Items tagged with flo tv
Mobile fanatics may remember a time when mobile TV had a chance in America. And those who blinked probably don't remember anything of the sort. America never has been much on mobile TV -- perhaps our lifestyles are just too crazy for long-term viewing on a mobile device, but the spectrum used for Qualcomm's short-lived FLO TV service is certainly valued. And AT&T, just days after calling it quits with their proposed T-Mobile USA acquisition, wants it. The carrier that gets slammed on a seemingly weekly basis for not ever having enough capacity in major urban areas has just wrapped up a purchase of wireless spectrum from Qualcomm. AT&T purchased 700 MHz spectrum licenses covering more...
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A couple of months ago, FLO TV announced that they were pulling the plug on their standalone mobile TV efforts in America. After marketing like crazy, they simply weren't able to attract the kind of consumer adoption needed to keep things running. It was also reported that Qualcomm, who owned FLO TV, was considering everything, even down to selling the spectrum needed to broadcast the content. And now, that's exactly what they've done. AT&T, America's largest GSM carrier, has just announced their intentions to purchase the FLO TV spectrum, which is located in the Lower 700MHz frequency band. This spectrum is primed for use in 4G/LTE expansion in the years ahead, so it's no surprise that the...
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It's always sad to see a startup, or a good idea, go belly-up. But in this high-pace world of technological innovation, it happens more often than not. It's tough to gain traction in today's world, with one thing after another begging for consumer dollars. Such was the case with Qualcomm's FLO TV. It launched with a huge marketing push, and in theory, the idea was sound. People love television, and people are constantly on the move. So it made sense to think that people may enjoy TV on the go. But the problems were numerous. For one, people didn't seem interested in buying a dedicated portable television. It's one extra device to carry around, and many smartphones these days already have access...
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And just like that, FLO TV is dead. You may not even remember the name if you weren't paying close attention to Qualcomm's rollout last year, but now it matters now. The direct-consumer portable TV service has been axed by parent company Qualcomm, and while the reasons aren't detailed, it's not hard to imagine why. America has never really embraced dedicated mobile TV devices; some people are embracing mobile TV on smartphones considering that they already own the device, but by and large, texting and calling keeps us occupied enough on the go. And when that's not enough, Angry Birds for iPhone keeps us entertained on subway rides. Qualcomm has this week released a statement that essentially...
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In general, mobile TV has had a difficult time gaining ground in America. FLO TV has been one of the primary companies out there trying to get people hooked, but based on the small amount of compatible devices out there, we're guessing that it hasn't been a huge home run. But that could be because most devices thus far have been for watching TV only. It's tough to imagine too many people wanting to buy an extra device solely for watching TV on the go, and even tougher when you figure in the extra monthly cost. But Audiovox has an interesting idea. They're trying to integrate FLO TV into a device that consumers may want already, making FLO TV just the icing on a cake that someone was already going...
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Is the SideKick back? No, not by name, but it definitely is back in spirit. Sharp, which doesn't have a huge amount of phones available for sale in the U.S., is about to get back into the spotlight with the new FX. It's a simply named phone, and it's designed as a "quick messenging" device, but it's capable of much more. It's also the latest AT&T Mobile TV-capable device, complete with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, an MP3 player, 2MP camera (with camcorder) and Bluetooth 2.1. There's also a Web browser, AT&T Navigation, and the ability to watch mobile TV while in a 3G area. The service is provided by FLO TV, which costs $9.99/month and provides access to content from ABC Mobile, Adult...
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Mobile TV in America is still one of those technologies that is either too ahead of its time, or simply unwanted in its current state. Tons of advertising has been done to showcase the tech, but for one reason or another, it's not nearly as popular as one might think. Then again, neither is downloading music directly onto your cellphone. But that's not stopping AT&T from adding another smartphone in an attempt to get people hooked on mobile TV one more time, as the LG Vu Plus has just been announced for America's largest GSM network. The phone is AT&T's newest Mobile TV-capable device, offering HSPA 7.2Mbps high-speed support, a 4-line QWERTY keypad, access to TV content courtesy of FLO...
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Mobile TV is still a growing technology in the U.S. People haven't had time to decide whether or not they're interested, and it's still available in just a few select markets. But to say it's going away anytime soon would probably be taking things too far. FLO TV, by Qualcomm, is pushing itself as the go-to mobile TV technology, and if the Super Bowl commercials didn't convince you, maybe the new innovations will.Announced this week at NAB 2010, Qualcomm stated that they are "working to enhance its mobile TV service with new applications that integrate video with Web-based content and social media tools." It's no surprise to hear of these changes; more and more users are watching content through...
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Mobile TV has had a tough go at it in America. A few of the major carriers offer TV services on select smartphones, but the $10+ per month charge usually turns people off. Amazingly, far smaller of a fight has been put up for the insane rates carriers charge for texting, but we suppose that's the true measure of supply in this whole "supply and demand" thing that our 5th grade teacher attempted to explain to us. Today, the FLO TV Personal Television is hitting retail stores and web sites, though only time will tell how the reaction is. This device is a niche device if there ever were one, as it not only does mobile TV alone, but it's a completely separate device from your phone. In other words,...
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We got a glimpse at FLO TV's future plans at a CES pre-show event in June, and now everything's really coming into focus. FLO TV provides mobile television services for US carriers--you may have heard of it if you have an AT&T smartphone or Sprint TV. But generally speaking, adoption on mobile TV on cellphones has lagged behind in the US, while it's more openly accepted in international destinations. In order to bolster interest in its programming services, the company has now launched a dedicated FLO TV Personal Television that does exactly what you'd think it would. It's a portable TV that tunes into FLO TV programming regardless of where you are in America. Having TV on your person at...
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