NBC TV shows on cell phones

Are we ready for full length TV shows on cell phones? — If you watch a lot of mobile video over 3G, you’ll probably say heck no. Well, it’s coming anyway — NBC Universal and MobiTV say they’ll be offering full-length prime time shows on-demand over wireless networks.

That means if you really must watch shows like The Office, Monk, Heroes, or Battlestar Galactica, on the go on a mobile device, then you’ll likely have to pay a fee starting at $1.99 to view ‘em within a 24-hour period. Some of the shows like Friday Night Lights will be offered for free with ads. I’m not sure I want to pay for anything that is free and looks a lot better on my TV. Though some of these shows do have a hard core enough following that some viewers might want to shell out those prices to get a 24-hour mobile window.

The companies don’t say much about what wireless networks the content will run over or which carriers will offer what. But offering full-length shows on mobile is an interesting move because current mobile video content is largely made up by short clips. Clips are better suited for small screens and limited cellular bandwidth. Hence why we’re also a bit skeptical of how full-length shows on mobile will fare.