary LG browser pales in comparison to mobile Opera or mobile Safari, and has trouble displaying full-size webpages. Browsing the Gizmodo page was slow and choppy, and the method of scrolling and panning the screen felt unintuitive, perhaps because it's the opposite of the iPhone and iPod touch.

The text message interface does not use the conversation thread style of displaying text messages (a la Palm and BlackBerry), in some ways negating the ease of the touchscreen interface.

The interface also had a few quirks that didn't quite make sense to me. The default keyboard for text entry is an on-screen 10-digit pad that simulates the 0-9 keys on a real phone. The default browsing orientation is portrait mode. Both have to be toggled on and off via buttons on the touchscreen—the landscape/portrait button was particularly vague.

All in all, the Vu's strengths lie in its multimedia features, but the phone could benefit from further embracing the interface design found in some of today's smarter smartphones.

SAMSUNG AND AT&T ANNOUNCE THE SAMSUNG ACCESS™ First Samsung handset to support AT&T Mobile TV

DALLAS, March 27, 2007 — Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung) today announced the exclusive availability of the Samsung Access™, Samsung's first device to support AT&T Mobile TV, a mobile television service featuring high-quality programming.

The sophisticated and sleek Access is a bar-style phone with a slick black finish and large, crisp and clear 2.3" landscape display comparable to DVD quality, ideal for viewing multimedia content, and exceptional television reception without the need for external antenna. AT&T Mobile TV is easily accessible to users with a one-touch button which brings them directly to full-length television content and sporting events from top networks, including programming from leading entertainment brands CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, FOX Mobile, MTV, NBC 2GO, NBC News2Go and Nickelodeon. AT&T Mobile TV will also feature two exclusive channels, which will be announced soon.

The Access is a robust multimedia device and includes features such as Video Share™ AT&T Mobile Music, stereo Bluetooth ® technology, external stereo speakers, external memory microSD™ card slot and 1.3 megapixel camera with video record. With advanced messaging options such as multimedia messaging, instant messaging and mobile e-mail, the Access is a powerful communication device.

The Access also features dual-band 3G connectivity and quad-band GSM technology, which allows AT&T customers to make calls in more than 200 countries and download data in more than 145.

The Access will be available through select AT&T retail locations or athttp://www.att.com/wireless beginning in May 2008. To learn more about AT&T's other mobile entertainment offerings, visit www.wireless.att.com/entertainment .

It works by receiving DVB-H, MediaFLO or WiMax (depending on the standard for your particular market—Verizon uses MediaFLO) and transcoding it on the fly to a video stream sent out via Wi-Fi. Your device (the one you're actually watching the video on) then grabs the video stream over Wi-Fi and displays it. It'll be available later in the year, but Packet Video usually works with service providers and not directly with the consumer, so your only option may be to buy a branded one. [Tech Radar]

MOBILE-PEDESTRIAN-HANDHELD DIGITAL TV
PRODUCTS UNVEILED AT 2008 INTERNATIONAL CES®

MPH™ Mobile Phones, Personal DTVs, Laptop PCs, In-Car Solutions

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2008 - LG Electronics, co-developer of the MPH™ in-band mobile digital television (DTV) system, today previewed a series of products that will support local TV stations' plans to launch DTV broadcasts for mobile devices in 2009.

At the 2008 International CES® here this week, LG Electronics is demonstrating products that incorporate new circuitry for receiving the robust ATSC-compatible MPH (Mobile-Pedestrian-Handheld) signals. Developed by LG Electronics, its U.S. R&D subsidiary Zenith and Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), MPH is capable of providing robust over-the-air DTV signals to mobile, pedestrian and handheld devices.

The prototype MPH products showcased at CES (in private demonstrations and in the LG Electronics booth #8214, Central Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center) include mobile phones, personal DTVs, laptop PCs and in-car infotainment systems:

MOBILE PHONES. LG Electronics has incorporated MPH technology into two mobile phone platforms, a CDMA handset with a unique twist screen and a GSM touchscreen handset. Both employ a simple whip antenna for VHF/UHF DTV reception. The MPH capability in these mobile phones complements other mobile video services such as MediaFlo.

PERSONAL DTVs. Built around LG's popular portable navigation device with a 4-inch widescreen display, LG's MPH handheld personal DTVs are optimized for pedestrian and mobile applications, whether you're watching a sports broadcast while at the stadium, checking the local weather report on the commuter train, or watching the local news in the car.

