MobiTV provides something like basic cable for your mobile device. It was released for the Treo 650 (sorry 600 users, not yet) on Friday. Subscriptions run $9.99 per month. How does it work? Short answer - pretty darn well.

No, the picture quality is not as good as watching an AVI on the Treo. Yes, it’s very sensitive to your connection strength. And oh yes, it does suck a huge amount of bandwidth. In fact, the first time you launch the MobiTV application, it warns you that you want to be on your carrier’s unlimited data plan. But the audio is very good and the picture quality - with a 3 or 4 bar connection - is also quite good. MobiTV can either be loaded from your PC or directly to your phone from the web.

The monthly service, which currently displays 40 channels on my Treo, includes a good selection of news (MSNBC, NBC Mobile, ABC, C-SPAN), sports (MLB Highlights, NFL Highlights, Fox Sports, ESPN 3), and a smattering of comedy, music, weather, and educational material (Discovery and TLC).

NOTE: Apparently, AT&T users with an older SIM card now on the Cingular network have reported that they can not get anything other the MobiTV promo channel. A fix is in the works. Check the supported carriers and phones information carefully before you subscribe. There is no trial period available.