Virgin Mobile to cancel video service?

[Stuart]

Seems all you Lobster owners are going to lose your video service in January.

This is mainly as a result of BT Movio not renewing their contract with Gcap Media (who actually own the rights to use the frequency used).

What apparently hasn't helped is the fact that Movio uses DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) on the DAB network for broadcasting, but the EU has recently endorsed DVB-H as a transmission standard, in preference to DMB.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07..._mobile_video/

Virgin would not comment on the reason they are ending the contract six months early (Movio's contract lasts until the end of june), but lack of subscribers is likely to be one reason.

[m419]

Well since Virgin Mobile is a virtual network using T-Mobile, they could easily sell T-Mobile's service without gaining any revenue. This arrangement could be made simply to keep customers happy until Virgin find an alternative solution.

This is currently the situation with Carphone warehouse's Fresh Mobile and Mobile World's WAP and GPRS service, T-Mobile supplies the service,carphone warehouse charges the customer for the services but has to pass on all revenue to T-Mobile.

[Stuart]

Virgin Mobile's video service is not run over any mobile phone network. It currently uses DMB, which is broadcast over the DAB network on Gcap Media's multiplex.

[Willc0]

Another reason was the fact the handset... the Lobster 700TV was/is shockingly poor!
I bought one, and it went back under the 28day deal.

[m419]

Is it possible to use 3G services from Virgin if the phone was orginally on the 3 network?

Thats if it is unlocked.

[WillPS]

I'm amazed at the Lobster in honesty!

I paid £22.99 for mine, and I'm really happy with it! The buttons take a bit of getting used to but now I swear by them.

Yes, it's a big(ish) phone but that really doesn't bother me.

The killer app for me isn't the TV (although I really enjoy it and will miss it) but the Windows Mobile functionality. I've never had a phone that syncronises so seamlessly with my computer - it's fantastic.

A smartphone for under £100 is unheard of.

A phone with full bluetooth functionality for under £40 is almost unheard of aswell.

For me, it represents fantastic value for money.

But anyway, it's sad that the plug is being pulled on this service now. I figured it'd only be a stop gap between now and analogue switch off (when frequencies for DVB-M transmissions will become available). I guess only Oxford will enjoy mobile TV until around 2012 then.

[caph]

Originally Posted by Willc0

Another reason was the fact the handset... the Lobster 700TV was/is shockingly poor!
I bought one, and it went back under the 28day deal.

I picked one up for 40 quid. It's got the best reception of any mobile I've had. It's got a MicroSD slot so I've got virtually all my music collection on it inlcuding WMA DRM protected music. I can listen to DAB radio on it, which is extra useful now that Radio 5 Live have rights to every premiership match. It's a full WM5 device on which I've currently got a Spectrum emulator with 4500 games. The 1.3MP camera is fairly decent. I've tried the latest Blackberry Pearl and it doesn't come anywhere close.

Purely out of interest, why did you send it back?

[Willc0]

Originally Posted by caph

Purely out of interest, why did you send it back?

Funnily it had the worse reception on any phone I'd had, and It kept crashing!
Sounds like... either you got a good one, or I got a bad one!

Still no loss I got my money back under the 28 day thing.... and I went back to my Nokia 6020!