VCast, Watching TV on a phone, good or bad idea?

Michael

Hello,

To show off EVDO, Verizon is selling VCAST, which allows you to watch music videos, weather report, news, movie previews on your cell phone.

I really love EVDO when using it with your laptop or PocketPC. It really makes sense. I just don't get the watching videos on your tiny cell phone. Yes, it seems cool to demo and it shows off EVDO technology, but are consumers really going to pay monthly for this and are they going to pay month after month?

To me, it seems like an incredible waste of bandwidth that is shared amongst all EVDO users (VCAST uses BroadbandAccess). If there are 50 people watching music videos on the EVDO tower that I am using, my bandwidth is going to be less. It seems that if this takes off, performance for those using laptops and Pocket PCs will suffer.

I would love to hear what others think about this (both sides). I would especially like to hear what people are using this for, maybe you can change my mind Smile

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Dog-One · Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2005 5:34 pm Post subject:

I suspect using a tower nearby a school where the kiddies are all watching their favorite music videos would be a bad choice; especially if you have a large PowerPoint presentation that you're downloading that's due to be shown within the next 30 minutes. Smile

It's been mentioned someplace that the carriers make a good chunk of change from the private users buying optional services. The business users tend to negotiate a fixed contract. Therefore, the business users become the carriers' bread-n-butter and the private users, the gravy. Not real sure who the meat-n-potatoes are, but I suspect many of them frequent this forum. Smile

netops1 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 26 Jul 2005 Posts: 8 Location: SoCal

I never thought I would be one to pay for VCAST. After using it for a month now, it does come in handy for the DMV/Dentist appointments/staff meetings etc ...I am sure some of the novellty will wear off but for now I like it.

My VX8000's screen is large enough to enjoy from an arms length and the speakerphone is pretty good. Even though I get it for free I probably would subscribe if I didn't.

Capacity isn't even close to being an issue from what have seen. I can count on one hand how many times I have seen more than 3 or 4 connections across all 3 sectors on a BTS. Each sector can handle 30 calls as currently configured.

I am sure as demand increases throughput would drop but it's more like a standing inline thing and waiting your turn so speeds wouldn't go down all that much during a download. The time it takes to get your turn would increase?

Not sure if that makes sense. Now ... if VCAST offered adult content?

Michael · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 9:02 pm Post subject:

It sounds like Verizon is looking to move VCAST off the EVDO network and have a real live new broadcast quality TV to Cell phones. This is great news and it sounds like it may be a measure to free up bandwidth.

Michael · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 9:09 am Post subject:

On my quest to free up EVDO bandwidth, I found an interesting article that stated, 3G networks (EVDO) will hit capacity by 2007, if only 40 percent of users consume only eight minutes of video per day (this is a UK web site, but the information applies world wide) So, it seems that Verizon's apparent plan to get VCast off EVDO is a SMART decision. Looks like Mediaflow is another technology that could help.

Read full article: Video Killed the 3G Star
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Michael · Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2005 10:51 pm Post subject:

I purchased a new RAZR V3C and have been playing and it is an impressive phone. I really don't like the idea of VCAST, but I got it, so I can do some testing.

The content is weak and the quality is low. I will have to see in real world situations, if it comes in handy or not.

The interesting test that I did, was to do some benchmarks with my KPC650 card and then start streaming VCAST on the phone and then rerun the tests. My tests are not scientific and the conclusions may be incorrect, BUT, I did see a slowdown from my KPC650 in my laptop while streaming a VCAST on the phone. I will do some more tests and see if the same thing happens.

As someone pointed out in a different thread, it is ironic that Verizon allows video streaming to a phone, but doesn't allow via Terms of Service (TOS) streaming to a laptop.

The phone user is paying $15 and gets unlimited streaming. The laptop user is paying $60 - $80 and they are not suppose to do any streaming (it isn't blocked, and it does work). How much sense does that make?

Of course, Sprint doesn't have these same restrictions in their Terms of Service. I cannot imagine that Verizon will update their TOS sometime in 2006 - they have to.
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