Reiter's Mobile TV Report

My InternetEvolution column examines widgets sparking Internet-connected TVs

Although this isn’t strictly about mobile television, my latest InternetEvolution.com column (see above) about the potential for widgets to help spark the growth of Internet-connected TVs certainly does have a mobile aspect.  After all, widgets already are standard features on some cellular phones, such as the Samsung Omnia, and available from third party developers, such as Plusmo (see below).

Yahoo has been promoting widgets on TVs with Ethernet ports and/or USB ports for a Wi-Fi dongle.  The company has created a platform and APIs as well as a Widget Channel, which is expected to offer some 100 widgets by the end of this year.

The widgets, which stretch across the bottom of the screen (see below) — sort of like the Apple Macintosh dock — and the left side, are selected with a remote control; a keyboard isn’t necessary.  Samsung is offering Internet-connected TVs that are widget-compatible, although you’ll have to pony up at least $3,000 for the least expensive set. 

Challenges ahead

Expensive TVs aren’t the only challenges.  With lots of available widgets, the software will have to be easy to use and easy to navigate.

There are other challenges are well.  But as I discuss in my column, I believe these challenges will be overcome and Internet-enabled TVs will eventually become commonplace.

Several TV manufacturers are producing Internet-enabled TVs, so prices will decrease.  Also, we are increasingly comfortable with multitasking, so a TV that incorporates Internet access isn’t a stretch for people to understand. 

In addition, as we use the Internet on more devices and expect it in more locations, not offering Internet access on a TV will eventually be considered a ridiculous waste of the screen.

LiveCast debuts "Lightning" for low-latency live cellphone streaming

LiveCast (formerly ComVU) has debuted “Lightning,” an application for live streaming of cellular phone videos — with latency averaging about one second — to professional broadcast studios, the company says.

Although many companies offer live streaming over cellular networks, such as Qik and Flixwagon, LiveCast (see below) specializes in vertical markets, such as television broadcasting.  The company offers authentication and security protocols as well as GPS location mapping.

LiveCast isn’t the only company that says it can stream cellular videos with a low latency.  In March, Ustream announced a mobile version of its enterprise-oriented, white label service Watershed, which it said offered a latency of one to three seconds, as I wrote.

There certainly has been a great deal of publicity about live streaming from cellular phones, and many consumers have streamed conference panels, concerts, etc.  However, relatively few professionals, even TV reporters, have taken advantage of the capability.

Former "Rocketboom" star Amanda Congdon airs on FLO TV

Amanda Congdon, who became an Internet video star on “Rocketboom,” is taking her newest Internet show, “Sometimes Daily,” (see below) to Qualcomm’s FLO TV mobile television service, says Reuters.

“Sometimes Daily” will continue to exist on the Web, but Congdon will create some shows exclusively for FLO TV (which used to be called MediaFLO).  FLO TV will be the sole venue for Congdon’s cellular phone distribution, the article reports. 

Her show will be available for free on FLO TV handsets as well as for paid MediaFLO subscribers.  Cellular users who have FLO TV-capable phones but don’t pay for the subscription service will be able to view “Sometimes Daily.”  Of course, the show is free on the Web.

Nokia sells enterprise mobile TV unit to Wipro Technologies

Nokia has sold its enterprise-oriented mobile television group to Wipro Technologies for an undisclosed amount, according to Information Week.

The group employs about 40 people and was sold as part of a cost-cutting effort.  Nokia doesn’t view the group as part of its long-term strategy.

However, Nokia emphasizes that it’s still promoting the consumer side of mobile TV.  One of my relatively new Nokia phones, received courtesy of the Nokia bloggers program, is the Nseries’ N96.  It incorporates the DVB-H mobile TV protocol, which Nokia has aggressively promoted.  Alas, no cellular operator uses that protocol in the United States.

The N96 includes a 2.8–inch QVGA screen, 16GB of RAM, a microSD card that accommodates up to 16GBs and a stand in the back to prop up the handset for easy hands-free viewing of videos (see above).  It’s a nice phone, but for a relatively expensive handset that’s targeted at mobile TV, it really should have a higher-resolution LCD.

As a side-note, I think the future of many high-end phones will be OLED screens.  They’re more expensive, but the colors are much brighter and sharper than traditional LCDs.

