This year's CES hasn't even officially begun yet, and Verizon Wireless has already made what might be the biggest wireless announcement of the show. The operator just unveiled V Cast Mobile TV, a new multicast video service that's powered by Qualcomm's new MediaFlo network.
Set to launch sometime in the first quarter, V Cast Mobile TV will offer video that looks to easily surpass the choppy, blocky video clips currently available on Verizon's V Cast service or Sprint TV. Rather than pulling down 15 frame-per-second video via the 3G EV-DO network, V Cast Mobile TV pushes multiple channels simultaneously to MediaFlo-enabled phones. Changing channels will take about two to three seconds, versus the cumbersome process of selecting video clips on the existing V Cast Video service and waiting up to 30 seconds for video buffering. Best of all, the video itself will run at about 30 frames per second, comparable to broadcast TV.
The new service will debut with a handful of broadcast and cable TV networks, including CBS, Comedy Central, Fox, MTV, NBC, and Nikelodeon. Users will be able to dial up shows on an electronic programming grid and search by keyword, and parental controls will also be available.
The initial V Cast Mobile TV phone lineup will include the Samsung SCH-U620 slider and the LG VX9400, a handset with a good-sized spinning display. Verizon Wireless didn't release pricing details for the two phones, nor did it reveal pricing for the upcoming mobile TV service plans. V Cast Mobile TV will be available in "major U.S. markets" within the next couple of months, according to the carrier.
Stay tuned for our hands-on impressions of Verizon's new TV service from the show floor in Las Vegas.
Verizon Wireless V Cast Mobile TV phones
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