Flo TV is a portable handheld device for viewing live TV channels / 09.10.2009 05:11

The possibility to view live TV shows on a pocket-size handheld device that has large touch screen sounds like an excellent idea. Or does it? Let's find out because Qualcomm has introduced a product called Flo TV which is a dedicated device for watching live TV programming on the go.

The Flo TV has built-in digital TV receiver. It is not, however, the same digital TV signal it can receive that you are watching on your living room TV. No, mobile devices like mobile phones and multimedia players that are powered by batteries use a digital TV technology that's specifically designed for power-restricted mobile devices that also can be moved around without losing the TV signal. Two mobile TV technologies, MediaFlo and DVB-H, are competing for the dominant market position. The thing is that mobile TV technology requires not only new hardware to the receiving mobile device, but it also requires the broadcaster to build a whole new network infrastructure specifically for mobile TV. So, the cost is stellar for deploying mobile TV in large scale using either MediaFlo or DVB-H. MediaFlo technology has been developed by Qualcomm and deployed in the US, while DVB-H is an international standard used in many other parts of the world.

The Flo TV device is built on MediaFlo digital TV technology which currently means it can be used only in the US. The device has 3.5-inch touch screen that lets you access menus and channels simply with a swipe of a finger (check out the video below). Battery life allows viewing about 5 hours of live TV. Stereo speakers are built-in. It is possible to set reminders to alert on the start times of favorite programs. The unit dimensios are 4.4 inches by 3 inches by 0.5 inches. It weighs about 5 ounces.

The Flo TV device can be purchased for about $250, but you also have to subscribe to $8.99/month service. You may have already paid for the same channels for yor home TV, but if you want to see them on your Flo TV, you have to pay once more.

We don't know about you but we don't expect to find the Flo TV product in our pocket. First, the signal coverage is an issue. The signal range of mobile TV is shorter than the broadcast signal for home TV. Second, for heavy TV watchers, there are already smartphones (in Europe and in Asia, at least) that come with mobile TV receiver hardware. Third, for occasional TV viewers, many mobile operators offer live TV via their 3G mobile networks. Fourth, we don't want to carry, worry about, and recharge yet another device. Fifth, thanks, but we are already paying enough for our TV shows.