AT&T set to switch on MediaFlo TV in May

After a long delay, the live TV service—which has been available on Verizon Wireless for about a year—is finally on tap for AT&T. That said, excitement over MediaFlo TV has cooled considerably since last year's launch, and it's not hard to see why.

AT&T announced that it will begin offering MediaFlo starting in May, on two upcoming handsets: the LG Vu and the Samsung Access (pictured here). The Access, which comes with a 2.3-inch screen, stereo speakers, stereo Bluetooth (good for wireless headsets), and dual-band CDMA/GSM network access, will be the first of AT&T's MediaFlo phones out of the gates. (No word on pricing yet.)

All well and good, but the buzz surrounding MediaFlo itself, which delivers about 9 channels of live TV on Verizon Wireless (check out my eyes-on impressions), has been pretty weak in the past several months.

Indeed, outside of the wireless industry, I've yet to bump into anyone who actually uses MediaFlo TV, and I live in a MediaFlo market.

Part of the problem is that you can’t access MediaFlo TV on any old handset; you'll need one that's specifically geared toward the service (such as the Moto RIZR Z6tv on Verizon, or the upcoming Access).

Another big problem: MediaFlo was only available in a handful of cities at launch, and by May, it'll still be restricted to just 55 markets, including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Philly, according to Yahoo! News.

And while MediaFlo does an impressive job of serving up live TV channels, you're stuck watching whatever happens to be on at the moment—and while networks such as CBS, NBC, MTV, ESPN, and Comedy Central are signed on, the channels tend to broadcast the same shows over and over (and over). Although the on-demand video clips you can already get on most 3G phones tend to be murky and jittery, at least you can watch what you want, when you want.

Oh, and don't forget price. Verizon Wireless' Mobile TV starts at about $13 a month on top of your regular bill—ouch. No word on AT&T's pricing plans yet.

What do you think about MediaFlo—any AT&T subscribers out there who've been waiting to get access? Or is it just too pricey for what you get?

Related:
AT&T plans MediaFlo mobile TV service for May [Yahoo! News]