Reiter's Mobile TV Report

MTV's "Street Team" citizen journalists use Nokia N95 phones to record Super Tuesday

MTV is going all out with its citizen journalism venture for this Super Tuesday’s 23 Presidential primaries, according to MTV.

Twenty three members of MTV’s “Street Team” of young journalists will use Nokia’s N95 five megapixel camera phones to stream video of the elections’ activities to MTV News and MTV’s “Choose or Lose” Web sites.  In addition, MTV will break into its regularly scheduled programs to broadcast “Street Team” reports.

The citizen journalists will be transmitting videos and writing articles from different polling stations, covering demonstrations and reporting from other election-related locations.  An online map will display the locations of the live streaming and blogging.

Live streaming

The live streaming software is provided by Flixwagon, that’s still in alpha testing and an invitation-only site (see below).  MTV certainly put a feather in Flixwagon’s cap by selecting the startup company that’s competing against other firms that offer live cellular streaming, such as ComVU and Qik.

In December MTV selected the “Street Team” of 51 people, one for each state plus Washington, D.C.  The group was chosen for based on a variety of criteria, and not necessarily formal journalism training. 

They began to post reports this month (see below).

The venture is funded by a $700,000 grant from the John L. and James S. Knight Foundation's Knight News Challenge.  Software is provided by Adobe as part of its Adobe Youth Voices program.

The cellular live streaming revolution

As I wrote beginning ten months ago, live streaming video from cellular phones is a revolutionary application.  It is creating a new way for any one to get out the word of newsworthy (and not newsworthy) events.

Live streaming videos will produce an even greater impact than camera phone photos.  Although it’s still the province of the tech-savvy early adopters, efforts like MTV’s will help publicize the concept.

Today, dozens or even hundreds of people at once often take camera phone photos and videos of individual events, but the images aren’t live.  In a few years, live streaming will be commonplace.

If only the cellular operators in the United States weren’t so pathetically slow in offering camera phones that can take high-quality videos at 30 frames per second.  Most of today’s camera phones produce video quality that is simply awful.

Sony to provide full length movies, TV programs to South Korea's SK Telecom

Sony Pictures Television International will provide full length movies and television programs for SK Telecom’s mobile video services in South Korea, according to Variety Asia.

The four-year arrangement calls for Sony to provide at least 50 video-on-demand movies and TV shows, including all three “Spider-Man” movies; an Emmy-nominated TV series, “The Tudors”; “Surf’s Up” and “Kung Fu Hustle,” the article says.  Variety Asia says it’s believed to be the first deal of its kind.

SK Telecom customers will pay 1,000 won ($1.10) to 2,000 won ($2.10) per movie, plus data charges, unless they have subscribed to an unlimited data plan and won’t have to pay for data usage.

Will people watch?

It will be very interesting to see whether significant numbers of SK Telecom subscribers watch full length movies.  Many analysts have a knee-jerk reaction and think the concept is ridiculous. 

But I take a more, uh, intelligent approach and believe it’s based upon the size and quality of the handsets’ screens, any integration with other devices and the country’s culture.

This is not not the first time a cellular operator has offered full length movies for viewing on phones.  In September 2006 Sprint launched “Sprint Movies” that included more than 45 titles from Buena Vista VOD, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures.

Sri Lanka TV network interviews Minister via new streaming cellular video service

Sri Lanka’s cellular operator Mobitel has kicked off its cellular video streaming service “M3–Journalist” with a cellular video interview of the country’s Minister of Mass Media and Information that was broadcast on television, according to the Daily News.

The interview of Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa was broadcast on the Independent Television Network (ITN).  “The control room of ITN news studio scaled down the visual which was de-multiplexed from the video call and superimposed on the standard broadcast visual frame, finally shown as a ‘picture in picture configuration’ where the minister and the newscaster were both seen on TV on their interview,” the article says.

In an article about the same subject in The Sunday Leader (no direct link), the Minister says, “As was demonstrated with my interview, latest technology like M3 has the power and the potential to enable almost everybody to report using their 3G mobile phones unlike before where a camera crew had to rush to a location to take footage then rush back to the TV broadcast studio, which especially affects timeliness of breaking news reports.”

True beauty

In that article, Anura Siriwardena, the chairman of ITN, says, “With Mobitel we have already taken measures to extend this service to other programmes such as request shows, debates and reality shows while inviting our viewers to take part in our TV programmes through M3–Journalist.  The beauty is that M3–Journalist will turn any type of TV programme into a reality show by introducing the caller’s visual into the big screen.”

I’ll take Siriwardena’s statement about turning any program into a “reality show” in the best light possible — that viewers may transmit their videos to a variety of worthwhile programs, not just the typical execrable reality show filled with doltish contestants living together in a house or on an island.  Viewer participation for non-reality shows is a very good thing.

