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Network Neutrality, Slingbox, Mobile Phone Video
Slingbox unveils TV on your phone software
Slingbox is unveiling software at CES that allows users to view their home TV service, via broadband, on any wirelessly-enabled Windows Mobile smartphone or handheld computer. Ovum correctly points out that if successful, the launch could really sour wireless provider mobile video plans. Will wireless providers face the same kind of network neutrality (throttling competing apps) debate raging elsewhere? This all assumes people want to watch video on their phone, of course.
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FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Tech is interesting; but who wants TV on a phone??

The technology here is interesting, but who wants to watch remote TV over a phone?? While this would offer little competition to the mobile phone operators, the idea of non-stop traffic on their bandwidth limited infrastructure means that the wireless companies will look for a way to shut off this type of traffic. Net neutrality be damned.
moonpuppy (banned)
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

moonpuppy (banned)

Member

Re: Tech is interesting; but who wants TV on a phone??

said by FFH5:

The technology here is interesting, but who wants to watch remote TV over a phone?? While this would offer little competition to the mobile phone operators, the idea of non-stop traffic on their bandwidth limited infrastructure means that the wireless companies will look for a way to shut off this type of traffic. Net neutrality be damned.
You'd be surprised what kids and 20-something adults buy for their cell phones; ring-tones, wallpapers, exclusive content.

TechyDad
Premium Member
join:2001-07-13
USA

1 recommendation

TechyDad

Premium Member

Re: Tech is interesting; but who wants TV on a phone??

Yup. Ringtones are big sellers apparently. When I got a new phone, I was asked what I wanted my cell phone to do. I answered "Call people." I wound up getting a 1.3 Megapixel camera phone with video and an MP3 player simply because Verizon was giving me a $100 instant savings on it (for fulfilling my past contract) and the mail-in rebate rendered the phone free.

I looked at buying ringtones, but then found out that buying a simple cable (cost: $7) and using BitPIM (»www.bitpim.org/ - Cost $0), I could upload any MP3 file to my phone and use it as a ringtone. Add in the ability to use Audacity to rip audio from DVD movies to MP3 and now any CD or DVD in my collection is possible ringtone material.

djrobx
Premium Member
join:2000-05-31
Reno, NV

djrobx

Premium Member

Re: Tech is interesting; but who wants TV on a phone??

I'm surprised you could do that with a Verizon phone, they're notorious for locking you out of features they otherwise charge for.

I could see watching TV on my phone. I always have my cell phone on me, so it'd be something to do when I'm stuck waiting. Its no different from me using the wireless internet like I do now to read news stories.

a
@stuy.edu

a to TechyDad

Anon

to TechyDad

Re: Tech is interesting; but who wants TV on a pho

Where to get this cable?
moonpuppy (banned)
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

moonpuppy (banned)

Member

Re: Tech is interesting; but who wants TV on a pho

www.howardforums.com (for the know-how and if it can be done)

www.ebay.com (for the cable)

TechyDad
Premium Member
join:2001-07-13
USA

TechyDad to a

Premium Member

to a
I purchased it on eBay from iTrimming. (He also operates iTrimming.com.) Auction price actually wound up being $0.01 with $6.99 shipping. Of course, do your research online first to see if BitPIM will work with your phone and what issues there may be. To start you out, check this website and see if your phone is listed: »www.bitpim.org/testhelp

tapeloop
Not bad at all, really.
Premium Member
join:2004-06-27
Airstrip One

tapeloop to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5

TV on a phone? Why not?

said by FFH5:

The technology here is interesting, but who wants to watch remote TV over a phone??
Sports fans come to mind. After missing some exciting bowl games over the last few days, I almost wish that I was able to watch them over phone or PDA...

Kids on long trips too. Since the trend lately "seems to be sedate the little ones with video" (LCD screens in the SUV, anyone?), it's seems readonable that someone would offer a vector for live TV as well as DVDs.
While this would offer little competition to the mobile phone operators, the idea of non-stop traffic on their bandwidth limited infrastructure means that the wireless companies will look for a way to shut off this type of traffic. Net neutrality be damned.
No surprise there. VZ already restricts their "unlimited" EVDO service. Who's to think that they'll allow streaming video over their networks, especially since it's a service in direct competition to their anemic VCast offering?

oroper
Patriots Rule
join:2004-06-01
Beverly, MA

1 edit

oroper to FFH5

Member

to FFH5

Re: Tech is interesting; but who wants TV on a phone??

I thought they would not be using the "Wireless Company's" bandwidth, but rather a Wifi cxxn?

Edit: nvm....they didn't specify just generalised.

If indeed it uses the high speed options the wireless companies are offering, then I can see them throttling etc etc.

