FLO TV brings TV on the go – keeps kids quiet during long drives

by Scott Carmichael on

I’ve been following the mobile TV market for some time now – I have a particular interest in this stuff, as it means the difference between 4 hours of “I Spy” or 4 hours of listening to my own music while the back seat passenger listens to Dora.

FLO TV has been available through mobile operators for some time now, but today, Qualcomm has announced the FLO TV personal television – a true portable TV solution.

The FLO TV itself is a $249.99 3.5 inch touch screen TV, with a built in kickstand and speaker. Browsing channels appears to be pretty easy, and the channel lineup includes content from MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, CNN and more.

Sadly, TV on the road does not come cheap – all this entertainment will cost you $8.99/month. In the fine print, you’ll find that the $8.99/month price is only valid on a three year prepaid plan.

The FLO TV personal television will be available later this year, just in time for the holiday season. If you can’t wait, you can get FLO TV on selected AT&T and Verizon devices, check this page for more information.

(Via: Engadget)

AT&T Cruisecast brings live satellite TV to your family truckster

by Scott Carmichael on

Last week, Annie wrote about AT&T’s new mobile TV service. While that is a fantastic service for people who don’t mind watching their favorite shows on a small screen, it isn’t really suitable if you need to keep your kids entertained on a cross country trip.

If you want real TV in the back of your car, then AT&T has something else cool for you – the service is called Cruisecast, and offers nationwide live satellite TV.

Unlike other mobile satellite TV services, Cruisecast only needs a small antenna to pick up the signal. The channel lineup offers 22 TV and 20 radio channels.

Included in the lineup is of course everything you need to keep kids happy – including 2 Disney channels, Nickelodeon (and their toddler version, Noggin), Discovery Kids and Cartoon Network. Adults will appreciate access to ESPN Mobile, NFL Mobile, USA Network, SCIFI and more.

There is good news and bad news about the service – the good news is that all these channels only cost $28 per month, the bad news is that the equipment will cost you $1299 plus installation costs. That said – a comparable satellite based system retails for about $2400. Of course, you’ll need to add the cost of TV screens if your vehicle is not yet equipped with them.

Alternatively, you could always tell the kids to “shut up and play I Spy”, just like my parents made me do when I sat in the back of the car.