Kirk's Technology Blog

At&t officially launches it's new mobile TV service on May 1st, it's available on May 4th. It uses MediaFLO technology which means there is a separate network devoted entirely to the TV signal. At&t, like Verizon, built a new network on top of their existing network. Salt Lake City is one of 58 markets where this service is being launched. I got to demo the new service and so far, I'm impressed. Verizon launched a similar service and a similar TV network last year. The at&t lineup includes offerings from many major networks including Fox (10 mobile stations in all). There are 2 phones available that support the service, the LG Vu and the Samsung Access. I got my hands on the LG Vu, check out the video below. The service will cost $13 for basic access (only 4 channels), $15 for unlimited access to all channels and $30 for unlimited access to Mobile TV and unlimited mobile web access.

The quality of the video is very good. If you're in an area where you don't get many "bars," you may start to see some digital breakup. There's an antenna that sticks out of the top of the phone to improve reception but it can be pushed back when when you're not using the TV service. The channel selection is good but I'd like to see more channels and more live networks instead of the re-purposed programming.

Official Press Release From at&t

Check out our sneak peek of the new service!