Qualcomm Plans To Shut Down Flo-TV (Oct 5, 2010)

Motley Fool: Qualcomm Reportedly Moving to Close Flo TV Operation

Commentary: I can see why it failed. Nobody wants to pay $15 to watch reruns of Flo on 15 channels! (RIMSHOT!)

Seriously, this device, which is used to transmit video and data to portable devices such as mobile phones and personal televisions, used for mobile television, would have been more successful if it were a free service since the cable channels it carried had advertisers.

The way this device was marketed and modeled, it was doomed for failure as people are paying enough money already to upgrade their TV sets to digital broadcast reception, replacing their analog portable TV sets with digital ones that have a hard time picking up digital channels, and higher fees for cable TV subscription.

The last thing they needed was another pay TV service.

The best thing for this device? It's easy. Make it an easier way for people on the go to watch their local TV stations.

Digital TV signals are difficult enough to pick up as they are today. Reception is best if the receiver is within 5-10 miles of the digital transmitter.

Flo TV should have been engineered to relay all of the local TV stations' signals for free. All of the local San Diego-based TV stations, plus a few select ones from Tijuana such as affilliates of CW, MNT, and Telemundo (all American-based networks with Mexican-owned TV station affilliates) are relayed on Flo TV.

FLO is transmitted by a network of high-power broadcast transmitters operating at effective radiated powers as high as 50 kilowatts. This allows for a coverage area of a transmitter to be as large as 30 to 40 kilometres (19 to 25 mi). This would make it easier for people to watch their TV shows on their local stations as they travel around the city. Compared with a TV station's lone transmitter whose reception is iffy and suitable only for home reception, Flo TV should have been used as a portable TV device for people on the go.

Sure, Flo TV's resolution is small, but for people on the go, what really matters is that they are able to catch up on some of the local news, sports, stories, and more as most don't care about resolution issues for portable devices.

What will happen to channel 55 is anyone's guess. I prefer that something is done to turn what's left of Flo TV into a local broadcast TV relay service and use the Flo TV devices already made to receive the local TV stations for no charge on the consumer.

Once a the base for Flo TV (or whatever name it may use) reaches critical mass, then they can introduce subscription pay channels that are preferably different in programming format than those offered by local cable or satellite services. They would feature only first-run TV series made for cable, major sporting events, cable news, and children's programming.

It's too bad Flo TV didn't do their model right. Now those Flo TV devices will join the trash heap of useless devices in the white elephant universe.

What a sorry waste of technology!