Reiter's Mobile TV Report

CBS' "Big Brother" on FLO TV, SMS interactivity, simulation game, blog, etc.

If you’re a fan of the “Big Brother” television show on CBS (I am definitely not), you can get a multitude of multimedia tie-ins, including SMS interactivity and mobile television, according to InteractiveTV Today.

For mobile TV, “Big Brother” is transmitted over Qualcomm’s FLO TV, which is available over Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility.  Also, via SMS you may “interact with and influence the show,” says InteractiveTV Today.  (Perhaps you can “influence” the network to never to show this junk.)

In addition, CBS is offering a “mobile simulation game” to “allow viewers to compete in the ‘Big Brother’ house as one of the past contestants, playing various mini-games for such show elements as Head of Household and Power of Veto,” the article says.  If you still can’t get enough, you may sign up for SMS alerts (see top left). 

Will the excitement never cease?!

But wait — there’s more!  CBS offers two “Big Brother” Twitter feeds (@BigBrotherScoop and @BigBrotherHoH), a broadband video show with chats of the participants evicted from the show (I.Q.s over 75?), an online contest, a blog and oodles of other Internet-related excitement.

Despite my entirely justified disparagement of this doltish show, it’s certainly incredibly popular worldwide (so is sports — go figure!), and CBS is hot to employ as many Internet and cellular techniques as it can to increase its popularity. 

As a fan of mobile TV and convergence, I certainly can’t fault CBS for pulling out all the stops.  It makes sense, and I always am interested in Internet and cellular tie-ins to TV programs and movies.

Mobision TV in Iraq looks to offer mobile TV in other countries

Mobision TV (see left), which launched mobile television service in Iraq in May (as I’ve written), would like to expand its business to other countries, according to Andre Abi-Nassif, the senior vice president of Mobision and deputy general manager of Alsumaria TV, the satellite TV network providing content to its Mobision venture.

Abi-Nassif e-mailed me that Mobision is ready to develop mobile TV services to provide up to 20 channels, including subscription management using SMS, for DVB-H systems.  In Iraq, Mobision offers about 20 channels, requires a Mobision-supplied microSD card and sells the service with several prepaid plans.

ION Media Networks launches Mobile DTV in New York City, Washington, D.C.

ION Media Networks has launched ATSC Mobile DTV service — a mobile television protocol promoted by members of the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC) — over its stations in New York City and the Washington, D.C. area, the company says.

The signal is available over ION’s WPXN (Channel 31) in New York and WPXW in Manassas, Va., a suburb of Washington.  The service is part of ION’s “triple play” launch which includes a regular high definition channel, two digital networks and Mobile DTV.

However, I’m not sure who is actually viewing the mobile TV offering.  As I’ve been writing about the OMVC since it was established in early 2007, the Mobile DTV protocol is still under development.  I don’t know if consumers may purchase any receivers, either standalone, in cellular phones or for computers.

Still testing

I assume Mobile DTV is being tested with prototype receivers by ION’s engineers and some executives.  Still, this isn’t to be dismissed because Washington has been designated as the “showcase” city for the mobile TV service’s launch, as I’ve previously written.

If the launch progresses as scheduled, Mobile DTV will generate greater interest later this summer when more mainstream TV stations in Washington, D.C., including CBS, NBC, Fox and PBS, will begin broadcasting the mobile TV signal.  I live in the area, so I certainly hope to be able to test it.

Brandon Burgess, chairman and CEO of ION Media Networks, says in the press release, “Digital technology lets us reach more homes, enables HD quality and new digital networks, as well as mobile reception.  Among all these benefits, Mobile DTV may prove to be the most significant in the long run, allowing broadcasters to think beyond the living room and bring live television and real time information to consumers wherever they may be.”

Brett Jenkins, vice president of technology at ION, says, “The Mobile DTV ecosystem has now developed to the point that broadcasters are able to launch beta services, and we’re beginning to think through consumer and business implementations.”

Safaricom in Kenya launches 13 channels of mobile TV, free until 2010

Kenyan cellular operator Safaricom has launched a mobile TV service with 13 channels using the DVB-H protocol, according to Kenya Broadcasting Corp. (KBC), which will be one of the channels.  The service is available in Nairobi and Kenya’s second largest city, Mombasa, with other cities planned for the future, reports Bloomberg.

The service is provided through Digital Mobile Television Kenya (DMTV)  — 25 percent owned by KBC — and will be free, although reports vary as to when the free period will end.  Bloomberg says it will be free for a year, but KBC says it will last until April 2010. 

After the free period, it will cost 1,000 Kenya shillings ($12.81) per month, says Bloomberg.  DMTV hopes to sign up 1.3 million people — ten percent of Safaricom’s subscribers — within the year, Bloomberg says.

Nokia compatibility

Nokia cellular phones with integrated DVB-H receivers — the N96 and N77 — as well as Nokia phones that are compatible with Nokia’s Mobile TV Receiver SU-33W (see left) will work with the service, according to KBC.  (Courtesy of Nokia, I have the N96 but, unfortunately, there is no DVB-H service in the United States.)