However, the true beauty of live streaming cellular video — the society changing aspect — as I’ve written frequently, is the ability of any person to immediately stream to the Web or other phones, without requiring a news studio or being filtered by the government.  Of course, the technology is also extremely valuable for professional journalists, as I’ve also written extensively and recently.

Removing the blinders

Although it was a great advertising ploy for Mobitel and ITN to broadcast the Minister’s interview via a cellular phone, it also highlights the fact that many countries around the world are beginning to understand the value and power of cellular video.  Naysayers and so-called analysts who pooh-pooh mobile TV are blind to the future staring them in the face.

Mobitel’s M3–Journalist feature is one of the operator’s collection of new 3.5G (HSDPA/HSUPA) services that it’s selling, including video blogging and video mail (see below).

Asian broadcasting association releases mobile TV report with ten keys to success

The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CSBAA) has released a “Mobile TV” report developed by a research group, Tomorrow, that lists ten keys to the success of mobile television, says the association's press release.  The key are:

1.   The network
2.   Ease of use
3.   The ecosystem
4.   Devices
5.   Coverage
6.   Revenue
7.   Regulation
8.   Content
9.   Advertising
10.  Lifestyle

I couldn’t find the entire report online, but thanks to an entry by IntoMobile, I found an article by Adoi Magazine that discusses in detail those ten points.  The report seems to hit many of the major issues surrounding mobile TV.  I wish I could read the entire report.

Network, ease of use, ecosystem

“The network” involves the necessity for providing sufficient bandwidth to enable subscribers to view video without the system crashing.

“Ease of use” is pretty much self-explanatory.  The article says, “Video that is hidden deep within pages of menus, requiring multiple clicks to access is not a compelling content experience.”

“The ecosystem” means also the players — network operators, content providers, handset manufacturers, etc. — must work together to create a robust business. 

“Apple combined attractively designed music and telecommunications devices (iPod/iPhone), with consistent middleware to allow users to manage their content assets (iTunes), with a universal delivery platform (Internet), and finally a large selection of well priced music and video content (negotiated deals with music labels and TV studios),” the article says.

Devices, revenue

“Devices” entail developing handsets that are easy to use, offer good battery life and are reasonably priced.  “Coverage” can make the difference for, as an example, a subscription-based service that offers mobile TV in train tunnels compared to a free service that does not.

“Revenue” generation is a complicated issue that includes flat rate pricing, that can be a problem for cellular operators who don’t have a mindset for this type of payment.  It’s also a problem for operators who have a significant number of prepaid customers and who have to modify their billing software.

In Malaysia, the subscription television company Astro All Asia Networks “discovered the problems that entails if the average top up is 15R, and your service costs 20R [Ringgit].  They devised an alternative billing strategy to avoid defaults.  Astro’s solution was to implement ‘bill chunking’, which levies 5R every week for 4 weeks rather than a single lump sum,” the article says. 

Regulation, advertising

“Regulation” involves not only making spectrum available for mobile TV but also developing rules for using the spectrum, such as whether the service should be paid or free, whether advertising may be incorporated, etc.  “Uncertainties about mobile broadcast licenses in the Philippines, and content provision in China are examples of factors that can slow the development of Mobile TV services.

“The commercial viability of the free T-DMB service in Korea, despite its advanced device and delivery platform, is also restricted by regulations on the placement of advertising,” Adoi Magazine writes.

“Advertising” is a “sleeping giant” that’s still very much in the early stages.  One problem is obtaining sufficient numbers of subscribers to make it attractive to advertisers.  George Schmidt, the CEO of Google, has said cellular ads should be twice as valuable as non-mobile ads.

Lifestyle

“Lifestyle” entails a mix of culture and geography.  For example, a city with skyscrapers can be difficult to cover with mobile TV signals, while a flat area with low buildings is much easier for radio waves to penetrate.  Also, some cultures spend a great deal of time using mass transportation while others use automobiles.

“Every city has a context — a pattern grid of existing media consumption and usage.  Understanding this provides insight into how quickly new services like Mobile TV will become embedded into the fabric of everyday life,” the article says.

The Internet wild card

The Internet is a “wild card” in the equation, especially as Asians born in the 1990s spend a huge amount of time on the Internet.  “In their world, there is no piece of content not easily available to them — anytime, anywhere or on any device they choose. 

“This new generation is unlikely to approach mobile TV with the same mindset as us.  Media is a fluid concept for them.  They talk about it, share it, and use it to represent who they are.”

The report has a four-minute video that summarizes the points.

