Reiter's Mobile TV Report

Business Week examines mobile TV, focusing on Hiwire

Business Week has published a detailed article about mobile television that focuses on Aloha Partner's Hiwire, that owns a great deal of 700 MHz spectrum.  "It holds more spectrum, in fact, than Qualcomm [MediaFLO] and Modeo combined," the article says.

The company wants to develop the spectrum for the DVB-H mobile TV protocol, and it has some experienced executives and investors behind it.

Hiwire can transmit twice as many channels as MediFLO or Modeo, the company estimates, according to Business Week. 

"Hiwire's spectrum advantage could last for at least several years.  While the Federal Communications Commission could eventually free up more 700-Mhz spectrum, chances are it won't do so until at least 2008, says Vikrant Gandhi, an analyst with Frost & Sullivan," the article says.

Hiwire's advantages

Business Week says:

"Aloha's spectrum, currently commonly used by television broadcasters, should allow Hiwire to build out a network for less money than Modeo.  Hiwire can cover a large metro area with only a few towers.

"Modeo, which uses different airwaves, will need more towers to cover the same area.  As a result, Hiwire estimates it can build out a nationwide network for $450 million, compared with $2.2 billion for Modeo.

"It can also finish the build-out faster—two and a half years vs. five to seven years for Modeo."

The only Web site I can find for Hiwire is the Aloha Partner's site, and it's awful.  Of course, a business' success isn't dependent upon its Web site, and perhaps there's another "official" Hiwire site that I haven't been able to find.

[More to come.]

USA Today examines new media for fidelity, convenience, devices

USA Today examines the relationship between movie content and the quality of the experience or "fidelity" (see left), ranging from movie theaters desperate to capture more customers to consumers who watch movies at home and even on portable devices such as cellular phones.

The article focuses on the movie experience -- in theaters and with home theater set-ups -- as a function of "fidelity."  USA Today says, "Techies describe fidelity as the total experience of something.

"Seeing a movie in a packed theater, with its wide screen and the social aspect of a crowd, is a higher-fidelity experience than watching a movie on a home system.  Seeing a movie at home is, in turn, a greater-fidelity experience than viewing a movie on a cellphone.

"In music, a concert is higher fidelity than a CD playing on a home stereo, which is higher fidelity than an MP3 player."

Fidelity versus convenience

Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix, says "People will trade fidelity for convenience."  (Side note:  People do this with wireless data all the time.  You might walk a few blocks with your laptop for free or inexpensive WiFi, but many people are purchasing cellular connections -- more expensive and generally slower than WiFi -- for the convenience of superior coverage.)

USA Today notes that if you can't experience the full fidelity of watching a sporting event at the stadium, you'll watch it at home on your TV.  "Eventually, we might opt for an even more convenient yet much lower-fidelity experience: watching on a cellphone.

"Video is available on cellphones now, but major league sports don't yet offer live cellphone broadcasts," the article says.  (But, we're getting there.)

Better new media

USA Today reports how new media products evolve to deliver better experiences at lower costs.  "Fidelity gets good enough in a package that's significantly more convenient, and consumers rush in.  That often leaves older formats struggling to hold on to customers.

"The iPod marked just such a threshold. MP3 players existed before Apple created the iPod and iTunes, but previous systems weren't convenient or cheap enough to make up for the lesser fidelity of MP3s, which sample less than one-tenth the sound CDs do.

"After the iPod, digital music — legitimate and pirated — took off, while CD sales sagged....The music industry, which relies on CDs for 90% of its revenue, is trying to save the disk by increasing its fidelity.

"That's why more CDs are stocked with video clips and extra songs."

Cellular fidelity versus convenience

The article says, "Cellphones took wing once the quality and convenience (including cost) got good enough to trump the better fidelity of landline service."

Obviously, mobile television's fidelity (or lack thereof) is a major challenge that for most people overshadows any convenience.  One of the biggest problems is screen size.

Cellular LCDs certainly can be produced with better resolution.  Cellular networks certainly are getting faster for transmitting videos.  Networks and production companies certainly can crank out virtually any content consumers want.

But most people want small cellular phones and that's antithetical to the "fidelity" of a large (or larger) LCD.  Unless people "give in" and decide to purchase phones with larger screens or until technology can come to the rescue -- projecting a screen in the air? -- the LCD problem will remain a stumbling block.

