V CAST is a 3G EV-DO network created by Verizon Wireless to deliver audio, video, and entertainment content. The typical download speed is between 800 kilobits and 1.4 megabits per second with burst speeds of up to 3.1 megabits per second. V CAST provides music downloads and streaming video clips, which can be saved to the phone or a removable memory card, though they cannot be read by other phones or computers, since they are heavily protected by digital rights management software based on Windows Media Video 9 and developed by PacketVideo [1]. There is buffering before the video stream is played and possibly during video playback, depending on the quality of the connection. V CAST is implemented as a permanently installed BREW application on a V CAST compatible phone.
V CAST prevents video playback and menu navigation if there is no EV-DO coverage available.
V CAST is one of the few mobile phone-based systems on which more advanced games, including those with 3-D graphics (similar in quality to the original PlayStation or the Sega Saturn), can be played. Most, but not all, V CAST games require airtime for use, but most of the V CAST plans give users unlimited airtime for all videos and games.
The V CAST service plans provide both basic and premium content, and the service provides users with the ability to upload music from personal computers to cellphones—some with the help of third-party software such as BitPim.
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