Verizon partners with Qualcomm to offer MediaFLO live video

Starting next year, Verizon customers will have a live video feed option in addition to the current selection of prerecorded V-CAST content, due to a partnership with QUALCOMM subsidy MediaFLO. With nationwide licenses for the 700 MHz spectrum, MediaFLO's video service was built to complement existing cell networks, meaning carriers need only include proprietary chips in their handsets. The initial MediaFLO rollout will take place in half of the markets where EV-DO is live, and continue to expand into other areas with BroadbandAccess. So far there is no word on the type or quantity of programming that will be offered, nor is there any indication of what pricing will look like.

[Admiral @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

No thanks...
How about we give out some DVB-H licenses to ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, PBS and all the other network stations so we can benefit from FREE TV on our handhelds, not paid TV...

[Michele Johnson @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I guess it depends on the price.

mj
http://www.junglemungle.com

[DJ @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I guess that will add another 20 bucks to your bill!

[Ben @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

The US doesn't use DVB for its digital TV broadcasts so implementing DVB-H on the same frequencies is impractical. Crown Castle has plans to do a stand-alone DVB-H network on spectrum it owns but it'd never be free.

[Nick D @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Finially they are trying to catch up to Sprit who already offers live TV over their EVDO, I can just image how much verizons is going to cost :-X

[Kevin @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I wonder when Verizon plans to roll out handsets that support this. Any idea as to which handset providers are on board?

[jonny @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I pity any company that has to work with Qualcomm. They're like Microsoft, but evil.

[rob @ Sep 22nd 2007 1:22AM]

Does anyone understand MediaFLO's features? Anyone?

Europe is still scrambling to solve the permanent battery life defect, channel switch times, food-fight of incompatible manufacturer interpretations (just like 802.11n) just for starters.

Qualcomm is bending over backwards to make this fly.

Someone has to build dedicated broadcast facilities across the world for both standards. Only one standard accomodates local channel insertion. DVB-H doesn't.

I don't want to watch the dreck ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX broadcast during the daytime. I want stuff worth watching at noon while I have free time. ESPN, SciFi, FOXNews, FoodNetwork, HGTV.

If you aren't getting DirecTV for free, why are you whining about MediaFLO?

[Ben @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

For a list of potential handset providers you can look at who's members of the FLO Forum - the standards group for the MediaFLO technology: http://www.floforum.org/membership/list.html

Kyocera, LG, Pantech/Curitel, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp

[Frank @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

re: #4 --> In comparison, it's like apples to oranges. Having seen the MediaFLO demo at CTIA, we're talking about QVGA, and 30fps -- lightyears beyond any current service.

re: #5 --> word at CTIA is that they'll launch in whichever cities where they've cleared the spectrum.

re: #6 --> they're definitely in control of quite a bit of assets/patents. (i got a kick out of the EU lawsuits) however, comparing to Micro$oft is low. real low, man. :-)

[Frank @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

oh yeah...and no more "buffering" VCast sucks so bad moving from clip to clip. Hooray for broadcast!! Death to unicast!

[charlie @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I just that pictured phone (the LG VX9800). It actually has been working really well. It comes with a 1 month free trial of VCast, which is otherwise $15/month. I dont understand wtf would pay $15/month for all those crappy 3 minutes video segments. Theres nothing good at all. If anything, the companies (CNN, VH1, ESPN, etc) should be paying Verizon to give us those videos for free (as an advertisement of their service). Otherwise, I'm enjoying the experience. The camera is good for a phone (1.3 megapixel), the MP3 player works reasonably well. My main complaint is that since I have the keyboard, I'm using way too many text messages! I went from using maybe 10 a month on my old regular phone, to probably needing to sign up for the 1000/month package. To be fair, AIM uses up the vast majority of them.