Around the Net
Make Way For Mobile TV
- All Things Digital, Monday, January 9, 2012 11:52 AM
Are U.S. consumers ready for mobile TV? Regardless, MetroPCS recently said it expects to be the first U.S. carrier to offer smartphones with the built-in ability to receive Dyle’s mobile TV service. Then, this weekend, accessory maker Belkin said plans to make add-ons for smartphones that will let many existing devices get the service.
“The real question is whether the market really cares,” writes AllThingsD. “Though watching TV on cellphones is wildly popular in Korea, attempts at mobile TV in the U.S. have either been met with lukewarm success (think MobiTV) or have flopped completely (think Qualcomm’s now-shuttered Flo service).” Either way, MCV -- the coalition of broadcasters and networks behind Dyle -- will be excited to learn that consumers can use their existing devices to access mobile TV.
“Belkin isn’t saying just when the devices will be out or which smartphones will be supported, but a close look at the prototype it is showing off at CES this week will show a very iOS-like 30-pin connector, making Apple’s iPhone a very logical bet,” AllThingsD adds.
