Michael Grotticelli focuses in large part on how MTV develops programs for mobile TV, including interviewing Michael Scogin, the senior producer for MTV's wireless division. MTV typically doesn't reshoot programs just for broadcasting over cellular, but the network is working with its own producers and independent producers to help them understand what works and doesn't work on the tiny screen.
MTV has created a "mobile staging area" in New York to view mobile TV offerings -- as they would be seen on a cellular phone -- before they are available for mobile TV viewing. Studio Daily says that as a result, scenes are sometimes reshot.
Production guidelines
MTV says cellular shows should be one minute to five minutes, with seven minutes as the maximum. Producers should avoid shooting many wide shots and, instead, focus on a tighter head shot or filming only a few people rather than a crowd scene.
[That's certainly no surprise. Cellular phones with tiny, poor-resolution screens are pretty miserable for viewing scenes with lots of people.]
"Contrast is also key. Sharp contrast between the foreground and background makes the smaller subjects on the screen easier to see, adds Scogin.
"MTV likes simpler, more monochromatic backgrounds and often
uses soft lighting from behind the subject and more lighting up front
to achieve this," the article says.
Reduce movement
It's no secret (at least if you've been reading this weblog about what doesn't work well) that mobile TV programs with lots of movement aren't easy to watch. There's too much blurring and the scenes are difficult to see.
Studio Daily notes that rapid movement requires more processing power and bandwidth to encode and decode the scenes. "A very busy scene means that more buffering within the cell phone is necessary, causing video to run at less than 30 frames per second and scenes to appear jumpy and erratic," the article says.
[I watch lots of mobile TV and buffering can be a major problem. All cellular network operators have buffering problems. I've found Verizon Wireless' 1xEV-DO V CAST service is considerably worse than Sprint's 1xEV-DO Sprint TV but, to be fair, buffering is in large part a function of coverage quality so if you're in a poor coverage area, expect more buffering.]
Graphics considerations
If you've ever seen a graphic on a cellular screen -- or tried to see it -- you know that it's sometimes impossible to decipher. If you've watched a news show, though, where the graphic takes up the entire screen and includes only a few bullet point-type phrases, it's generally readable.
Have you tried to view the scrolling news across the bottom of the Fox News screen on Sprint TV? Yes, it's possible, usually, but you've really got go want to see it and I've got to make sure to hold the screen "just so" in order to view the scroll.
MTV has been testing different options for mobile TV, including graphics that take up half the screen or even the entire screen. Studio Daily says full-frame graphics are okay if they don't remain on the screen too long.
I agree. As I just wrote, a full-screen graphic from a mobile TV news program looks okay on a cellular LCD.
Audio requirements
MTV has made its mark, obviously, with audio. But cellular phones usually have poor external speakers, although listening to music with headphones often isn't bad. Listening to mp3 files on a cellular phone is a better experience than watching video because of all of video's problems.
A few cellular phones have stereo speakers and some of those aren't bad, relatively speaking. I've listened to podcasts, the audio of mobile TV and music, and it's certainly "listenable" if you're, for example, walking your dog and want something to keep you company....besides your four-legged companion.
MTV's Scogin says in the article that MTV tries to limit the amount of audio or remove it completely for mobile programs. "Simplified tracks sound much less muddy and crisper under these conditions," Studio Daily says.
Cellular phone as TV broadcaster
The Studio Daily article also examines some platforms and production software for mobile TV. One of the interesting products is Createcna's 3G Mobile Studio software that enables cellular phones to stream live broadcasts to on-air television programs (see left).
This is important.
Do you remember when a cameraman for Fox News used his Treo to stream video of a single-engine plane that crashed into a New York City apartment building? The cameraman transmitted the video to Fox's control room where is was broadcast as part of the network's coverage.
Currently, this live streaming via cellular phones is done on rare occasions and only by broadcasters. I would be very surprised if there isn't a mobile TV streaming service available now (that I don't know about) or will be in the near future that enables anyone to transmit live video (with the appropriate handset software, of course) for the entire Web community to watch.
Any consumer streaming service now?
Obviously, anyone with a cellular phone capable of recording video is able to upload files to the scores of video sharing services. But consumers doing live streaming -- acting as an on-air reporter -- is only a matter of time.
Anyone know if a there's a service that offers or will offer this capability? Please let me know. (I'd be glad to sign an NDA. I'm a wireless data consultant; I'm very used to NDAs!)
