Some people are getting their kickers twisted over the Zune’s apparent lack of WiFi connectivity.
The Gremlin can access 2 million digital tracks directly using their built-in WiFi. But (apparently) The Zune can’t. It’s limited to file transfers between devices.
Or so they say. It doesn’t make much sense.
Downloading files directly from a MediaCenter or the internet would benefit everyone - it seems inevitable. But what if Zune is really a wolf in sheep’s clothing. What if it’s really a Mobile TV platform.
Live, streaming video requires a sustainable throughput around 300 kbits/s for 240×320 video, something cellular networks can’t economically deliver.
Mobile TV, using DVB-H or MediaFLO, can deliver high-quality TV to a moving vehicle. The economics of broadcast MobileTV are also better. Unlike cellular, it can deliver the same signal to millions of users simultaneously. A 30 Gig HD can store hours of videos and podcasts. A personal TiVo.
The MediaFLO spec requires a CDMA network to authenticate subscribers but the DVB-H spec doesn’t. And FLO doesn’t do WindowsMedia. So there you are; Zune — or something like it — will be a DVB-H device.
No question about it.
Microsoft will want a standalone player. That means they’ll go with Modeo (at 1.7 GHz) and/or HiWire (at 700 MHz). Fox/DirecTV may like 1.7 GHz Modeo for a different reason — it’s near the Mobile Satellite frequencies, the next sweet spot after AWS. A commitment by Cingular and Sprint to Modeo (and later HiWire) could follow. With Murdoch in, it could be a serious play. Apple could make it a home run.
Decoupling the mobile TV player from a cellular provider is the key. Tying MediaFLO to CDMA cellular service is beginning to look like a bad idea. Verizon.
I’m just speculating. Stay tuned for the real deal.
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