This one is still only in the very earliest stages, but it looks like MobiTV has taken advantage of the big National Association of Broadcasters Show in Vegas this week to show off a new mobile DTV service that it's developed in partnership with Sinclair and PBS, which it hopes will eventually find its way to a few interested cellular carriers. The service itself is a combination of free over-the-air DTV broadcasts (from PBS and the CW, at the moment) and subscription-based on-demand content, which would apparently be made available for a seven-day window and be delivered via mobile WiMAX. Unfortunately, there's no indication whatsoever of a potential roll-out, but it looks like MobiTV will be working hard during the next few days to woo some additional partners, so there's at least a slight chance that we could be hearing a few more details before the show wraps up later this week.

[Via Phone Scoop]

In the 22 city-strong foot race to get a live MPH-based mobile TV network up, running, and available to anyone who wants it, it looks like Washington DC's poised to come out on top. Raleigh has already deployed a handful of transmitters for the benefit of bus-goers, but the Open Mobile Video Coalition has announced that Washington DC's local CBS, PBS, NBC, and Ion affiliates plus a Fox-owned independent will all be ready to roll with MPH transmissions by late summer; of course, what remains to be seen is what sort of hardware will be ready to take advantage of the tech by then. We can likely count AT&T and Verizon out for offering MPH-enabled handsets seeing how they're still trying to figure out how to profit from their MediaFLO-based networks, so T-Mobile and Sprint's decisions to take a wait-and-see approach to the mobile TV phenomenon may really end up working in their favor here. Moving beyond the phones, it's said that Dell will be showing some sort of netbook this week with an integrated MPH tuner at the NAB show in Vegas this week, while Kenwood has in-car solutions in the works. As long as the broadcasts stay free -- which by all accounts they will -- the standard has a fighting chance at relevancy, assuming hardware comes to the table.

Free, unlimited live TV's coming to the iPhone for anyone who wants it one way or another, we just didn't necessarily expect carriers to be supporting the movement. Actually, it's a stretch to call Orange's new "TV from Orange" app "free" since you're only getting unlimited use on roughly 20 of the 60-odd available channels -- and even then, only if you subscribe to one of Orange's new Origami Star for iPhone plans starting at €42 (about $55) per month -- but it's a start. French subscribers should find the app in their local App Store, and if they'd rather pay on an a-la-carte basis, there are add-on TV packages available for €6 and €9 a month, data usage at 1 cent per 10KB, and session usage at 50 cents per 20 minutes, depending on the plan you're rocking. Orange says it'll work on anything from EDGE up (though we doubt the experience is that great on EDGE) and boasts "high definition mobile quality," which feels like a sketchy phrase. Your mileage may vary, naturally.

[Via mocoNews, thanks Mike]

Qualcomm's fledgling FLO TV service might be on to something this time. President Bill Stone's announced plans to offer mobile broadcast to phones via add-on peripherals, including an iPhone 3.0-compatible antenna /chip accessory that's currently in the works, although without an estimated release window (Business Insider suggests it'll be ready sometime next year). The company's also looking into accessorizing Windows Mobile phones, either with a plug-in or some device that connects over Wi-Fi / Bluetooth. Seeing as the latest comScore statistics say less than one percent of all phone users watch mobile broadcast TV, which at the moment has to come built-in, this could prove to be a boon for the service -- assuming Q or the carriers can do something about those excessive pricing plans or fierce competition from Sling.

[Via Electronista]

Ah, so the rumors were true. As BlackBerry App World descends upon the masses today, a particularly unique service is launching alongside of it: QuickPlay Media's PrimeTime2Go. Unlike options from Sprint and AT&T, this alternative delivers video only over WiFi, though this arrangement does enable it to work on all carriers. The app will bring full-length television shows to certain BlackBerry smartphones, and with deals inked with NBC, CBS and MTV, we'd say the selection should be pretty good. As for details, it'll run users $7.99 per month, though it will only operate (initially, at least) on the BlackBerry Bold and Curve 8900, sold by AT&T and T-Mobile, respectively. So, is this the break that mobile TV has been waiting for? Or is this yet another option that better get used to being shunned?

These days, there are seemingly dozens of TV technologies a phone can choose to support -- take the glofiish V900, for example, which goes the standards-agnostic route and packs frickin' four of them -- so it's difficult to deduce what sort of circuitry a heretofore-unknown LG with a "TV" button placed prominently below the display might include. That being said, this brightly-colored GM630 flip with a landscape display has leaked on a Brazilian site -- one of the few countries where one-seg is in use -- so we wouldn't be surprised if that's what was going on here. Otherwise, CelularCafe reports that the phone will have an FM radio, Bluetooth, EDGE data, and a 2 megapixel cam; something tells us those specs aren't good enough to get a US release, and given that the US has as many functional one-seg networks as it has DAB broadcasts, that's just fine by us.

[Via Unwired View]

Qualcomm's MediaFLO tech was originally intended for screens so small that resolution, artifacting, and wholesale crappiness don't really matter, but when you're building out a whole new wireless network for this thing, monetization is a high priority wherever you can find it. To that end, Audiovox is lending a helping hand with a new receiver launching later this year that'll plug into most in-car video systems and deliver MediaFLO programming straight to your back seat, your front seat, or whatever bizarre place (engine compartment, maybe?) you've mounted a display. We weren't terribly impressed with the video quality; generally speaking, DVD is probably the better entertainment option here, but if live shows are a must-have for you, this is just about the only cheap, easy way to roll. We're told 10 to 15 channels will be available at launch -- but unfortunately, Audiovox says that neither AT&T's nor Verizon's exclusive channels will be part of the lineup. Pricing hasn't been announced; if we had to guess, we'd figure on something like $20 per month, so you'd better really desperately need blurry TV when the drive gets boring.