Juniper says mobile TV market to generate $11.9 billion in 2012

The global market for mobile television will increase from $1.7 billion in 2007 to $11.9 billion in 2012, according to “Mobile Entertainment Markets: Opportunities & Forecasts (Second edition) 2007-2012,” a report from Juniper Research, the company’s press release says.

The total worldwide wireless entertainment market — music, games and mobile TV — will increase from slightly more than $20 billion in 2007 to more than $64 billion by 2012, the report says.  Mobile music will continue to generate the most wireless entertainment revenues, from almost  $9 billion in 2007 to $17.5 billion in 2012.

Mobile music’s revenues will be sparked by more full-track downloads and streaming services.  Mobile games will rank number two, with revenues increasing from slightly less than $5 billion in 2007 to almost $16 billion in 2012.

The report notes that China and the Far East will continue to be the largest market for mobile entertainment.  Revenues will increase from $8.5 billion in 2007 to almost $21.3 billion in 2012.

Reuters, executives use "mobile journalism toolkit" to document World Economic Forum

Reuters correspondents, a few select big name executives and bloggers will be carrying around “mobile journalism toolkits” to take photos and shoot videos during the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual meeting occurring now in Davos, Switzerland, according The Guardian.

Reuters and Nokia are collaborating on this effort, and I wrote about the “toolkit” in my weekly “Thinkernet” column for CMP’s “Internet Evolution” site.  If the toolkit is similar to the one I wrote about, it contains a high-end Nokia camera phone, software to stream live video, a Nokia keyboard, a tripod designed for camera phones and a power supply. 

The article says the Nokia phone will be an N82 (see below), that is the handset manufacturer’s latest high-end, five megapixel handset.  It records videos at 30 frames per second (the same as the Nokia N95 was that included in the toolkit I discussed in “Thinkernet”).  The N82 incorporates a Xenon flash; the N95 doesn’t.

Capturing Davos images

“The idea, according to Reuters, is for the mobile journalists to capture ‘compelling images’ as well as file stories, photos and videos directly from the handsets to Reuters' dedicated Davos website,” The Guardian says. 

WEF attendees who are getting the toolkit include Sir Martin Sorrell, the chief executive of the WPP Group; Jeff Jarvis, a well known media blogger, Guardian columnist and journalism professor at the City University of New York; and the Reuters chief executive, Tom Glocer, and editor-in chief, David Schlesinger.

Robert Scoble, a well known blogger who just joined Fast Company to develop online videos and other new media, received an N82 from Reuters, and he’s also transmitting live videos from Davos via the Qik online video site.  Very early this morning I was watching live when he received the camera phone from Reuters (see left), as I just wrote in the previously entry.

Robert Scoble transmitting live via Qik from World Economic Forum in Davos

It’s very early in the morning (or very late at night, depending on your perspective) in the Federal City and I have been watching Robert Scoble’s live videos that he’s broadcasting on Qik from the World Economic Forum in Davos.

I was watching, live, Robert’s interview with Michael Arrington of TechCrunch (see below).

Before that I watched an interview with Tariq Krim, the founder of NetVibes, as well as an interview with someone from Reuters (“Nic” — possibly Dr. Nic Fulton, chief scientist for Reuters Media) who presented Robert with a new Nokia N82 five megapixel camera phone (see below). 

Reuters will be using Nokia phones to post videos from Davos.  For several months Reuters has been testing cellular phones for shooting and posting videos, as I wrote in a “Thinkernet” column about “serendipitous broadcasting.”

The future is live cellular broadcasting

Robert has four cellular phones at Davos, including the N82 (that I expect to begin testing next month).  He often uses his Nokia N95 five megapixel camera phone to record live videos via Qik (that I wrote about), although the videos I was watching from Davos are from a camcorder, not a handset. 

Both the N95 and N82 record at 30 frames per second and produce some of the highest-quality cellular phone videos.

I have written before and will continue to write that live, streaming video from cellular phones is, without question, going to make an enormous impact on many professions and activities, ranging from journalism to politics to personal interactions.  This is just the beginning.

Polymer Vision unveils Readius: Five-inch flexible screen for reading, cellular

Polymer Vision is promoting Readius, a flexible monochrome screen that can be rolled out from a celluar phone to faciliate reading text (see left), according to The Washington Post.  It also can be used with mobile television technology, but I bet it’s not what you’d think.

The screen supports 16 levels of gray in a QVGA (320 x 240 resolution) and is five inches diagonal (see below).  The screen weighs about four ounces and Polymer Vision working to develop a GSM version for HSDPA networks.  The company says the battery lasts up to 30 hours of continuous reading, but I assume that’s not based on using the cellular radio.

