Verizon Wireless is finally going to offer its new (well, relatively new) V Cast Mobile TV service in my market, Washington, D.C., on October 1. A few days later, on October 5, Verizon will offer its third V Cast Mobile TV-compatible phone, the Motorola Motorizr Z6tv (see left).
I’ve watched and tested mobile television services from a variety of cellular operators, including Sprint, AT&T/Cingular, Alltel and Verizon. Typically I’ll have different handsets for weeks or sometimes months at a time.
I’ve spent a lot of time looking at Verizon’s on-demand, clips-only mobile TV. However, I haven’t had much hands-on experience with the full-length, streaming V Cast Mobile TV because it hasn’t been available in my area. The service is based on Qualcomm’s MediaFLO network and it requires that Qualcomm negotiate with local TV stations to use channel 55 for mobile TV.
Longer negotiations?
V Cast Mobile TV was launched in March 2007 and is in more than 30 markets across the country. Washington, D.C. is often one of the first markets in the country to get new wireless services, in great part because it’s the place to show off technology to Federal lawmakers and assorted government bigshots.
But I assume it has taken longer to get MediaFLO here because of negotiations with local stations.
In any case, I’m hoping to get a chance to spend lots of time testing V Cast Mobile TV around my area, including downtown Washington and the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Verizon’s press release says the service also will be available in Baltimore and Annapolis, Md., although I don’t get there frequently.
So I should be able to see how the new “fall lineup” looks.
Motorizr Z6tv
The Motorizr Z6tv will be the hottest Verizon mobile TV phone (for a while, anyway). This slider-type handset features landscape and portrait modes for watching TV, videos and viewing photos, a two megapixel camera, video recording, mp3 and wma player, some 50 MB of RAM, a microSD card slot, stereo Bluetooth and unfortunately, a 2.5 mm headphone jack.
I’d rather it incorporate a 3.5 mm jack that enables me to use my best headsets rather than either a cellular headset or requiring a 3.5 mm-to-2.5 mm adapter (if one’s available).
The two current V Cast Mobile TV phones — Samsung SCH-u620 and LG VX9400 — have an external pull-up antenna. I don’t know whether the Z6tv does. Extending the antenna isn’t always necessary but it can make a difference in weaker signal areas.
The Z6tv will be available from Verizon for $179.99 with a $50 rebate and a two-year contract.
Comments