From Camera Phone Zone I found a review by Time magazine of the LG V8000 camera/video phone.
It's one of three phones (see below) that are available for Verizon Wireless' new V Cast video service over the cellular operator's 1xEV-DO network.
Wilson Rothman writes in Time that he generally likes the handset, although it doesn't like the camera capabilities. He says the 1.3 megapixel camera "is a disaapointment."
V Cast is pretty good
He likes the V Cast videos, in general, saying, "Click on a link, like NBC Mobile's two-minute-and-twenty-second News Update, and just 20 seconds later you're watching an anchorman read the day's headlines at a tolerably smooth 15 frames per second."
The V Cast video clips use Microsoft's Windows Media Format software on the handsets, either archived or in a streaming media format. The transmission takes 30 seconds or less, and sometimes the video is a bit shaky or choppy.
Generally worth the cost
V Cast cost $15 per month and Rothman says "it actually over-delivers, for the money." The service includes news, sports, weather and entertainment videos, plus clips from such sources as Comedy Central, Sesame Street and Fox Television.
However, Rothman doesn't like the quality of the performers on the music videos. He characterizes them second-string (or worse) performers rather than well known musicians.
Overall, he likes the handset, noting, "It handles the videos and the games surprisingly well, and both spoken word and music come through its single speaker clearly.
"I wish it had Bluetooth capability for a wireless headset in the car (something I have trouble living without), and speaker-independent voice dialing for hands-free operation."
In conclusion
Rothman concludes, "It's exciting to stare directly into the future. That's what V CAST phones are -- the first portable electronic devices capable of breaking our reliance on cable TV or rich-media websites, and it goes even further.
"Someday soon, when Verizon launches a streaming stereo music service, even the iPod, that pocket-size king of the media mountain, could be rendered passé."
As I have written -- and will continue to write -- I am cautiously optimistic about the success of archived and streaming videos and TV-like and TV programs for cellular phones.
In the United States, Sprint PCS has pioneered TV-like broadcasts to cellular phones through MobiTV. Verizon's V Cast is another step in the right direction.
[Verizon plans to run a 60-second commercial about V Cast during the Super Bowl this Sunday, according to The Wall Street Journal.]
Comments