The Washington Post says the device is somewhat difficult to use as a phone because it has only eight buttons.  However, Thomas van der Zijden, vice president of sales and marketing at Polymer Vision, says that’s not a problem because most people dial phone numbers already in the contacts lists and the device can be synchronized contacts on a computer via a cable or Bluetooth.

Difficulties

Yeah, right.  This is a case where a sales and marketing guy is making light of what seems to be a significant problem — using a phone as a phone.  Of course, the device being shown might not be the one that is commercially launched.

Also, the Readius can play audio files and be used as a traditional Web browser.  (I wonder how good the graphics capability is.)  It’s not inconceiveable that certain customers might value the product for its non-voice capabilities rather than voice.

For example, a significant number of tech-savvy users really like the HTC Advantage (see left), that incorporates a cellular phone but is valued more as a sub-subnotebook computer or an MID (Mobile Internet Device).  The Advantage isn’t designed to be a person’s primary phone.  Perhaps a Readius device would be carried in addition to a small phone.

Polymer Vision will be able to deliver its device to partners by the end of the second quarter for commercial products in the third quarter, the article says.

Multiple file formats

I haven’t seen the screen, but it can display pdf, HTML and ASCII text files, the article says.  It uses Windows CE (not one of my favorite mobile operating systems) and currently can use the Open Mobile Alliance’s 1.0 digital right management system.

Van der Zijden says the device’s price will be comparable to high end smart phones, such as the Apple iPhone and Nokia N95 8 GB version.  That would mean it could cost from $400 to $750.

Mobile TV tie-in

This a screen designed for reading, not for watching videos.  So where’s the mobile TV connection?  Polymer Vision is developing a version for Telecom Italia for use over DVB-H.

Telecom Italia has been broadcasting mobile TV since, I think, around the middle of 2006.  However, DVB-H can be used for more than transmitting videos.  Telecom Italia is looking at the Readius for displaying lots of text, such as newspapers that the cellular operator would transmit, the article says.

This is the sort of technology that looks “futuristic” today, but could quite possibly become more mainstrean in the next several years.  Indeed, many companies are working hard to enhance viewing multimedia on portable devices, such as projectors for cellular phones, as I’ve previously written.

The phone/portable media player of 2015 could look a lot different and be a lot easier on the eyes than today’s products.

RCR says AT&T will launch ten channels of mobile TV on February 5

RCR Wireless News reports AT&T Mobility will launch its Qualcomm-based MediaFLO mobile television service on February 5 and offer an extra two exclusive channels in addition to the standard eight that are offered by Verizon Wireless’ MediaFLO broadcasts.

AT&T had previously announced it would offer MediaFLO TV in 2007, but recently said it would delay the launch until early this year.  Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Mobile TV service broadcasts CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, Fox Mobile, MTV, NBC 2Go NBC News2Go and Nickelodeon as well as a promotional channel. 

I really hope  AT&T’s two additional channels are just more of the same mass market multimedia effluvia of sports or reality shows or celebrity interviews and other doltish slop.  But I’m not optimistic.

Handset, coverage plans

Qualcomm says MediaFLO can accommodate 20 24–hour linear channels as well as other services, such as data broadcasting and radio.  MediaFLO documents show its network covers 48 markets, but documents from AT&T say 53 markets with a total of 129 million people will be available, the article says.

RCR says AT&T’s mobile TV service is expected to launch with the LG Vu (CU920) handset.  “The rather sleek device, which is similar to LG’s Prada handset, utilizes a touch screen and other trendy features.  Pricing for the device is expected to be in the $200 to $250 range, but nothing is official at this point.”

French President seeks tax on new TV devices to eliminate regular TV commercials

Bills for cellular phones, computers and other technology for watching television in France might increase one to two percent because French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to eliminate advertising in 2009 from TV programs broadcast by the country’s public network of stations, France Televisions (see below), The Hollywood Reporter says.

Revenues from the tax “on all new means of communications,” according to Sarkozy, would be used to compensate France Televisions for the loss of income.  The tax could generate 170 million euros ($249 million) to 340 million euros ($498 million).

France Televisions receives funding from an annual TV fee paid by French residents as well as commercials.  France Televisions would lose 830 million euros ($1.2 billion) if advertising were eliminated.  So Sarkozy would also tax the private TV channels TF1, M6 and Canal Plus, to make up for the loss, the article says.

Easier said than done

Sarkozy says France Televisions would be able to show better programs because it wouldn’t have to worry about ratings that are crucial to advertisers.  However, Francois Jost, the head of the Center for Image and Sound (Centre d’etudes sur les images et les sons mediatiques) at La Sorbonne and a television analyst, says eliminating ratings wouldn’t necessarily result in superior programs.

Also, France Televisions would have to spend more money for an additional two to three hours of programs that would have been filled by commercials, the article says.