#200357 - 04/17/10 02:10 PM
Should all cell phones have TV?
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Veteran
Registered: 12/12/04
Posts: 1204
Loc: Nottingham, UK
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According to Ars Technica, a former NBC News vice president wants the US government to require all cell phones to have a TV tuner, to receive emergency broadcasts when a disaster brings down the phone network. It's worth reading the comments on the article. Obviously, an FM/AM radio would make more sense, being cheaper and needing less battery power, and TV pictures being of dubious value on a phone screen anyway. However, it's nice to see them thinking about disaster communications. Some of the comments talk about alternative systems, and some recount experiences of TV during hurricanes.
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Quality is addictive.
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#200362 - 04/17/10 03:38 PM
Re: Should all cell phones have TV?
[Re: Brangdon]
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Old Hand
Registered: 03/03/09
Posts: 745
Loc: NC
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Well, I guess they would have to get me a cell phone first for me to benefit from this retarded idea designed to sell more advertising for the faltering over the air networks.
"But officer, I wasn't texting, I was watching Katie/Diane/Brian on the evening news!"
I have a radio, it works fine. Waste of money if you ask me.
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#200363 - 04/17/10 04:29 PM
Re: Should all cell phones have TV?
[Re: Brangdon]
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Pooh-Bah
Registered: 09/15/05
Posts: 2485
Loc: California
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While I do agree that, at least in the US, local TV often has better and more timely news coverage than local radio stations, you have to wonder at least a little about the conflict of interest--a former TV executive wanting every cell phone to have TV.
Maybe it's different in tornado or hurricane prone areas, but I have long been disappointed here in California by the total lack of use of the NOAA All-hazards radio network for anything beyond weather forecasts/warnings. The technology already exists for timely and geographically relevant broadcasts by using NOAA's SAME technology, but it's pretty wasted here, it seems.
An interesting idea that has been around a while is building in some sort of "mesh networking" ability in all cell phones for sending/receiving text messages during emergencies. If a cell tower signal is not available, the phone goes into a store-forward mode to pass the message to another nearby cell phone user in an ad hoc arrangement. I'm sure that there are algorithms out there that would optimize the forwarding "direction" but the point is that the message would get passed phone-to-phone until a cell tower is finally reached. Obviously, there are issues like battery life or what happens when you have a stadium full of people when the power goes out and their phones are madly passing messages amongst each other, but I'm sure it could be worked around.
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#200366 - 04/17/10 04:36 PM
Re: Should all cell phones have TV?
[Re: Arney]
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Geezer
Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
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"...this retarded idea designed to sell more advertising for the faltering over the air networks." Hey, guess what? "Multiple patents have been awarded Wolzien (starting with 5,761,606) for his interactive television inventions linking mass media and the web. He continues as an active inventor." http://www.wolzien.net/3.htmlThink there might be a connection? Sue
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#200384 - 04/17/10 10:20 PM
Re: Should all cell phones have TV?
[Re: Susan]
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Pooh-Bah
Registered: 09/01/07
Posts: 2432
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Great idea, brilliant, instead of being run off the road by some airhead debating J-Lo's hair color or sexting we can throw in a bunch of people driving while watching Glen Beck Vap-o-rub himself into a ranting/crying fit. Fleeing suspects could catch themselves on TV and mug for the cameras. You could watch and be in an episode of "COPs" in real time. Sort of an the full immersion video game experience. Yes, that will certainly make the roads safer.
Well, at least everyone will have something to do while waiting for the EMTs to arrive.
Instead of TV, or even normal radio, how about a EBS, Emergency Broadcast System, or NWS, National Weather System, alert receiver. I'm not saying it is a good idea but emergency alert activation is a established technology and, free of commercial and personal use, could provide some useful information.
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#200392 - 04/18/10 07:34 AM
Re: Should all cell phones have TV?
[Re: Brangdon]
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Addict
Registered: 09/13/07
Posts: 449
Loc: Texas
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...a former NBC News vice president...
Obviously, an FM/AM radio would make more sense...
No, radio does not make more sense to a TV executive. I think my cell-phone already has FM reception capability though I've never tried it.
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#200409 - 04/18/10 01:30 PM
Re: Should all cell phones have TV?
[Re: James_Van_Artsdalen]
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Veteran
Registered: 12/12/04
Posts: 1204
Loc: Nottingham, UK
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My phone has FM; it's part of the reason I upgraded. I'm not going to carry a separate radio but I do take my phone everywhere. Unfortunately you also need to carry headphones because it uses the lead as an aerial.
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Quality is addictive.
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#200421 - 04/18/10 02:56 PM
Re: Should all cell phones have TV?
[Re: Brangdon]
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Old Hand
Registered: 02/05/10
Posts: 776
Loc: Northern IL
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To me it would be really nice if my cell phone also had:
am/fm receiver NOAA receiver flashlight
Some cell phones come with an LED that can be used as a flash for taking pictures, but it seems like no one thought that same LED might be useful as a light.
More than once I have used the back light on my cell phone as a flashlight. Its not a good substitute but it is something.
I suspect the main reason cell phones don't have am/fm is because it would detract from the services the cell companies charge you $5 a month each for.
With digital TV one would think it would not be real hard to add a digital TV receiver to a standard cell phone, but I am not real sure how many people would find it useful on such a small screen.
_________________________
Warning - I am not an expert on anything having to do with this forum, but that won't stop me from saying what I think. Bob
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#200431 - 04/18/10 04:54 PM
Re: Should all cell phones have TV?
[Re: ILBob]
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Old Hand
Registered: 06/03/09
Posts: 982
Loc: Norway
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Some cell phones come with an LED that can be used as a flash for taking pictures, but it seems like no one thought that same LED might be useful as a light.
My old sony ericsson w810 had exactly that... very handy (although I always have flashlights nearby). It had a FM radio, too. Too bad I killed it bashing around in the snow with a non-sealed hip holster and then making phone calls with wet gloves... IMO, a web browser is a very useful feature for the phone. Lots of services have a version tailored for display on small cell phones. Lots of resources have been pouring into making those small web browsers capable of digesting "big screen" stuff and display it in a manner readable at a small screen, but the size limitations are hard to come around. TV? I've heard it is a big hit in Japan. Me, I couldn't care less ... I've got FM radio and a web browser. I'm happy with that.
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