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Apple iTunes Store<br />
$2 for TV shows, $10–15 for<br />
movies • apple.com<br />
Want to watch more than YouTube<br />
videos on your iPhone? The iTunes<br />
Store has a vast array of TV shows,<br />
though movie selection is limited.<br />
Some forethought is involved,<br />
since you have to buy, download,<br />
then sync. But that means video<br />
playback is <strong>sm</strong>oother, too.<br />
AT&T Cellular Video<br />
$20 per month • wireless.att.com<br />
AT&T has HBO exclusives like Big<br />
Love and Entourage. But you get<br />
mostly clips, and it costs $5 extra<br />
a month. You can also watch live TV,<br />
like Animal Planet and Bravo ($10<br />
monthly through MobiTV). Shows<br />
usually stream fine, but at times<br />
they putter along looking pixelated<br />
or even vanish for a few seconds.<br />
Sprint TV<br />
$15–20 per month • sprint.com<br />
Smooth playback, loads o’ content.<br />
It’s a TV addict’s dream. We enjoyed<br />
full episodes of Lost, then tuned to<br />
simulcasts (via MobiTV) of Planet<br />
Earth and History Channel fare. But<br />
the various subscription levels are<br />
confusing, as is the video interface,<br />
and some channels cost extra.<br />
Verizon V Cast<br />
Mobile TV<br />
$15 per month, per service •<br />
verizonwireless.com<br />
Verizon makes up for its paltry eight<br />
live-TV channels with a tidy grid<br />
interface and crisp picture (when<br />
you can get reception, that is). The<br />
live service is limited to certain<br />
cities, but those in Peoria can still<br />
watch on-demand news, talk shows,<br />
comedy, and other clips via V Cast<br />
Videos ($25 for both services).<br />
Mobile Phones<br />
Burning Question:<br />
What’s the<br />
Best Mobile<br />
Video Service?<br />
D<br />
read that long, tedious commute each day? Tune<br />
in to your cell phone. Taking advantage of faster networks<br />
and fancier handsets, mobile video plans are<br />
serving up more quality content than ever.<br />
For most people, the main option is to subscribe<br />
to your carrier’s mobile video service. If you have an<br />
iPhone, you can buy TV episodes or movies over the<br />
Internet—no subscription required, and you own the<br />
content. The hassle is that you must download shows<br />
from the iTunes Store on your computer, then sync<br />
them to your iPhone. With a mobile service, you can<br />
watch on a whim—videos are streamed over the air.<br />
Of the major carriers, T-Mobile is the only one currently lacking a video service.<br />
If you want to channel surf on AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon Wireless, you’ll need to buy<br />
a compatible phone and shell out monthly access fees ranging from $15 to $25. (The<br />
difference is due to premium channels, which often cost extra.)<br />
There are two types of programming: live and on-demand. With live TV, you can<br />
tune in just as you would at home, though sometimes on a program schedule that’s<br />
different from what you’re used to. Carriers tend to offer the same channels: Comedy<br />
Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and the major networks. AT&T and Sprint have a greater<br />
selection but focus more on cable fare. Sprint streams MSNBC, TLC, and Discovery;<br />
AT&T airs HBO Mobile plus additional channels through MobiTV. Though Verizon<br />
gives you fewer choices, it does broadcast primetime shows like CSI: Miami and Bones<br />
(but only clips from ABC and CNN).<br />
On-demand programming consists mainly of video snippets—comedy, sports, music<br />
videos. The exception is Sprint, which serves up full episodes of ABC faves, including<br />
Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, and Desperate Housewives, whenever you want.<br />
So is the video actually watchable? It varies. Sprint and Verizon generally have the<br />
best quality, thanks to their widespread 3G networks. “On average, you can expect 10<br />
to 20 frames a second,” says Lewis Ward, research manager for IDC mobile consumer<br />
services. Verizon’s live TV service boasts even faster frame rates, “typically 20 to 30<br />
frames,” Ward says. But the service is still getting off the ground and available only in<br />
certain areas, like New York City, Los Angeles, and … Spokane, Washington. AT&T’s video<br />
playback is decent if you can get a strong 3G signal, but coverage is spottier.<br />
Cell phones will never displace your 50-inch pla<strong>sm</strong>a, but they’ll entertain on the go.<br />
And the experience will keep improving. Picture quality will progress, streaming will<br />
become more instantaneous, and “subscription fees should come down to about five to<br />
seven bucks,” Ward predicts. Until then, mobile video is a splurge, to be sure. But that’s<br />
the price you pay for keeping boredom at bay on the bus. —grace aquino<br />
WIRED TEST<br />
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