The 'launch' of Vlive! might be a bit of a non-event for forumites, especially for those already with 3G handsets.
They've already got Vlive!
Vlive! has two components,
1) a Vlive! handset with a button to access the Vlive! portal and then
2) the portal itself, where you access all manner of cool content.
Only specific Vlive! handsets will be available. These are already in the shops, so you can go out and buy one of these phones immediately.
If you have a Vlive! handset, for example the E1000, the portal will already work today. Some content will still be added but most of it is there.
So get your Vlive! 3G handset now and avoid the rush on the 17th!
By the way, any Vlive! traffic is not billed, only the content you purchase.