Review: Virgin Mobile Lobster 700TV phone

Late in 2005, we took a look at Vodafone's Mobile TV service that streamed Sky TV channels over the 3G network.

Virgin Mobile TV differs from this in that it receives broadcasts over the DAB network – the big advantage of this being that you're not clocking up huge data downloads while viewing.

The service is actually powered by BT's Movio technology, which you can read more about in our news story .

The first phone from Virgin to support its Mobile TV service is the Lobster 700TV. It's a Windows Mobile powered phone and, thanks to its curvy design, sits reasonably comfortably in the hand.

TV is accessed either via the menu system or dedicated TV button on the right side of the phone; the headset must be connected while watching TV since it acts as an aerial.

The channel line-up is, at present, limited to just BBC One, ITV1, Channel 4 and E4. Although BBC One, ITV1 and E4 are all simultaneous broadcasts of what you get on a standard TV, Channel 4 is actually just a collection of short clips made specifically for mobile TV. Some shows also can't be shown due to licensing restrictions.

Quality is, as you'd expect, nothing like what you get via Freeview on a standard TV. Both audio and video is heavily compressed and frequently out of sync. If you're standing still in a high reception area it's perfectly watchable, but sit on a moving train or in a car and you'll soon find quality drops and the video stream will regularly cut out all together.

Over 50 DAB radio stations are also available and, when in a decent reception area, audio quality is good.

Although you can just about cope listening to the radio when it's dropping in and out of reception, when it comes to watching TV this sort of intermittent service isn't an enjoyable experience.

We tried the Mobile TV service in various locations. In central London it was possible to pick up a good signal in most areas (even deep within our offices). Moving outside the M25 towards Gatwick Airport resulted in poorer reception and many areas where there was no reception at all.

When you start adding services such as video to a phone, the impact it has on battery life will always be a concern. However, we had the TV going solidly for over two hours before the battery died, which isn't at all bad. Vodafone claims a talk time of five hours and a standby time of just under six days.

Pricing is reasonable with the Lobster 700TV available free from Virgin Mobile with various contracts starting at £25 per month; if you're willing to part with £39.99 at the start of your contract you'll be able to take advantage of slightly lower monthly charges.

Access to the Mobile TV service will remain free for the duration of your contract.

Other features on the phone include a 1.3-megapixel camera and all the various Windows Moible calendar, calculator and organiser apps.

As you'll read in our comment piece on the PCW Test Bed blog, the question has to be asked as to whether mobile TV is a service people actually want. It will undoubtedly get better as time goes on, and Virgin's use of DAB instead of 3G is a good move, but with the current limited crop of channels, poor quality and reception issues, it's difficult to recommend at present.

Also consider:
Vodafone Mobile TV
Stream Sky channels direct to your mobile via 3G

All mobile phone reviews

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