LAPTOP PCs. LG's innovative MPH "dongle," which connects through the USB port, turns any laptop PC into a portable DTV. The big bright screen is ideal for enjoying broadcast sports and movies, while the computing power of the PC enables exciting data broadcasting applications via MPH transmission. As the technology is commercialized in 2009, LG Electronics envisions built-in laptop PC applications as well.

IN-CAR DTVs. In addition to developing its own MPH products, LG Electronics has been collaborating with other manufacturers. For example, Kenwood USA Corporation has developed prototype in-car displays built around LG's MPH chipset. The 7-inch screens are ideal for back-seat viewing of children's programming, local news or network DTV broadcast shows.

"CES 2008 is the launchpad for the world's first MPH product concepts, which will be used in consumer trials later this year. Based on our aggressive development timetable and commitment to work with interested industry players, we expect to see a number of MPH receivers in a range of form factors from a variety of manufacturers next year," said LG Electronics President and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Woo Paik.

MPH products will enable users to view their favorite programs from local broadcasters, watch movies and sports, and access local news and weather information, even when traveling in fast-moving vehicles or using handheld video devices away from home. For broadcasters, this new technology has the potential to create lucrative new revenue streams from advertiser-supported free broadcast mobile DTV, premium pay services or both.

The MPH in-band mobile DTV system was developed by LG Electronics, Zenith and Harris as a robust, ATSC-compatible mobile solution for local broadcasters to maximize the use of their 6-MHz, 19.39 megabit-per-second digital pathway in delivering a wide range of compelling and profitable consumer services. This meant maintaining the centerpiece application, digital high-definition television (HDTV), to the tens of millions of fixed receivers in consumer homes, while simultaneously reaching viewers on the go with robust low-bit-rate digital TV signals and data services.

See what it says there? Now, onto storage. We already know that 8GB memory cards are in the offing, but microSDHC can support cards with up to 32GB of storage &mdash so I'm going to pull my Earl Hickey Thinking face and nod my head sagely. Meanwhile, more info.
Tri-band GSM/EDGE 3.6Mbps HSDPA
5 megapixel camera
103 x 51 x 16.8 mm
2.4-inch QVGA display
Bluetooth 2.0/USB 2.0 connectivity
MicroSD and microSDHC flash memory support
I know everyone's all "Touchscreen, touchscreen, I must have a touchscreen" at the moment, but that's not a bad alternative if you want something a little more discreet. [GSM Helpdesk and Let's Go Mobile via Unwired View]

This new phone actually offers picture-in-picture viewing on the phone. Yes, on a screen so small you can barely watch one show you're now able to watch two at the same time. Generally speaking, the South Korean consumer electronics market is a look into the future of our own tech landscape, so it's not out of the realm of possibility for us to be able to watch both 30 Rock and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip on our phones simultaneously at some point. Finally! –Adam Frucci

Samsung to present a new phone at the KIS [Akihabara News]

Giant mobile and electronics empires Nokia and Samsung have decided that it's best to work together in mobile TV. They want to accelerate the adoption of the technology, all after realizing that past collaborations often brought great benefits to famous former enemies. You know, like funky policemen Starsky and Hutch, great superheroes Superman and Batman or failed comedians Adolf and Josef.

Both will now work on compatibility among their respective DVB-H mobile devices, with Samsung adopting the Open Mobile Alliance BCAST standard in addition to their current CBMS OSF. What does this mean to consumers? Hopefully, that compatible mobile TV services will be available all over the world from different operators. Sadly, OMA BCAST has it's own DRM, which leaves us pretty much OMFG STFU and learn the lesson already. – Jesus Diaz

Samsung and Nokia to Cooperate on Mobile TV Interoperability [PR Newswire]

Also part of the announced deal are several free, ad-supported on-demand shows, such as "Friday Night Lights," along with content from Bravo, SCI FI, USA, Telemundo and mun2 on five new ad-supported channels available to MobiTV subscribers. But who cares about that when you can get this kind of awesomeness?

