Verizon Cell Phone TV Service Launched
1 March 2007, officially Verizon Wireless launched their mobile TV service, which has been branded VCAST Mobile TV. For now, service will be available in 20 markets.
The service is already available from Verizon, and users can visit Verizon's website or call * 611 from their handsets to subscribe. Verizon offers the service for $ 15
For users who already have used Verizon's VCAST service, is there a package where users can keep all their current service options and get VCAST Mobile TV for $ 25 total each month.
VCAST currently allows Verizon customers to download music, videos, wallpapers, screensavers, games and more. The videos that users have been able to download include: sports highlights, comedy, TV shows, and much more.
But none of the shows were live TV; safely VCAST users everywhere will be upgrading.
Verizon has announced that VCAST mobile TV will have eight live channels including: CBS, Comedy Central, Fox, MTV, NBC News, NBC Entertainment and Nickelodeon. Although the lineup is quite modest at present, will Verizon be able to get bugs out of the system. Verizon says that they plan to expand the lineup soon.
Verizon uses Qualcomm's MediaFlo technology for service. The technology allows for streaming video to cheaply reach the hands of wireless users. It looks now that AT & T will also use MediaFlo when they release their mobile TV service later this year.
AT & T and T-Mobile have both announced that they will be offering a sort of mobile TV service sometime in the year. Sprint Nextel has yet not comment on the addition of service. Sprint Nextel does not offer, however, a service that allows users to download video clips, so it should not be a stretch them to implement.
At this point there is only one model that Verizon offers that service. Samsung SCH-A620 offers streaming video and unprecedented full VCAST functionality.
You can download the model at Verizon's website for $ 150, after all available discounts. This price is for new customers and customers who are available for upgrades. All users will have to sign or resign a new 2-year contract to get this price.
Verizon has another TV phone on the road, the LG VX9400. The model should be released later this month. The VX9400 has a swiveling screen that allows users to watch TV from two different angles. The screen size VX9400 is much larger than the SCH-A620, which may be why Verizon is releasing the phone a couple weeks after.
Here are the markets where service is available: Chicago Illinois, Denver and Colorado Springs, Col., New Orleans, La; Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, Seattle-Tacoma and Spokane, Wash., Tucson, Arizona, Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM, Omaha-Lincoln, Neb.; Jacksonville, Fla., Norfolk Richmond, Virginia, Salt Lake City, Utah, Palm Springs, Calif., Portland, Oregon, Wichita, Can., Las Vegas, Nev., and Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo.
The service is already receiving positive reviews from a few blogs and websites. It will definitely be a positive, when the service when all markets.
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