There are several web TV clients for Windows Mobile available at the moment, but given the quality of Spb’s other products does their new IP-TV client Spb TV improve on competitive products?
Quality Streaming
After all, surely a Web TV client for any platform – not just Windows Mobile – is nothing more than an interface to some streaming media that can be picked up via some pre-packaged applications that ship with your WinMo phone?
Where Spb TV succeeds however is in the quality of the channels that are streamed, the functionality of the software and the options available; Spb TV succeeds because of the superior presentation that permeates the product.
There is little or no interruption to the streamed feed of any of the 70 available channels. Given that the producers of other IP-TV clients often produce choppy or distorted feeds, it is possible that Spb are running the feeds via their own servers – either that or their developers understand the Windows Mobile platform between than others.
Download Trial or Purchase
Spb TV can be downloaded from SpbSoftwareHouse.com as either a trial or a full download for $14.95 (around £9.99 or €11) and is compatible with Windows Mobile devices from Windows Mobile 5 up to 6.1.
The downloaded CAB file is 5MB in size, and installs to a size of 4MB on your Windows Mobile device. As the installer is a CAB file installation can only be performed on your Windows Mobile device, so copy it across to your handset via USB cable or your connection of choice or download it directly to your handset, then browse to the installer file and select it to run.
Spb TV Wow!
TV Guide
Once installed, Spb TV will download a list of channels on its first run, and these can be accessed in turn via the finger-friendly menu across the bottom of the display. A TV Guide displays the currently selected channel schedule while a preview of the channel is shown at the top of the display.
Selecting a channel to view results in a change of orientation for your Windows Mobile device as Spb TV utilises the full capabilities of your handsets display, offering a full view of the streamed channel of choice.
Among the available channels are Fox 5, Sky News, Weather Plus, France 24 and countless others from around the world. Spb TV adds to this basic TV client functionality with integration with Outlook, allowing you to set reminders for broadcasts you don’t want to miss, not to mention volume and brightness controls, support for changes in network bandwidth and even a superb picture-in-picture feature.
| Polished Product | Rating  |
Spb TV raises the bar for Windows Mobile IP-TV/web TV clients. Sure, you have to pay for it, but it's a quality, polished product, and you really do get what you pay for.
If you’re planning on using any IP-TV solution, Spb TV should be top of your list, and with a free trial available there is no reason not to try before you buy.