REVIEW: AT&T Mobility’s video service provides quality offerings at steep price

Editor’s Note: Welcome to Yay or Nay, a feature for RCR Wireless News’ new weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. Every week we’ll review a new wireless application or service from the user’s point of view, with the goal of highlighting what works and what doesn’t in the mobile content industry. If you wish to submit your application or service for review, please contact us at rcrwebhelp@crain.com.
Application: AT&T Mobility’s Cellular Video
Running on: Moto Razr2 with AT&T Mobility service
Yay: One-touch access to a wide range of video content
Nay: Video quality can be a little hard to watch sometimes, and beware if you move out of 3G coverage. It’s also pricey.
We say: AT&T Mobility’s Cellular Video service offers a wide range of video content that nearly justifies its steep entry fee.
Along with the roll out of its high-speed 3G network, AT&T Mobility has ventured into the mobile video space with its Cellular Video service, previously known as Cingular Video. The offering supplies a broad depth of content including video clips from staple providers like CNN, ESPN and MTV, as well as an exclusive deal with HBO to provide access to the cable channel’s content.
The service is relatively easy to initiate, though users are prompted to sign up for the carrier’s Media Max package that provides unlimited access to Cellular Video as well as general Web browsing for $20 per month. The base fee provides access to a number of channels, with additional content, including HBO content, available for an additional monthly fee.
Accessing the service couldn’t be easier as AT&T Mobility placed a “CV” hard key on the Razr2, which when pressed takes you right to the CV homepage. Users can edit the homepage, placing their favorite shows at the top, or they can be lazy and just scroll down the page to find what they are looking for.
Once a video was selected the service required a couple of seconds to load, showing a “buffering” bar at the bottom of the screen. Videos were given about half of the screen to play in, though the service does have the option to play the clips in landscape mode that then uses the whole screen. There was generally no difference in picture quality between the two modes, despite doubling the picture size.
Video quality looked the same whether used in EDGE or 3G coverage, with the only difference being more buffering issues when outside of 3G coverage. A 3-minute clip over EDGE would generally buffer at least once and occasionally several times, while 3G coverage essentially eliminated buffering.
As an aside, AT&T Mobility does not appear to edit any of the “adult” language in its videos; there was no editing on “Flight of the Conchords” on HBO Mobile, but there seemed to be more “bleeps” during “South Park” on Comedy Central. Go figure.
The service ran over the Razr2’s stereo Bluetooth, allowing me to look ultra-cool wearing a stereo Bluetooth headset while using the service.
Overall the service seemed to provide what it advertised. If a consumer is already signed up to AT&T Mobility’s Media Max package there is very little incremental cost to using Cellular Video; otherwise you may want to gauge how interested you are in watching video clips on a small screen before forking out the required dough.