Mobile ESPN to transmit live college football games

Mobile ESPN (see below), an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) using Sprint's cellular network, will transmit -- in real time -- college football games to subscribers, according to an article in TechWeb.

Subscribers to the $24.99 per month Total Sports Package will be able to watch some 25 games per month, for a total of about 100 per season.  (The package also includes such features as SMS, text and audio alerts, audio and video clips and selected Web sites.)

Rebecca Gertsmark, a spokesperson for Mobile ESPN, says in the article, "When we negotiate the rights to broadcast the games, it's no longer just about normal television.  We're putting an increased focus on wireless, broadband and mobile technology."

Will people watch?

It's no secret that many MVNOs in the United States -- including ESPN -- are doing much less business than they had hoped.  In fact, two analysts at Merrill Lynch said in July that Disney should close Mobile ESPN.

Personally, I think's it's much too early for that sort of action.  It takes time to build subscribers, and Disney and ESPN know (or should know) that.

However, it's a very fair question to ask whether a sufficiently large number of subscribers will want to watch live games -- college football or otherwise -- on small cellular screens.  After all, if you're a sports fanatic -- or simply make a point of watching games -- don't you try to be near a television set (preferably a big screen) for games?

On the go

But are sports enthusiasts always able to sit in front of their TVs?  What if they're traveling?  What if Mobile ESPN is able to offer special features?

TechWeb quotes one sports enthusiast, Matthew Napoli, who says, "I'd watch an entire game on a cellular phone if I had to take a long bus or car ride.  I'm more likely to text message a friend for the latest scores or log online from my cell phone."

Napoli had better hope he remains in Sprint's 1xEV-DO coverage area if he takes a long ride!  I've watched lots of mobile TV on Sprint and other cellular networks, and coverage certainly isn't assured when you're riding in a car or bus.

Coverage issues notwithstanding, I've written many times that the future of mobile TV includes live and archived programs -- long and short.

Sprint invites users for new "VUE" live TV, video clips service

Phone Scoop reports some Sprint subscribers have been invited to test a new video service called "VUE."

I searched Google for "Sprint + Google" and found a Web site where, it seems, subscribers are asked to complete a survey (see below).

The Web page says:  "Thank you for your interest in participating in the 2006 Sprint Nextel, Sprint VUE Market Trial.  Sprint VUE is a new technology which allows Sprint to provide live TV and clips to your phone.

"Your answers will be kept strictly confidential and will be combined with other respondents' answers and analyzed in aggregrate."

Sprint handset

Phone Scoop says, "Although Sprint has not confirmed a launch, this trial confirms earlier suspicions that the Samsung M250 was a B250 derivative for Sprint.  The trials site shows both the B250 as well as the M250 on its pages.

"The M250 is a clamshell with a screen that rotates 90 degrees to watch video.  It also features Bluetooth, a Micro SD slot, 1.3 megapixel camera and advanced voice recognition including speech to text for messaging."

Some people on Phone Scoop's forum are wondering whether this is a scam and not from Sprint.

Australian cellular operators discuss parental controls for mobile TV

Australian cellular operators discussed mobile television issues, including the need for parental controls on content during an Australia Interactive Media summit, according to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald.

The article says, "Scott Taylor, general manager of content and services at Hutchison, said that while the 'walled garden' of Internet content currently offered by the major mobile operators could easily incorporate parental controls, it was only a matter of time before handsets would access content from the Internet at large."

Hutchison's 3 cellular network in Australia offers adult content on its portal but subscribers must use a personal identification number to verify they are over 18 years old.

[Sent via TypePad wireless e-mail with RIM BlackBerry 8700g]

Should cellular operators, vendors get more involved with video sites?

With all the millions of people logging onto online video sharing sites, such as YouTube, Grouper, Guba, Metacafe, it seems like an interesting opportunity to promote user-generated camera phone videos.

I think it could be a great idea for cellular operators and/or handset manufacturers to team with one or more of the popular video sharing sites to promote camera phone videos.  For example, there could be a special section just for such videos as well as information about taking camera phone videos

If the wireless industry wants to promote user videos, these are excellent places to start exploring.  (Check out a recent Business Week article about video sites.)

Anheuser-Busch to create short clips, programs for cellular, Internet?