The problem with mobile television services -- besides the fact that no one seems to use them, that is -- is that unless you happen to be in Japan or South Korea, very, very few handsets have the hardware necessary to take advantage. Chinese company Permian seems to have it all figured out, though, crafting a nifty dongle that does the heavy lifting of pulling in and tuning a TV signal, streaming the entertainment to a variety of WinMo-based phones over Bluetooth. We don't know what standards the so-called "MOBview" supports, when it'll be available, or how much it'll run, but if AT&T could somehow sell it for $39.99 in stores and recommend it for use with the Fuze, they might just monetize that MediaFLO stuff yet. Follow the break for the video demo of MOBview in action!

[Via pocketnow.com]

Merely weeks after a handful of TV broadcasters voiced their approval of the MPH mobile TV standard, the almighty ATSC has elevated its specification for Mobile Digital Television to Candidate Standard status. Or it will early next week, based on the futuristic December 1st date on the press release. Anywho, the thumbs-up brings the standard one huge step closer to actual implementation in the United States, though a final standard isn't apt to be agreed upon until late next year. Not that the delay is really a problem -- after all, a grand total of 19 people in this great nation even care about TV on the go, right?

[Via mocoNews]

News flash: mobile TV is not enticing. Like, at all. The viability of watching TV on one's handset has been questioned for years, and now we've got the numbers to prove that interest is waning. Recent research has found that mobile TV adoption sits at just 1% now, and interest in all types of mobile TV is just over 50% of what it was in 2006. The report places the blame on "patchy network coverage, limited channel lineup, poor video quality, excessive prices and a penchant among high-end phone users for business handsets rather than video phones," and we'd certainly have a tough time disagreeing. That being the case, it was still found that 15% of those surveyed on the topic would actually enjoy watching recorded TV shows later on their phone, suggesting that a little bit of choice when it comes to content may not be a bad idea. Rest assured, players in this space are already looking at ways to make it happen, and for those with SlingPlayer, you know all too well what we're getting at.

It's possible that MediaFLO hasn't read the writing on the wall, but despite the fact that mobile TV isn't being adopted at a wild rate, the Qualcomm subsidiary is still trying to expand. In fact, a recent report states that MediaFLO is looking to serve 108 markets by the end of 2009, up from 62 markets currently. Speaking to where it hopes to pick up traction, Bob Bradley, MediaFLO USA's Senior Director of Content, stated that MediaFLO is "starting to see success in offering both temporary channels and access to live events." Furthermore, the firm is expected to launch three new channels based around original content, and it's hoping to lure in "well-established Hollywood talent to help develop even more original content." We can't say that all of these ideas have fail written all over them or anything, but we still see a steep, steep road ahead for all mobile TV firms looking to gain popularity, MediaFLO included.

Hunker down and find that tin foil cap, pronto! Privacy advocates, we've a new target for you to bang on: Integrated Media Measurement. The 4,900-person media research company is looking to take advertising measurement to a whole new level (or new low, as it were) by embedding tracking modules within cellphones. In short, the module picks up audio from ads and records information about the exposure; in the future, if you were to purchase whatever product you heard about (like seeing a movie that was plugged), it would register a hit and deem you a sucker. As of now, the only testers with these freaky phones are individuals who signed up for this stuff, but you better believe major marketing firms (and TV / movie studios in particular) are perking their ears up and begging to know more.

[Image courtesy of Corbis, thanks ugotamesij]

Just in time for the run-up to the 2008 Presidential election, MediaFLO has added in a trio of news sources to give you your fix wherever you are. CNBC, MSNBC and FOX News have all been added to the lineup in order to give you varying views on the same topics at hand. Available to Verizon Wireless and AT&T subscribers, the channels will offer simulcast programming in line with what's happening on the tele, though we'd caution you not to watch too much coverage during your morning board meeting.

[Via phonescoop]

Gemstar-Tv Guide has launched a new web-enabled version of its source for all things telly related with M.TVGuide.com. The site offers a 14-day ahead look at all your favorite programming including episode guides, news, recaps, and likely anything else TV-related in the entertainment world -- if you're into that type of thing. If you choose to register with your mobile number, you can then opt in for series and show reminders via text message, and never miss Oprah again. All we need now is for it to talk to our Slingbox and sort out automatically recording anything we forgot to set up on the PVR.

Kinda makes MediaFLO, DVB-H, and the lot all seem like child's play, does it not? 'Course, the proof is in the pudding -- but startup WhereverTV is promising an honest-to-goodness four figures worth of channels delivered to 3G handsets by year's end. PCs eat first (the beta's running now, actually), followed in October by TVs powered by special set-top poxes, but the concept remains the same: pipe stations from around the world over the 'net and pay the bills with ads, meaning users won't pay a red cent for subscriptions out of the gate. Unlike services that have tried this model before and ended up dying slow, painful deaths in the court system, WhereverTV has deals in place for everything that it's planning to broadcast, so it's on considerably more stable legal footing. The company's primarily looking to target ex-pats in the US, but until we find ourselves a cable service that's gonna give us 1,200 channels to Sling, we think it may have a few native users on its hands, too.

[Via picturephoning.com]