http://mobile.engadget.com/2009/06/10/flo-tv-to-add-39-markets-following-dtv-transition/ Engadget Mobile Comments for FLO TV to add 39 markets following DTV transition http://mobile.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://mobile.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://mobile.engadget.com/2009/06/10/flo-tv-to-add-39-markets-following-dtv-transition/http://mobile.engadget.com/2009/06/10/flo-tv-to-add-39-markets-following-dtv-transition/Jun 10th 2009 8:58PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2009/06/10/flo-tv-to-add-39-markets-following-dtv-transition/http://mobile.engadget.com/2009/06/10/flo-tv-to-add-39-markets-following-dtv-transition/
http://www.switched.com/2009/04/20/washington-d-c-first-to-get-free-mobile-tv/

FloTV, as I understand it, is an attempt to provide some "premium channels" behind a paywall like CNN. How useful it is is open to question. In the short term, ATSC is poorly oriented towards mobile devices.

In the medium and longer term, I expect ATSC receiver technology to improve, and it to become easier and easier to make low power HD MPEG2 decoders, eliminating the need to have a "special" version of ATSC. At the same time, license holders will make more use of their digital subchannel capabilities which means a greater choice of free TV options. Right now, in my area, before the switch, I have:

- The major networks, plus ION and MyNetworkTV
- The CW (Lifetime/WE wannabe)
- PBS's Knowledge and Create channels
- Qubo (Nickelodeon wannabe)
- RTN (reruns of old TV shows)
- Two news and weather stations from NBC and ABC.
- Two spanish language entertainment stations
(Plus six billion religious channels, but let's ignore those for now.)

Missing right now? A national news station (though we'd expect anything big to be on the NBC/ABC news and weather stations), a classic movies channel, and a home shopping channel. We did have the latter at one point but it's been off air for a while. As for the others, the current news and weather stations strike me as prime candidates to be turned into national stations, and RTN suggests a classic movies station wouldn't be unlikely to happen. And, hey, as it's DTV and there's no good reason not to be, maybe it could be widescreen.

I think Qualcomm will milk FloTV for a few years, but it's not got long, and the future is free.
]]>Jun 11th 2009 7:54AMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2009/06/10/flo-tv-to-add-39-markets-following-dtv-transition/http://mobile.engadget.com/2009/06/10/flo-tv-to-add-39-markets-following-dtv-transition/Jun 10th 2009 10:49PM