The other night, I watched "Late Show with David Letterman" on my TV and on a cell phone at the same time.
It's not that I'm crushing on Dave. I was simply checking out Verizon Wireless's new V Cast Mobile TV service, and I have to say it's pretty sweet.
While Dave talked to Isla Fisher about her movie, "The Lookout," I headed downstairs for ice cream, carrying the phone and watching the interview the whole way.
Now that's not so exciting, but what if instead of watching Letterman, I was watching the Bears, and instead of going to the kitchen, I was running over to the store to buy some milk? With V Cast Mobile TV, I could carry the Bears with me down the dairy aisle, watching every Rex Grossman touchdown and interception in living color. Now you get the picture.
V Cast Mobile TV provides programming from ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and MTV. You can't get local stations.
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You've probably heard of TV on a cell phone before, but this isn't like the streamed video you may be thinking of. Watching streamed video is like using a VCR — you can pause, rewind or fast-forward the prerecorded show. With streamed video, you can watch, say, last night's Bears highlights. With V Cast Mobile TV, you could watch the game live.
How much does it cost? V Cast Mobile TV works on only two new phones: the LG LX9400 ($199.99 after $50 online rebate and two-year contract, verizon wireless.com) and the Samsung SGH-u620 ($149.99 after $50 online rebate and two-year contract, verizonwireless.com). To watch the shows, you need Verizon's basic package: $15 a month gives you unlimited airtime to watch the shows. For $25 a month, you get unlimited airtime to watch TV, use V Cast Music (download music to your phone and your computer), play video games, use the Web and more.
I'm impressed by V Cast Mobile TV on the LG phone (I haven't spent time with the Samsung model). The screen resolution, clarity, contrast and color rival high-definition TV, albeit on a 2-inch screen. Still, I didn't need to squint or strain to watch West Virginia beat Clemson to win college basketball's NIT. The phone is easy to use: Press the button with the TV icon to bring up a programming guide, choose the program you want to watch and hit OK. Press the up or down arrows to change the channel. Simplicity itself.
The only problem is, daylight makes the screen almost impossible to view.
But in the doctor's office, on the bus and on the "L," the picture was great.
"Mobile TV is up to 30 frames per second; that's the same quality as on your living-room TV," said Nikki Learakos of Verizon Wireless. "It's real TV, right on your phone. Carrying a slick mobile device is a lot easier than carrying around your 100-pound TV set."
The service is provided by MediaFLO. Verizon sends the broadcast to its V Cast Mobile TV subscribers. AT&T/Cingular plans to get on board later this year.
As far as alternatives, AT&T/Cingular also has MobiTV — whose lower frame rate can lead to choppy video — and SlingMedia has its Slingbox, which connects to your home's wireless Internet network and sends the signal — all 200-plus cable channels — to your phone. Because of the setup involved, it's simple to use but not nearly as simple as the V Cast Mobile TV service. AT&T/Cingular will have a rival TV service later this year.
I think the service is a great taste of what's to come, though there are some ironies. Despite the advanced equipment, it's a bit like TV in the '70s: no VCR-style recording, only eight channels, and in some areas you'll have to raise the phone's antenna to improve reception.
Even then, it doesn't work everywhere — yet.
