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Thursday, March 6, 2008

Mobile TV, Set Free


Europe seems to understand what consumers want from their mobile device. They want to combine their mobility with the opportunity to stay current with what is on TV. User generated video may be fun to watch on the pc, but I see that usage short lived. Its greatest opportunity is the chance to receive live video signal for on the go viewing.

According to the Wall Street Journal, "Cellphone makers and service providers are looking for new sources of revenue and see platforms like television as a lucrative and fertile territory. In the U.S., TV is available on so-called third-generation phones, but DVB-H is still in the trial phase." Sounds so much better than what Verizon currently offers.

Big fan of The Today Show, watch it live on the commute to work. Sitting in the stands watching the game and getting commentary and closeups on the phone. Working late with American Idol delivering results live to you. Breaking news available in video on your phone. If I were a broadcaster, I would be bullish on delivering my content through mobile for a number of reasons: more potential viewers to count, lessens the dvr issue, increases ad rates, and you can enable more interactive opportunities more easily through the mobile device. And cell phone makers will sell new generations of phones and charge small access fees to get the service. The only thing left to do is build a better battery to handle all this increased usage!