Anonuser
join:2003-01-03
Milwaukee, WI

Anonuser to FFH5

Member

to FFH5
I would, I like to watch on my laptop everywhere. At applebees resturaunt, i had about 10 people watchin my laptop during Trump's season finalie!

Cant wait til the PDA Software is out!

CPM
Broadband, DSL, cable
join:2001-08-24
Denver, CO

CPM

Member

Re: Tech is interesting; but who wants TV on a phone??

well if it comes out on pda. There will not be 10 people watching your small pda.

Kompressor
Premium Member
join:2002-02-12
Huntington Beach, CA

1 recommendation

Kompressor to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5
Who wouldn't want a TV on a phone? Last I checked, everyone watches TV.

Imagine, being out in the wilderness taking in natures beauty, and then suddenly whipping out your cell phone to watch a TV show. That would be awesome! You can probably scare away a bear with it too! Save your life!

dadkins
Can you do Blu?
MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA

dadkins

MVM

Re: Tech is interesting; but who wants TV on a phone??

said by Kompressor:

... You can probably scare away a bear with it too! Save your life!
Just pull up ANY Reality TV show... bear would die!

TechyDad
Premium Member
join:2001-07-13
USA

TechyDad

Premium Member

Re: Tech is interesting; but who wants TV on a phone??

You'd want to be careful about doing that. The bear might figure that *you* are watching said reality TV show and decide to put you out of your misery.

packetscan
Premium Member
join:2004-10-19
Bridgeport, CT

packetscan to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5
They can offer me TV on my phone but i can't view my own content over my connection?

Sounds like Ma bell saying you can only use their telephones on there network ( as most of us know this was policy until they were forced to stop). Mean while jacking up the price 1000 percent.

This is Exactly why we need Net neutrality.

If you want to offer a product great.. But don't you dare prevent me from using a competitors product, ( as an example if vongo has/will phone compatible services).
bob000001
join:2004-02-20
Bellingham, WA

2 edits

bob000001

Member

Who wants to watch video on their phone?

I don't.

I suppose it would be a neeto-keen geaky thing to show off to your friends (oooo my phone can play videos) but the phones I have looked at lately leave me laughing. Yeah, I want to watch a music video on a on a device that has 1.5 inch square screen and the sound quality of a cell phone... NOT

johnt82
join:2002-09-13
Richmond, VA

johnt82

Member

It can be a fun time killer....

I use Orb right now to stream video and music files from my desktop to my PPC6700. While I don't use this service daily - it has been a nice little time killer while waiting on food at a resturant, on break at work, etc. I am not certain about watching a full show - but 10 or 15 minutes here and there is fine. The display in landscape mode is good enough to watch (the same as the old Sony Watchmen) - and with a headset the sound quality is ok.

It is still more of a neato factor then an everday application - and since the Orb service is free I use it. If there were a monthly fee - or the need to purchase additional equipment, I don't think it is really worth the money. But as technology advances - I am sure someone will justify having it.
mglunt
join:2001-09-10
Fredericksburg, VA

mglunt

Member

Slingbox for sports


I pay $200 a year now to watch the Steelers here in Va. It would be very easy for me to spend the money on the Slingbox and hook it up to my parents' TV in Pa. A one time expense to see the games vs a yearly expense of approx. the same amount.

johnt82
join:2002-09-13
Richmond, VA

johnt82

Member

Re: Slingbox for sports

I was trying to find a Steelers feed for my fiance when they aren't shown here locally. No such luck - and I don't think she want's to pay the $ 200 per month.

didn't think about the slingbox aspect. Not a bad idea. I will have to think about that.

RadioDoc

join:2000-05-11
La Grange, IL

RadioDoc

I'm still waiting for cell phones that...

...reliably make phone calls.

Slingbox is a neat toy, but it's just that: A toy. They're sitting gathering dust in most retail outlets, next to the MSNTv boxes. Nobody really cares.

Jpattiso
join:2001-05-02
Tenafly, NJ

Jpattiso

Member

Re: I'm still waiting for cell phones that...

I love my slingbox. I travel on business, so the ability to catch up on my Tivo when I am stuck at the airport or hotel is great.

I also have friends who have vacation homes out of town and use slingbox to watch local sports from their home TV.

I think the ability to watch on a Treo will be great! Just think of everyone who takes public transportation, so much for just reading a book.
moonpuppy (banned)
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

moonpuppy (banned) to RadioDoc

Member

to RadioDoc
said by RadioDoc:

...reliably make phone calls.
Picky picky picky. :D:D
said by RadioDoc:

Slingbox is a neat toy, but it's just that: A toy. They're sitting gathering dust in most retail outlets, next to the MSNTv boxes. Nobody really cares.
For the $249 price I saw in BestBuys, it can stay there even though it would be a great thing to play with.

