Virgin Mobile's Lobster - clawing at your free time, but not pinching your wallet...


Unlike other mobile TV services we’ve seen, Virgin’s clever system doesn’t actually use the mobile network to get its pictures, instead it piggybacks them on DAB radio signals – a much more stable system.It also means the phone can pick up digital radio, shoehorning up to 50 channels into your pocket in addition to those crisp, block-free pictures.Only one handset supports the service at the moment, dubbed the Lobster 700 it’s far from skinny, but considering the amount of clever technology crammed inside we can overlook its slightly bulky frame.See, as well as radio and TV, it’ll do proper red-button interactivity, and even packs a seven-day electronic programme guide (EPG).Running Microsoft Windows Mobile it’s also capable of the usual smartphone wizardry, and it won’t cost the earth either.Available from 1 October, the TV phone and service will be offered free, as long as you shell out £25 or more each month on a contract. At the moment only BBC One, ITV1, Channel 4 and E4 are confirmed, but we're sure much more channels will follow soon.Pre-pay telly fans aren’t left out, but it’ll cost just under £200 for the handset and a fiver a month for the bulk of TV services.We’ve already clapped eyes on the phone in pre-production, and were thoroughly impressed. A final version is winging its way over to us now, so keep it here for a proper hands-on as soon as the postman turns up.

Thanks T3

__________________

The 'service' might be free, but from what I can tell reading the network doc's and talking to a guy I know who works for one of the company's thier going to be changing you for the amount of data you use !!

This could end up costing a stack. And remeber that the UK gov say you have to have a licence to watch TV on your phone (although how their going to check this ? Unless when you subscribe the network tells them the same way when you used to buy a TV the shop had to have you fill in a form which they sent to TV licencing !!).