While over-the-air on demand has great potential, the 24-hour rental period is a deal-killer, unfortunately. $1.99 makes a great impulse buy if you're stuck on a train or in a doctor's office and missed Sylar impaling ******** on the ceiling the night before, but not if the content magically disappears a day later, especially when you can buy it from iTunes for your iPod to keep for the same price. Or for no price from BitTorrent. – Matt Buchanan

Press Release [MobiTV]

So how does the "VIP beta" stack up to the competition? Gallery (from the party since my camera died after I got home) and rundown below.

We've run down the phone specs before, so I'm not going to rehash them, other than to note that it's running Windows Mobile 5. It feels rugged with the rubber backing and is a good size to slip into my pockets. I'm not too big on the orange though. Using the TV service destroys the battery life as well.

Service Impressions
Of course, this is what really matters. Does Modeo deliver? If you're satisfied with just a few channels (for now, Fox News, Fox Sports, MSNBC CNBC, E! and Discovery, though they're obviously working on getting more content providers) then overall, yes. The live feed is a few seconds behind what's on my actual TV, but who's counting? For the most part, the picture quality is solid. All text is clear and readable. CNBC is the exception for some reason—every time I've turned to it, it's heavily artifacted and skips. Anything that moves too quickly on any channel also seems to play hell with the service, throwing it into a fit of artifacting.

While at the event a number of executives emphasized that only "some content" really needs to be streamed live—like news, which is true to the extent that you probably don't need to see Everybody Loves Raymond live (or ever)—I'm guessing part of the reason it's news-heavy is that talking heads don't move a whole lot.

Startup is also jittery and slower than I would like, taking as long 10 seconds to switch into TV mode, and then another 5-10 to steady out skipping frames and audio. Changing channels takes another 5-7 seconds—you get the Modeo logo, followed by a black screen with skipping audio and then the video feed gets going. Once it's going though, generally it's smooth and clear, with solid audio to boot (though you have to turn it up all the way to hear it, which can be annoying if you don't want a loud ringer, so I've set the ring to vibrate).

Speaking of audio there are also 8 "Music Choice" radio channels, which, with more channels, could turn into a strong feature for the service, particularly as it makes its way to other devices (more on that later). The sound quality through the phone's speakers is better than say, standard radio, but nothing mind-blowing. Obviously, bass with its speakers leaves something to be desired, which is readily apparent on the Rob Zombie track its playing right now. It improves a fair bit if you use headphones, naturally, but still not amazing.

Coverage throughout last night and today have been excellent, as I've trekked from midtown Manhattan to downtown, and from the East Village to the West Village. The only place it let something to be desired was on the 8th of the Fairchild where the daily paper I write for is located. Even there, though, aside from a couple of dropped frames, everything came through and was definitely watchable. I could go into detail about the number of transmitters they're using (65) and where they're located (like on top of the Met Life building) and such, but it seems beside the point: Coverage (in Manhattan) is great—since the beta only covers NYC and a bit of the surrounding metro area, it had better be.

The Future and Final Thoughts
Many of the problems I have with the service—slow channel-changing and start up time—will be addressed before the public release. (They're aiming for a sub-2 second channel change time.) So when's the public release, you ask? They wouldn't give a date. Or a price point. And with big cell phone companies launching their own mobile TV networks, a future cozying up to Verizon, for instance, probably isn't in the cards. Which is why they're aiming to bring the service to devices other than cell phones, like cars, portable media players, etc. For instance, you can plug in an SD card attachment to just about anything with an SDIO port and pick up the service. (Pictured in gallery.)

I'm not totally sold on Mobile TV, especially after they emphasized the ability to deliver personalized ads to phones during the event. More than that, though when I've been out or waiting in line somewhere, I've had to actively think about using it. I'm not sure how useful it is in transit—it's hard to watch while walking, and obviously more so while driving. It won't work in the subway or on an airplane. Its coming DVR capabilities mitigate this to an extent, however. Whether not all content providers will allow recording is another question. I'm going to keep using it during the beta, but for now, consider me unsold on the concept. – Matt Buchanan

Product Page [Modeo]

Nokia launches N77, 6110 Navigator, and 3110 Classic [Pocket-lint.co.uk]

Nokia wants to jump start the mobile TV market, which up until now has really only taken off in Korea, if that. And no, we're not talking about downloading hot videoz picked out by your cellphone carrier, but actual programming. One problem seems to be that people just aren't that excited to watch video on their mobile devices if the screen isn't large enough. We should find out more once the Barça conference hits, hopefully with pretty pics of the phone, too. – Nicholas Deleon

Nokia to unveil mid-range TV phone at 3GSM: sources [Reuters]

From what we saw—the stream was coming locally because of the lousy meeting room location instead of from Modeo—the video looked great. The phone also felt good, and the rubber back helps prevent any droppage as you're probably holding the phone out when you're walking around.

