Mobile TV

[TVCOOL]

I wondered since most smart phones have a FM tuner app would they release future smartphones with a Local TV App to recieve local over the air TV stations as well?

 

[KeithE4]

I wondered since most smart phones have a FM tuner app would they release future smartphones with a Local TV App to recieve local over the air TV stations as well?

Not practical. There isn't enough room for a VHF antenna (who wants a rod antenna sticking out of a smartphone?), and a built-in UHF antenna wouldn't be directive enough to keep the picture from going out due to phasing issues (which caused ghosts in the old analog world, but kill digital TV even with a strong signal).

 

[Yeziknoradio]

It's available in Canada... ("Watch CTV and CTV2 live"...)

----> http://mobiletv.bell.ca/en/app.php

 

[w9wi]

I wondered since most smart phones have a FM tuner app would they release future smartphones with a Local TV App to recieve local over the air TV stations as well?

Not practical. There isn't enough room for a VHF antenna (who wants a rod antenna sticking out of a smartphone?), and a built-in UHF antenna wouldn't be directive enough to keep the picture from going out due to phasing issues (which caused ghosts in the old analog world, but kill digital TV even with a strong signal).

Someone thinks it would work, as we have a LG phone with a M/H TV tuner in it. I will admit I don't think anyone here has charged it & tried to use the thing.

Yezikno: that Bell page is talking about streaming CTV & CTV2 over your wireless data plan & the Bell cellphone towers. TVCOOL is talking about receiving the OTA broadcasts on the phone. (the Bell thing won't deliver CBC or Global or anything else, even in cities like Toronto where those stations are available in digital OTA)

The best information I have is that there are three stations in Canada running mobile DTV:

- Radio-Canada (ch. 25) Toronto
- CBC (ch. 6) Montreal
- CTV (ch. 13) Kitchener

 

[JeeperOne]

I wondered since most smart phones have a FM tuner app would they release future smartphones with a Local TV App to recieve local over the air TV stations as well?

Not practical. There isn't enough room for a VHF antenna (who wants a rod antenna sticking out of a smartphone?), and a built-in UHF antenna wouldn't be directive enough to keep the picture from going out due to phasing issues (which caused ghosts in the old analog world, but kill digital TV even with a strong signal).

Not only that but why not just simply download the iHeartRadio, Radio.com & TuneIn apps & listen to radio that way? As for TV, there's the WatchESPN app which Disney will eventually adapt to stream some of their other networks or maybe even just an ABC News channel like ESPN3 & other networks will try to duplicate on their own for their own use

Given all this, why would you wanna go back? *Perplexed & Puzzled Look*

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[Yeziknoradio]

(the Bell thing won't deliver CBC or Global or anything else, even in cities like Toronto where those stations are available in digital OTA)

A mostly valid point, but Bell IS offering CBC news network. It's strictly the CBC news channel though, not CBC itself.

----> http://mobiletv.bell.ca/en/whats-on.php

 

[w9wi]

For that matter, you can stream CBC shows directly off the CBC website, and although I haven't tried doing so with my phone, I'd assume it would work.

But really what I was getting at was that we were talking about a different delivery technology, not so much about the content.

And to Pat's point, the advantage of OTA reception is that it doesn't use any of your data plan. If you only view TV on your phone occasionally (or if you're lucky enough to still have an unlimited data plan) it probably doesn't matter. If you watch a lot, it may save you from one of those nightmare bills full of data overages.

 

[ansky212]

It would probably chew through your phone's battery in about 5 minutes...

 

[arnoldevns]

Let's clarify something: most DTV broadcasts are nearly useless in a mobile setting. That's why they have come up with a special format for mobile TV via DTV signals. There's something called Dyle TV that has signed up a bunch of broadcasters to offer mobile versions of their channels over part of their DTV signal. (www.dyle.tv) It is built in to some cell phone models and I believe they have an add on device/app that you can put on your cell phone to get the broadcasts. It too is somewhat limited in its ability to get signals.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Let's clarify something: most DTV broadcasts are nearly useless in a mobile setting. That's why they have come up with a special format for mobile TV via DTV signals. There's something called Dyle TV that has signed up a bunch of broadcasters to offer mobile versions of their channels over part of their DTV signal. (www.dyle.tv) It is built in to some cell phone models and I believe they have an add on device/app that you can put on your cell phone to get the broadcasts. It too is somewhat limited in its ability to get signals.

I was going to mention this. My NBC station, owned by Belo, advertises this.

And I seem to be the only one contributing to what Wikipedia has to say about this type of technology. Someone actually deleted my work saying Mobile DTV had been a failure. I put it back saying that wasn't for him/her to judge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_televsion#Digital_TV

As you can tell, I'm behind, but one fo these days I'll put up the Dyle information.