REVIEW: Verizon HTC Imagio (Part 2) - Mom, There's Cable on Your Phone!

See that happy child in the photo above? That's my son, who is usually a happy kid, but who is doubly happy since the Verizon HTC Imagio Smartphone has entered his life. He was so wrapped up in the cable TV program that he was watching on the ride home in the car, that I had to raise my voice to get his attention to take this photo.

In Part 1 of my review, I told you about how the HTC Imagio compared to other Windows smartphones that I have owned. Now I want to tell you all about the features that made my son happy -VCast TV and VCast Videos.

VCast TV is made up of a large number of mobile TV stations including:
. CBS
. FOX
. NBC
. MSNBC
. COMEDY NETWORK
. ESPN
. CNBC
. DISNEY
. NICK
. TLC
. MTV
. HISPANIC TV

VCAST Videos are episodes from network and cable TV shows including:
. NCIS
. The Office
. 30 Rock
. Grey's Anatomy
. Hanna Montana
. Jonas
. 24
. Sonny with a Chance

There is basically a TV show for every type and age of person. My son was in love with everything on the Disney Channel and Nick. He also got into watching the news - which is something that he does not normally watch.

Easy to Use and a Beautiful Picture!
The Verizon VCAST TV and Videos are easy to use. There is a button on the bottom front of the phone just for this feature. I just gave my son the phone and he figured out how to use everything on this own. So the old saying of "so easy a kid can use it" really does apply. The picture quality of the VCAST TV is wonderful - clear and bright. And you don't have to hold the phone to watch TV because there is a kick stand on the back that allows the unit to stand on a table at the perfect viewing angle. Changing channels is quick by just flicking your thumb across the screen. The HTC Imagio has a standard headphone jack so you can listen to your TV shows in private with your regular headphones.

TV Anywhere Can Really Come in Handy with Kids!
The VCAST TV on the Verizon HTC Imagio came in real handy over the Easter break. My son stayed a few days with my parents while I was at work. My parents do not have cable and my son was in cable withdrawal after the first day at my parents' house. So I let him keep the HTC Imagio and his cable problems were solved. I also let him and his cousins watch VCAST TV on Easter Sunday when they all became bored. All of a sudden there was silence as the kids started watching the Disney Channel. You could see the wheels of their brains turning as they tried to figure out how they were watching TV on a phone - priceless!


Verizon VCAST TV runs about $15 a month on top of your normal phone service charges so you need to decide if this feature is something you will use often enough where the price is not an extravagance.

Next Up - Watch for my next blog post where I will talk about more features of the Verizon HTC Imagio including Visual Voice Mail, and 5 mp Camera and Video.

Disclosure: I was loaned the HTC Imagio by Verizon for the purpose of writing this review.