Modeo should deploy the service in NY sometime in first half of '07, but HTC wouldn't give us a firm date. We're not too big on mobile TV, but if it looks like this and can be deployed on any smartphone, sign us up. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Modeo]

Apple delivered on iTV, er, AppleTV, as promised.

Microsoft confirmed IPTV on the Xbox 360, bringing HD broadcasts and most likely DVR capabilities to the 360 with AT&T.

We found out that the Slingcatcher is real.

DirectTV confirmed their portable TV offering, Sat-Go, which mirrors your home subscription for $5 a month. They didn't give us any prices, however.

Verizon announced their VCAST Mobile TV service in conjunction with Media FLO, which we got our hands on. – Matt Buchanan

This week I received an invitation from Parks Associates to attend the Mobile Video Summit 2006. Since Gizmodo has informed me it's not in the budget to send yours truly to Seoul, Korea, I'll just have to comment without actually seeing what the mobile TV folks have to sell. Doesn't matter, really, I'm always happy to share my opinion about unnecessary technology.

Mobile TV is, quite honestly, another attempt by phone companies to justify their enormous investment in 3G. In fact, according to the invite for the Summit, mobile TV is about to become the "name of the game globally." This particular event offers a "great opportunity to see, feel and foresee the mobile TV solutions and visions presented, discussed and exhibited by international big players."

Interesting phrasing.

In any case, the invite made me think about how I should "see, feel and foresee" the whole idea of "international big players" enabling me to watch TV on my phone. Let's say it's fall and I'm stuck at another Sunday soccer game, for example. Even worse, let's say I'm forced to listen to another God-awful Jets or Giants game on my AM radio just to get the score for my beloved Eagles. (We had a better draft, by the way.) Personally, I'm much more inclined to listen to the game via a service like Sirius—assuming they ever offer a portable that plays live broadcasts—than I am to actually watch video on my phone.

Building out a mobile TV network isn't gonna be cheap, either. According to a Pyramid Research report entitled, Rescuing 3G with Mobile TV: Business Models and Monetizing 3G, the phone companies are looking at an additional infrastructure cost of about $12,000 per site. Let's say our hypothetical network requires 50,000 base stations. That's over a half-billion dollar investment.

Which leads to the big question: How much would mobile TV service cost subscribers? Well, according to Pyramid, the price people are willing to pay for video service on their phones is somewhere between $9 and $15 a month.

Alas, no one asked me.

So I ask you, is there anyone reading this who doesn't think they already pay too much for wireless service? Besides, entertainment dollars are already stretched thin. Folks who pay out the wazoo for cable and Internet access, plus a subscription to Netflix, Napster and maybe even satellite radio are not inclined to add another $15 every month to watch video on their tiny little phone screen.

So phone companies are also exploring a pay-as-you-go model, whereby users are charged $1.10 for a five-minute interval. In my experience, phone companies will see this as another opportunity to tack on "small-print" charges—the type I may or may not understand even if I actually take the time to read the fine print in the contract. As a result, that $1.10 is likely to end up being $1.50 or $2.

Verizon is also experimenting with two-tier pricing for its V CAST service, offering a lower monthly subscription for people willing to be exposed to advertising. According to the Pyramid, "indications are strong that this model will reach widespread adoption as Mobile TV evolves." That means splash screens while videos load as well as 10- to 15-second spots. Oh boy.
Finally, there's the initial cost for hardware. Early adopters should be prepared to shell out some serious scratch, according to the report—handsets compatible with a broadcast mobile TV standard are likely to run $400 to start.

Obviously, it's early in the mobile TV game. Just the same, all this makes me think the best thing that could happen is for mobile TV to be part of an IPTV bundle, provided by carriers like Verizon or AT&T two or three years down the road. But that would have to mean some type of cooperation between old line telcos and their wireless brethren. And that's about as likely to happen, as I am to watch TV on my phone.

Brian L. Clark is a reporter and consultant on all things digital, runs the The Tech Enthusiast's Network, and writes for Money, Men's Health, and Laptop. Read more Tuning Fork here.