Washington, D.C. to showcase OMVC members' Mobile DTV this summer

The Washington, D.C. area will be the “showcase” late this summer for broadcasting Mobile DTV programs based on the Advanced Television Systems Committee mobile television standard promoted by the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC).  In addition, four TV stations in Atlanta and Seattle will be “model stations” for Mobile DTV research and development.

Washington stations that will showcase the Mobile DTV programs include Fox’s WDCA, Gannett’s WUSA, ION’s WPXW, NBC’s WRC, PBS’ WHUT and MHz Networks, and Sinclair’s WNUV.  Also, PBS’ National Datacast, which coordinates a service that transmits programs and data over stations’ vertical blanking intervals, will participate in the trial. 

The OMVC says it anticipates adding other stations in the near term.  So far, Washington’s CBS and NBC on the list, but not ABC.  Also, the “flagship” PBS station, WETA, is missing.

R&D stations

ION’s WPXA and Gannett’s WATL in Atlanta, along with Belo’s KONG and Fisher’s KOMO in Seattle, will begin full-time broadcast testing beginning in the spring, the Coalition says.  Harris Corp., Rohde & Schwartz, Roundbox and Triveni Digital are supplying the Mobile DTV transmission equipment and assisting with technical development.

I’m glad the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area has been chosen because that’s where I live and work.  Washington often is selected for early trials of telecommunications services because it’s the place to impress elected officials, other senior government officials and a wide variety of movers and shakers.

I hope I’ll get a chance to test the Mobile DTV service.

Mobile DTV launch country-wide

The OMVC says 21 broadcasting companies have committed to launching Mobile DTV in 2009.  As I wrote in January, 63 stations in 22 markets that cover 35 percent of households in the United States have committed to starting Mobile DTV broadcasts.

Several hardware manufacturers are developing prototype Mobile DTV products, such as LG, Samsung, Kenwood, Visteon and Dell, the OMVC says.  Dell has used its Inspiron Mini 10 netbook (see left) as a test device for different mobile TV protocols.

Update (4/22/09):  In addition to developing a prototype for Mobile DTV, Dell also is testing at least three other mobile TV standards:  DVB-T (Europe), CMMB (China) and ISDB-T (Japan), according to Netbook Choice.

Hulu reportedly working on application for streaming videos to iPhone

Tech blogs, such as Ars Technica, have been reporting that Hulu is supposedly working on an application that would allow iPhone users to stream videos.  The reports — only from “sources” — say both Wi-Fi and AT&T’s 3G network would work.

I have no doubt this would be a great app.  I’m a huge fan of Hulu, and I’m certainly not the only one.  Also, the iPhone’s relatively large, relatively high resolution screen would be excellent for viewing Hulu. 

Will 3G streaming be allowed?

I wonder, however, whether AT&T and/or Apple would allow Hulu over 3G because of bandwidth constraints.  AT&T’s 3G network has been criticized — with justification — for erratic and poor 3G performance in many locations.

Streaming Hulu over Wi-Fi wouldn’t strain the cellular network, and AT&T certainly has a large network of hotspots, which it promotes to iPhone users.  However, Hulu over 3G would make AT&T extremely nervous about huge numbers of iPhone subscribers downloading bandwidth-intensive videos. 

But as Ars Technica notes, several streaming video apps have been approved for the iPhone, including Apple’s own YouTube client (see below).  I’m not sure if Hulu streaming would be a killer iPhone app, but it certainly would be a “manslaughter” app in the U.S, where Hulu is available. 

Business model disruption?

Also, it would be interesting to see the business dynamics of free Hulu versus paid mobile TV subscriptions.  As more television producers post full-length TV episodes on the Web, will consumers be willing to pay for mobile TV services? 

And, as cellular phone browsers become more capable of displaying streaming videos, especially those employing Adobe Flash, the market for paid mobile TV becomes even more “interesting.”

Hulu over Skyfire

I’ve seen Hulu on a few Nokia phones while testing the Skyfire browser.  Skyfire works for Hulu, although I’ve found the performance to be erratic for streaming.  This was, however, months ago.

I can’t wait for Skyfire to be available on BlackBerry phones, which, supposedly, Skyfire is testing.

Has AT&T pressured Apple to ban SlingPlayer from iPhone?