The two-ounce, battery-powered Mobile TV Receiver contains a tuner and an internal antenna and connects to handsets via Bluetooth.  Compatible Nokia phones include the N79, N85, N86, N97, E75 and 5800 Xpress Music.

Cellular operators blowing unique mobile TV PR opportunity with digital transition

With all the publicity about today’s digital television transition and converter boxes (see left) in the United States, you would think the cellular operators would try to take advantage of it by promoting their mobile television and mobile video offerings — at least a little bit.  You would think wrong.

Sprint’s home page is promoting the Palm Pre, and its online iLounge applications store is promoting, well, nothing special (see below).  Verizon Wireless’ home page is promoting no special phones, and is touting its network and the new MiFi.  AT&T Mobility is promoting the iPhone 3G S.

To be fair, it certainly makes sense that Sprint is promoting the Pre, Verizon is promoting its network and MiFi and AT&T is promoting the new iPhone.  But there’s nothing about mobile TV, either on their home pages or in the press releases.

AT&T issued a press release today promoting applications for the NCAA Men’s College World Series (yawn), which includes mobile TV.  But that’s about it for any operators’ mobile TV-related press releases.  Perhaps I’ve missed some other recent mobile TV press releases from the cellular operators?

Blowing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

The digital TV transition is, literally, a once in a lifetime event in this country.  Qualcomm is doing its part to publicize its FLO TV, which is now expanding into 39 more markets (as I wrote) because the broadcasters must, finally, give up their analog spectrum.

In great part because of FLO TV’s press release, many publications and bloggers have been writing about mobile TV, including Investor’s Business Daily, where I’m quoted.  If you live in the U.S., you obviously know what a big deal this is. 

However, FLO’s home page doesn’t do anything to tie in the digital transition to its expansion, although at least it has posted the press release…if you look for it.

Mobile TV industry doesn’t “get it”

MobiTV, which isn’t affected by the switch from analog to digital — but is a major mobile TV program aggregator — also hasn’t done anything special on its home page or its blog.  The blog, which would be a perfect place to discuss the transition and tie it in some way into MobiTV, on June 11 posted an item about Showtime (see left) and hasn’t posted anything at all today.

Hey mobile TV executives — wake up!  You haven’t done enough to promote mobile TV, and you certainly aren’t effectively using the Internet the way it should be used.

It’s ridiculous that the Web pages of mobile TV companies don’t say something about the digital TV transition and relate it to their products and services. 

MobiTV has been using Twitter, but, like its blog, merely as an advertisement for its programs.  There’s a FLO TV Twitter account, but I don’t know if it’s an “official” company account.  In any case, it’s mostly an advertisement, like the MobiTV feed.

Awful after-sales customer education

Cellular operators have rarely done a good job using the Internet for after-sales customer education.  Today’s digital TV transition is a shining example of how the operators are not effectively employing the Internet to exploit a marketing and educational opportunity.

Warner Bros. seeks powerhouse role for products on iTunes

Warner Bros. wants to become a powerhouse for offering different applications — games, graphic novels, webisodes, etc. — on Apple’s iTunes online store (see below), according to Variety.

Warner offers about 15 applications on iTunes and plans to offer a total of 40 by the end of this year, the article says.  Many of the apps are tied to movies, such as “The Dark Knight,” “Watchmen” and “Terminator Salvation.”

The company is considering developing animated video episodes tied to movies.  Obviously, Warner sells movies and TV shows on DVDs as well as downloads via iTunes. 

From a mobile television standpoint, I’m interested in whether Warner Bros. offers interesting phone videos, clips, webisodes, etc. tied to its various movies and TV shows.

Factoid: Global mobile TV forecast more than 46 percent CAGR to 2013

Worldwide mobile television will grow more than 46 percent (compound annual growth) from now until 2013, according to a new report from market research firm RNCOS.

Poor press release

Note about writing press releases:  RNCOS’ release is, unfortunately, an example how to diminish the amount of publicity the report will receive.  RNCOS provides only one statistic, thus ensuring it won’t be picked up by much of the media and many bloggers.

Instead, RNCOS should include a few more statistics and/or conclusions about mobile television.  In addition, the release should include a few quotes — that provide additional information (not fact-less PR fluff) — from the analyst who wrote the report.

As a long-time (30 years) wireless data analyst/consultant, journalist and blogger (with an M.S. in journalism), I’m often disappointed by how many research firms that don’t realize providing just a little more information would significantly help to publicize their reports. 

They believe — incorrectly — that if they provide “too many” facts, they will reduce sales.  Instead, they reduce the amount of publicity they’d receive if they had included more facts.

Nokia exec. says Africa's World Cup in 2010 to spark many new mobile TV users

The FIFA World Cup soccer championship matches (see left) in South Africa next year will spark mobile television usage with more than ten mobile TV channels across Africa, says Stefan Schneiders, the head of business development for mobile TV at Nokia Siemens, in a Reuters article published in The Guardian.