Anheuser-Busch is "launching its own in-house film and TV production company that will make humorous shorts and sitcom-type programs to be broadcast over the internet and to cellphones, according to four people familiar with the matter, and could branch into full-length films," according to an article in Advertising Age.

The article doesn't go into any details about the programs, and the Anheuser-Busch isn't commenting.

CNET Asia details mobile television in Indonesia

In CNET Asia Budi Putra writes an fairly long and interesting article about mobile television in Indonesia.

Putra tested DVB-H using the Nokia N92 phone that's optimized for mobile TV.  He writes, "Enhanced by a nice graphics user interface, this phone is supported by a large 2.8-inch anti-glare QVGA screen with 16-million colors and dedicated media keys that deliver a rich viewing experience.

"I can watch CNBC and Indonesian TV programs like SCTV, TVRI and Metro TV with high-quality images."

Several cellular operators offer mobile TV in Indonesia and there isn't one standard.  It's a dynamic and fluid market.

In-Stat says 30+ minute mobile/portable video market to develop in 2008

The research firm In-Stat says the market for videos longer than 30 minutes played on cellular and portable video devices will be "experimental" until 2008 when there will be more growth, according to the company's press release about its new report, "The 'Audience of One':  Long-Form Mobile and Portable Content Slowly Emerges."

In-Stat says it's not sure whether consumers will prefer to watch these longer videos on cellular phones or on dedicated portable video devices.  By 2009, 10 percent of cellular users could be subscribers to video services, according to In-Stat.

An In-Stat survey indicates about one in eight people surveyed were interested in cellular videos.  Well, okay, but I take these types of surveys with a boulder of salt. 

The quality of devices and cellular networks will improve significantly over the next few years, so what people say today is quite possibly not relevant for the medium term.

Supplementing video growth

Michael Inouye, an analyst at In-Stat, says in the release, "The greatest potential for this market rests with its ability to complement the existing video industry.  For example, there will be over 50 million portable media players in use worldwide by 2008.

"The portable/mobile long form video market will not likely cannibalize sales from the DVD and other traditional markets, but rather, supplement top-line growth."

Coping with sound, aspect ratio, cost of producing mobile TV programs

MoCo.News posted an interesting article about techniques for creating programs for mobile television, including the types of programs that are easiest to display as well as problems with such parameters as aspect ratio, sound and cost.

The information, from an article from Mad.co.uk (requiring a subscription to read), notes that game shows and talent contests are relatively easy to port and display on cellular while dramas are much more difficult.

The article, according to MoCo.News' summary, focuses on the BBC's efforts at mobile TV, including developing cellular mobisodes (or "tardisodes"; see "tardis") from the new Dr. Who series.  One problem is the aspect ratio, that's 4:3 for a cellular phone screen and 16:9 for a television.

Jo Pearce, the BBC interactive producer, says, "So for Doctor Who’s 'Attack of the Graske' and Tardisodes, we shot everything 16:9 but made it all 4:3 safe."

Sound and drama

Another difficulty is the poor sound sound quality on mobile television.  It's not just the quality of speech -- that isn't necessarily a problem -- but also the way sound creates an atmosphere in a production.

Also, some scenes that work well, visually, for a regular television, look awful on cellular, and those scenes have to be dealt with, such as reshot.  That, of course, requires more money.

Drama is the most expensive to shoot, according to the article.  The BBC notes the cost can be offset by using the same sets, for example, for both the TV and mobile videos.

As Pearce notes about producing the tardisodes, "It’s crucial to piggyback off the main production as much as we can."

Writing isn't the stumbling block

Interestingly, the talent for writing for mobile TV could be the same as for regular TV.  Lee Hardman, the head of Conker Media (that offers cellular videos), says, "Storytelling skills are transferable, as is an understanding of narrative."

Helen Brunsdon, a broadcast and development manager at Conker, says, "Whatever works on mobile phones should work on a TV or cinema screen.  A good idea is a good idea regardless of where you see it.

"We’re driven by character and ideas regardless of the output device."

Yes, but...

I can understand that a great story could be great whether it's watched on a giant screen HDTV or cellular.  However, a great story that can be shot for regular TV might not display well on cellular.

So writers for mobile TV will have to understand the limitations of that medium (poor resolution screens, poor contrast, blurring of fast action, etc.) in order to create a high quality video.