Rumors are circulating that AT&T Mobility has pressured Apple to reject SlingMedia’s application that would enable iPhones to access television programs via the SlingPlayer.  The Boy Genius Report says AT&T asked Apple to reject the app because it was concerned about bandwidth congestion.

There aren’t any confirmations, although The Boy Genius Report now says SlingMedia tells them it hasn’t received any word from Apple.  I can certainly understand AT&T’s fear that transmitting SlingPlayer-originated programs would swamp its network, which continues to receive poor reviews for performance.

Also, because iPhone users in the United States pay for unlimited data plans, AT&T wouldn’t receive any additional income from the SlingPlayer app — unless the cellular operator can force negotiate with SlingMedia to get some revenues.  PC World suggests that perhaps SlingMedia could configure the iPhone app to work via Wi-Fi only, as Skype for the iPhone has been designed.

The issue remains, so to speak, up in the air.

Update (4/26/09):  SlingMedia’s Web section for its mobile app (see below), which is already available for a variety of mobile operating systems, says:  “We are in close contact with our partners at Apple and are optimistic that it will be approved soon.  We hope the wait won’t be much longer.”

C21 Media details MobiTV strategies, NCAA "March Madness" explosion

C21 Media has published a detailed article about MobiTV’s efforts in the United States as well as the company’s interest in exploring European ventures.  MobiTV, which has developed its platform (see below) and establishes partnerships with content providers, says it has some six million subscribers and is compatible with about 350 phones.

MobiTV created the NCAA “March Madness” iPhone software (see left) for CBS, and it became a bestseller.  For $4.95, iPhone users could watch every basketball game in the series.  Watching over Wi-Fi enabled users to view the video, while watching over 3G only allowed audio.

Apple and AT&T have not allowed a complete MobiTV subscription service for the iPhone.  MobiTV’s complete packages include a few dozen channels.  I’ve used it over Sprint, and it’s rather good. 

Although the overall streaming isn’t as stutter-free as Qualcomm’s MediaFLO over Verizon Wireless (I haven’t tested it over AT&T), the quality is generally good enough and the selection of channels is superior to MediaFLO.

WRAL-TV broadcasts ATSC Mobile DTV to screens inside Raleigh, N.C. buses

WRAL-TV has begun broadcasting ATSC Mobile DTV-based programs to buses in the Raleigh, N.C. area, the TV station says.

Initially, one free bus traveling the downtown area has been outfitted with screens that simulcast WRAL’s regular TV programs as well as weather radar and forecasts, city news, bus-related news and schedules, and, potentially, advertisements.  Four more buses will have the screens by this August, and 20 Capital Area Transit buses will be outfitted by August 2010, WRAL reports.

LG Electronics is supplying the Mobile DTV receivers and monitors, and Harris Corp. is providing mobile transmission hardware and digital signage systems.

ATSC deployment

WRAL certainly isn’t the first TV station to experiment with broadcasting programs to buses, and Raleigh isn’t the first area with information transmitted to screens on public transportation.  This has been occurring for years in the United States and in many other countries on buses, trains and subways using different technologies.

However, it’s the first time ATSC Mobile DTV technology has been employed for this purpose in the U.S., and it’s a harbinger of many more developments.  The Mobile DTV standard is promoted by the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC), and its members plan to offer Mobile DTV in cities across the U.S. this year.

Cellular phones equipped with Mobile DTV receivers could be available as early as this summer.  Also, OMVC members are working to incorporate receivers into other electronic devices, such as laptop computers and portable video players.

Camera phone video results in removal of Indian election observer

A camera phone video showing an election official in India requiring a subordinate to perform half-squats for arguing with him has resulted in the removal of the official, reports The Times of India.

The subordinate told the official about a procedural requirement and, as a result, was required “to do 10 half-squats holding his hands to his ears,” the article says.  The incident was recorded on a camera phone and other election employees protested the incident.

This certainly highlights Juvenal’s writing of “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes” that literally means, “Who will guard the guards themselves?”  The literal translation certainly is appropriate in this case.  That question has been colloquially translated as:  “Who will watch the watchers?”

There are at least two answers:  Historically, it has been the media that watches over the government.  But with increasing frequency, it is now consumers with camera phones who record photos and videos.  As I’ve written many times in my weblogs, we — the people — have become the watchers.