Schneiders says Ghana, Kenya, Namibia and Nigeria have launched mobile TV and he expects other countries will offer service by the time the World Cup begins in June 2010.  The article notes that FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) for the first time will produce programs specifically for cellular phones.

Although I find watching men in short pants running back and forth across a field in order to kick a spherical object into a net to be much less interesting than watching grass grow, as a wireless data consultant who has been examining mobile TV since it began I also know that sports is a major reason people subscribe to the service. 

Sports sparks mobile TV

Mobile TV was launched in Italy in 2006 in anticipation of that year’s World Cup, although an EE Times writer and others weren’t pleased with the quality of the video in Germany, as I wrote in June 2006.  There’s no doubt that major live events, such as sports (if you consider watching any sporting event to be “major” — except as a major waste of time), can spark mobile TV viewing.

That’s why sports is always part of mobile TV packages, regardless of the country where they’re offered.  Cellular operators typically try to provide mobile TV coverage of major sporting events, especially if their country participates, whether it’s soccer, sports car racing or basketball “March Madness.” 

People want to watch sports, and it generates income for cellular operators and content providers.

So although it’s in Schneiders’ business interest to promote mobile TV, I agree that the World Cup will generate more mobile TV viewers in Africa and also around the world.  For many people, there’s no substitute for watching a sporting event as it happens.

MediaFLO interactive advertising should be just the start of mobile TV interactivity

During the CTIA’s Wireless 2008 conference in Las Vegas I spoke to Michael Coad, vice president of product management at Qualcomm, about Qualcomm’s MediaFLO mobile television service.  The most interesting aspect of the conversation was when Coad briefly discussed mobile TV interactivity.

He noted how advertisements on MediaFLO could include interactive elements, such as the ability to click on links to obtain more information about products or order them immediately.  I asked whether the program being watched would pause or end when viewer wanted additional information, and Coad said viewers could have a choice.

One of the potential disadvantages for this type of interactivity via today’s MediaFLO programs is because the shows stream.  They aren’t archived on demand, so if you pause the show to view commercial information and then return, you don’t begin watching where you left off.  Perhaps information could be downloaded in the background into another file or browser window.

Where’s the interactivity innovation?

The concept of interactive advertising isn’t new, although it hasn’t been developed much for mobile TV.  Interactive advertising could be an important component of mobile TV advertising, but interactivity in general could be a big deal for mobile TV.

I haven’t seen much, if any, innovation on MediaFLO, except for the relatively good technical quality.  MediaFLO programs typically are technically superior to 3G transmissions, with much less stuttering and pixelation compared to 3G.

But from the standpoint of innovative programs or innovative television techniques, I haven’t seen any.  MediaFLO offers the same junky programs as on traditional TV which, frankly, is sort of its idea:  You may view the same programs on your phone as on your TV set, although the times are often different.

Streaming and on-demand needed

To be fair, MediaFLO is a distribution and advertising platform rather than a mobile TV production company.  MediaFLO is part of the solution with good (technical) quality streaming programs, but it’s only one part. 

The future of mobile TV will be broadcasting programs that are different than existing shows and aimed at specific audiences, with varying lengths of programs and on a wide variety of subjects.  This niche-market programming is much more easily achieved via video on demand (VOD), which is one reason why VOD should continue to play significant role in mobile TV.

Citizen journalism tools and informing the world about live streaming videos

My latest weekly wireless communications “Thinkernet” column on CMP’s “Internet Evolution” discusses software and services for cellular phones and on the Web for facilitating citizen journalism (see below).  It also poses an interesting question.

How do people know when others are using their cellular phones to stream live videos?  Currently, streaming cellular videos is the province of early adopters — mostly the technology/wireless geeks.  But what happens when millions of people around the world begin streaming live videos from their cellular phones?

More than three billion people have cellular phones.  Of those phones, about one billion are camera phones and a significant percentage can record videos.  Just as billions of photos are being taken with camera phone, so will millions — and then billions — of videos be taken.

How do we know?

As people become familiar with shooting videos, they eventually will become more comfortable taking videos that are streamed live to the Web.  How will we know when videos we want to watch — right now — are being streamed?

One view of the future might be on Mogulus’ home page that features multiple windows of broadcasts (see above).  Mogulus offers free hosting for live broadcasts (that also are archived), although the company doesn’t offer any option for transmitting from a cellular phone.  A variety of companies, though, offer live cellular video streaming services.

But whether the broadcasts are transmitted from a cellular phone or from a computer with a camcorder or video cam, how can we pick out the wheat among the chaff of all the live videos?  As I write in the “Thinkernet” column, companies like Qik, are offering ways, such as via social networking, to alert potential viewers.

Perhaps new, smarter, search engines will be able to quickly detect key words and concepts to alert us.  Perhaps the National Security Administration (see left) could commercialize some of its tools!