The new Pay-Per-Day access only raises the same question. It will be nice to only pay for service when you need it, but then your watching whatever already time-shifted program is on at that time as FLO TV does not actually broadcast live television signal at the same time it normally airs.

With the upcoming release of a multitude of free over-the-air ATSC-M/H products and increased station availability FLO TV must continue to think out of the box to retain subscriptions. While this is a move in the right direction it certainly does not make up for that magic word… FREE.

Compatible devices include the iPhone 3G and 3GS, third-generation iPod Touch, BlackBerry phones with Wi-Fi, and Windows PCs. The Tivit has a built-in, 3 hour rechargeable battery.

A similar version of the Tivit is already available in Japan which is why you can already find references to the Tivit iPhone app.

Watch live mobile TV on an iPhone

By installing dedicated application software, “Tivit Mobile TV Viewer” on yoursmart phone or PC, you can watch Mobile Digital TV channels from Tivit through a Wi-Fi connection on your smart phone or PC.

Watch live mobile TV programs anywhere, anytime! You don’t have to sit and wait to watch your favorite TV programs or sporting events in front of the TV at home anymore. Tivit enables you to enjoy live TV programs from anywhere, at anytime. Now you can watch live mobile TV programs on the smart phone or PC with Tivit.

Provides Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) Information

Tivit provides a Mobile DTV channel list that is currently available and also provides detailed information of TV programs. You can select a desired TV program with the channel, program title and broadcasting time and view detail information of the program.

Firmware Updater

Firmware upgrading can enhance system stability after the purchase. If you install a dedicated client application (Firmware Updater) that can be used for upgrading firmware, you can upgrade the newest firmware of Tivit by yourself.

The Tivet can also be used as a battery for your iPhone!

Article Source: http://www.ezdigitaltv.com/The_Tivit.html

The ability to access TV on a smartphone, laptop or in a car will provide “a renaissance for over-the-air broadcast TV,” Wharton says (

The DTV Mobile technology – stations have installed equipment at a cost of as much as $150,000 – allows for new portable televisions, as well as smartphones and laptops with special adapters, to receive the new digital TV signals. The new devices, becoming available in April, include a TV-DVD player from LG; a palm-sized device from Valups which retransmits a mobile signal to a smartphone or iPod via Wi-Fi; PC dongles and set-top boxes for cars from iMovee; and an iPhone/iPod mobile TV cradle from Cydle, The New York Times reports.

The potential for mobile TV for broadcasters is that it would increase viewership from an on-the-go audience – TV viewing has slipped 25% in the last 10 years – and allow them to charge more for ads. And if mobile TV takes off among viewers, broadcasters could add specialty channels such as sports and weather, creating new advertising opportunities.

Mobile TV Vs. FLO

Mobile TV, known for now by the clunky name ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) Mobile DTV Standard, could prove to be a challenge to FLO TV, Qualcomm’s subscription service that offers programming from the Big 4 broadcast nets as well as Comedy Central, ESPN and others. FLO TV is available via a compatible smartphone or a special receiver; users pay $150 a year for a subscription to the service.

FLO TV believes it will be able to sell its services as an add-on to mobile TV. “There could be a ‘Best of FLO TV Channel’ that we’d sell bundled with free digital channels,” Alice Kim, svp of strategy, is quoted as saying.

FLO TV Enhancements Unveiled

Qualcomm unveiled new mobile TV apps for smart books this week in a move that will improve the viewing experience, the company says. The apps marry video with features such as Twitter feeds, news updates or sports statistics, the San Diego Union Tribune reports. For example, a viewer could watch a sporting event while simultaneously receive real-time stats and communicating with other sports fans.

Other smart-book applications include a real-time web feed, personalized by location, which offers local news, traffic and weather.

TV for Cell Phones: Yea or Nay?

Wall Street has been slow to get excited about FLO TV for cell phones, in part because it is hampered by the price, as consumers seem hesitant to shell out money for the pricey subscription fee.

Another obstacle is the small phone screen. Qualcomm is attempting to solve that problem by making the service available on a broader range of devices, like the FLO-powered handheld it announced last fall.

But the broadcasters behind digital mobile TV are not convinced the small screen of a cell phone is a turn-off, and are eager to see their service developed for cell phones. Samsung Electronics is currently testing mobile TV in a modified cell phone to discover whether the technology offers a strong business case for wireless carriers.

Article Source: http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/entry/48879/mobile-tv-debuts-in-april-with-30-broadcast-stations/

“Younger generations want programming on the go,” said Dennis Wharton, a spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters. “To access TV on a cellphone, on a laptop or in the car is a game changer for local broadcasters. It will provide a renaissance for over-the-air broadcast TV.”

If enough people watch using the mobile TV technology, known, for lack of a more marketable name, as “ATSC Mobile DTV Standard,” local stations will be able to charge more for commercials and increase their revenue.

Getting a signal on a portable TV was not always a challenge. When analog television was the nation’s standard, a small set could pick up a signal at the ballpark, at the beach or in the car, though viewers often put up with a fuzzy, ghost-filled image.

But digital TV, the standard that went into effect last year, was developed for stationary televisions.

The mobile devices must catch a special signal, a slice of the broadcast frequency, and software processes it to display a clear picture on the go.

The technology will be used on new portable televisions with up to 10-inch screens, and smartphones and laptops with special adapters will also receive the signals. The devices must be within about 60 miles of a broadcast tower for a picture as clear as the television at home.

The first devices will become available in April. They include a $249 TV-DVD player from LG; a $120 device the size of a cigarette box from Valups, a Korean set-top box maker, that retransmits a mobile signal to an iPhone, iPod or BlackBerry over Wi-Fi; PC dongles and set-top boxes for automobiles from iMovee; and a $149 iPhone/iPod mobile TV cradle from Cydle.

Once the signals are switched on and the devices gain in popularity, broadcasters may add specialty channels like sports and weather, offering more revenue opportunities.

The Mobile DTV standard also allows for two-way communication. When viewing an ad, a viewer may push a button to see more information or have it sent by e-mail. The system can also be used for voting, polling and audience measurement.

Mobile TV devices with GPS function could also feed location-specific ads so that, for example, an ad for a restaurant would appear only to someone nearby.

If Mobile DTV proves popular, it could threaten FLO TV, a subscription service developed by Qualcomm that offers programming from the four major commercial broadcast networks and Comedy Central, ESPN and others. To watch, subscribers must buy a $200 receiver or a compatible smartphone and pay $150 for a year’s subscription, or $200 for two years.

“Free mobile digital TV will be devastating to what is already a very small market for FLO TV,” said Richard Doherty, an analyst with the Envisioneering Group.

But FLO TV does not see it that way. It expects to sell its services as a premium add-on, much the way that consumers watch free TV and pay for cable services.

“There could be a ‘Best of FLO TV Channel’ that we’d sell bundled with free digital channels,” said Alice Kim, the company’s senior vice president of strategy.

Because FLO is aimed at the smartphone market, the broadcasters behind the mobile DTV effort are eager to see their service developed for cellphones, too. Samsung Electronics, one of the world’s largest makers of cellphones, is testing mobile TV in a modified Moment cellphone model to learn if the technology is a good business opportunity for wireless carriers.

“People don’t want to carry a separate video player,” said John Godfrey, vice president for government and public affairs at Samsung Electronics. “A mobile phone is the one essential device for consumers.”

Source: NYTimes http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/15/business/media/15mobile.html?scp=1&sq=mobile%20dtv&st=cse