RadioDoc

join:2000-05-11
La Grange, IL

RadioDoc

Re: I'm still waiting for cell phones that...

Maybe when I win the lottery....:D

ArunF
@sub-70-209-238.myvzw

ArunF to RadioDoc

Anon

to RadioDoc
you are clueless. the slingbox was one of the hottest selling products during the holiday season.

RadioDoc

join:2000-05-11
La Grange, IL

RadioDoc

Re: I'm still waiting for cell phones that...

Not around here. They're gathering dust. Literally.

You must have investments with the company.

WaxPhoto
Premium Member
join:2004-04-08
Fort Wayne, IN

WaxPhoto

Premium Member

WooHoo!

Bring on the Place Shifting!

jgkolt
Premium Member
join:2004-02-21
Avon, OH

jgkolt

Premium Member

Re: WooHoo!

i would actually love it. i have been testing orb, but the slingbox may be more compatible. maybe cheaper? can only hope

G_Poobah
join:2004-01-17
Schenectady, NY

G_Poobah

Member

So, if slingbox is legal, so is place shifting?

Take the slingbox. It does nothing except place-shift your tv watching. Take the Tivo, it does nothing except time-shift your tv watching.

Why is it then, that merging both of them is supposedly 'illegal'. ReplayTV had that ability 5 years ago (time-shift and place-shift), and got sued out of existence. (I love my replayTv still, but it doesn't hold a candle next to my custom myth-tv boxes now).

The MPAA is currently letting this slide because the unit has limited appeal at the moment. Once it becomes too popular, they will sick their lawyers on it.

Think about the perfect service you could offer. It's got a network connection, TV out, 200GB hard drive, Linux, DVD Recorder, and a custom Myth-tv, all for about 250.00.

Now a 15.00 monthly subscription, where you give me your cable lineup, and which shows you want. I'll RSS feed the torrent files for the TV shows you want, for the 15.00/month. And you'll never miss a show, and you can even go back and get older shows/entire seasons/DVD quality HDTV versions/Divx Versions, etc. You could download the Divx version for regular viewing the same night, commercial free, and at the end of the season, you could download the DVD menu created version, and burn your TV shows to a DVD.

Taken as separate items, not ONCE SINGLE THING I listed is illegal. It's a slingbox (space shifted to a central server you rented), Time shifted (automatic recording setup), Recording to DVD (fair use rights), commercial skipping (automatic time shifting), torrent trading (legal backup of tv show you were allowed to record).

However, put them all together, and make it easy to use, and the MPAA would have an aneurysm. And not because of the legal issues, but because they would loose control. And THAT (control) is what it's all about, not the money, not the technology, just preventing you, the customer, from watching TV the way you want to watch TV.
plattypus1
join:2005-04-08
Riverside, CA

plattypus1

Member

Re: So, if slingbox is legal, so is place shifting

Sure it's about the money! They aren't political tyrants. They don't want to control your TV just to control your TV and laugh about it. If they thought they could make money on all of this stuff, they would do it. The point is that they're too short-sighted to see anything that beats the revenue potential of the current broadcast TV model. If they thought they could charge a $2/month slingbox tax, a $5/month TiVo tax, sell recording rights for a $3/month subscription, and charge for every torrent you downloaded, they'd do it.

That'd still be evil, but it would take the lawyers out of the loop.

Oh, and back on topic, I'd love to watch my TV via cellular phone. I take the bus a lot. Trust me, when you're sitting next to the guy with a spoon on his head reading Hitler comics (not exaggeration, happened to my wife and I on our anniversary), you want as many distractions as possible.

calvoiper
join:2003-03-31
Belvedere Tiburon, CA

calvoiper

Member

Ovum's point on the economics is key....

The Ovum reference is interesting. If the wireless networks get clogged with user traffic that doesn't have a big content-driven profit margin for the network, pricing models may have to go up to support the network overbuilding necessary to support the traffic.

Increased charges for broadband capacity or some sort of "per bit" based pricing may move into the market.

calvoiper

flyguy42
join:2003-11-29
Gilbert, AZ

flyguy42

Member

Its cool

My friend has this software on his PocketPC (Sprint/Verizon 6700 with EVDO) and he was watching a football game on it. It looked pretty good. Good framerates too. It wasnt silky smooth, but even for fast action you could follow it and tell what is going on. I imagine it would look even better if you were connected via Wi-Fi, or watching a show instead of sports. Anyways, that software would give me a better reason to buy a slingbox.