Is Mobile TV the Next Frontier For Revenue Growth

When over the air TV was good enough, investors wondered if consumers would buy TV programming when it was already free to see. The answer was a resounding yes and cable has becoming a profitable business. With cable programming, the value was quickly felt, better signals, more niche offerings, and a higher volume of shows. Sirius and XM Satellite asked the very same question about free radio signals, and the answer today is mixed as Sirius is set to purchase XM. Other devices like ipods, cds, and back seat dvd players offer alternative entertainment options for the car.

The opportunity to reach video fanatics away from their couch, has value to people who need to stay connected to content. To me, the value of mobile video is in direct proportion to the immediacy of its information. Need to watch a live sporting event but have to car pool the kids, mobile tv keeps you connected to the action. Breaking news being delivered while sitting at a little league game, now you can be in 2 places at once. But missing 30 Rock, or any non-live show, I am not confident that it will be highly desired. Especially when these shows are easily recorded for later viewing or accessible via online from your pc. There is no rush to watch most TV shows at their linear airing date.

Still, the value of live sports and breaking news may be enough to lead people to purchase a video package on their phone. Per this article, "TV stations could earn an additional $2 billion annually within four years by sending their programming directly to millions of consumers toting mobile handheld devices, National Association of Broadcasters president David Rehr said here Monday."

But what will the business model look like? Will it be through subscription, advertising, e-commerce through the phone, gaming? And even more important, will consumers buy programs from their local TV broadcast channel, or buy directly the show they need to watch. Will WNBC benefit or MLB; WABC or Disney/ESPN? Will consumers want to buy channels with 24/7 availability or on a PPV basis?

Should cable companies be worried? Can mobile channels lead consumers to replace one device for another? Today's younger generation no longer has a hard wired phone, using their cell phone exclusively as their "home" phone number. Could mobile technology allow signals to be moved directly into the living room, bypassing the hard wire connection of cable? How many times is the consumer willing to pay more than once for the same programming but on different devices.

And lastly, will a cell phone battery be improved to last longer than a day or two on each charge? I'll let you know as soon a my blackberry recharges. :)

Will Every Home get a Holodeck?

I marvel at Gene Roddenberry's vision. As creator of Star Trek, he had come up with some amazing ideas that have become reality. What started as science fiction is becoming science fact. Everytime I open my cellular phone, I think of the Star Trek communicator. So this article confirmed that another of Gene's ideas are moving toward actual.

The Wii player manages to bring the player into a physical interactive environment with the game. Second Life seems to want to mimic not only your hands, but your whole body's movements on the screen. The next step is to enclose all this action in a room to separate movements from the distraction of the outside room.

We already have media rooms and companies paid tons of money to create theaters in our homes. Big screen TVs, surround sound, comfortable seating. I say we are only a few years away from a company announcing that they will build a first generation holodeck room, with multiple cameras that enable you to feel and interact with 3D video in an enclosed space. It seems that Linden Labs is moving that direction.

How Much Information Do I Really Want To Share

If you have a My Space account, or Facebook, or Plaxo, or Linked In, on another social network site, you know that everything you do is shared with your "friends". You took a quiz, you wrote on the wall, you watched a video, you played a game, you bought a cupcake...

And as far as I'm concerned, it literally is screaming out, YOU ARE GOOFING OFF!

So how much information do I want to share. I like that it tells people when I wrote a blog, I like that it shares my upcoming birthday (sorry you missed it), I like that it lets people know if we have common friends, I like that it tells others what I want them to know, a la twitter type message. But I want to be able to control the information. The information I am okay sharing may not be the same information you are willing to share. That choice should be explicitly made by the user.

This recent announcement of the collaboration of My Space with video content Providing this connection may make these sites even more the "home page" for each user's online experience. As more applications become possible to access, combined with the ease of sharing new online discoveries with "friends", these social nets become even more connected to our online activities.

I just want to have more control over what I want to actively and passively share. I don't want to make my life that much of an open book. I still want to retain some privacy of my actions. These sites may be fun to use but it allows others (friends, work, etc.) to track you too. Be mindful of what you are doing online and who might be seeing it.

Is Faster Access to the Internet Needed?

Does speed matter? As competition has entered the cable fray, the strategic plans being determined by each entity is how to best become the dominant, preferred choice. Telco vs Cable vs Satellite, each has unique advantages and disadvantages to bring to the market. In TV, satellite pushes more HD channels and in Direct TV's case, exclusivity with NFL.

As hi speed and TV begin to merge, and streaming content to different devices becomes more important, than speed can be used as a competitive advantage. But how quickly are the pc and the tv merging. And until that happens, can current speeds be adequate to satisfy the masses.

Each customer will have different preferences in determining which provider to choose. Today, HD programming appears most important. I believe more consumers are interested in purchasing HD tvs for their home than how fast their download stream is. And those other investments that may deliver more consumer satisfaction, may be tied directly back to the cable box and tv viewing. The faster the access to on demand, the larger the choice of standard and hi def programming, the opportunity to utilize more enhanced interactive features, may prove more valuable than how fast the download stream is to the pc.

Put the increased investment into the cable box with easier access to more choice on the TV. Create a cool portal that is consumer friendly, easy to navigate, with smart controls and flexibility, and the user will gravitate to it.

Amazon’s Kindle is Disruptive Technology

Amazon's Kindle should absolutely be classified as disruptive technology. While it poses a threat to print manufacturing and distribution, it is an opportunity to digital media. We also live in an age where Green is more than a buzzword, it is a necessity. That Kindle allows the reader to access newspapers and magazines, without using paper, which appeals to more and more people. And in a world of immediacy, it's wifi connection allows the reader to get the latest news and information.

Where Apple has the dominance in digital audio, Amazon may succeed as the dominant provider of digital print. Working in conjunction with equipment manufacturers to enhance these devices, the Kindle could spark consumers to not only get their digital print from Amazon, but to use similar devices to get audio and video. I foresee that application as the next real opportunity for Amazon and Kindle. The Kindle is easier to hold for viewing, resting comfortably on your lap or propped up on a table. It seems the obvious step for the next generation of devices.

I've felt that the ipod is a perfect device to access and listen to music, but its small viewing size may be a real disadvantage for video. The ipod is perfect for a pocket, the Kindle for reading and watching. It may prove that the Kindle device, adapted for video and audio, may soon become the more ideal device for mobile viewing of short and long form videos, and the must have device for every person.

In fact, Kindles might just bring back the "man bag" trend. We need something to carry this product.

Can Sony get 50% market share for Blu-ray this Year

As the world has become digital, dvd and cd sales have declined. That HD DVD were fighting for dominance, and how quickly Blu Ray eliminated the competition, only demonstrates that the dvd, in any form, is a dying animal. Like the VHS player before it, technology is quickly changing how we watch content.

I do not see Blu Ray, as a stand alone box, getting dominant. I think the only way this format gets into the home is to be combined with the game console approach through Playstation. And despite getting into the home, most users will be less likely to purchase discs and more likely to either rent through Netflix or get an HD show through broadband.

Its not the cost that makes the likely of Sony Blu Ray being dominant, its that the technology has changed so rapidly that the dvd, whether in hi def or not, is no longer the current standard for watching content.

I see more potential with Tivo downloading streams of HD content from Amazon. And I wouldn't be surprised when Playstation 3 enables downloading of HD to its box as well. There might exist opportunity to get an incremental purchase by allowing the content to be copied to disc, flashcard, ipod, etc.

The DVR has Changed our Lives

I still remember when I got my first VCR. It allowed me the freedom to go out on a Saturday night without missing SNL. It wasn't the easiest to configure. and many chose to not even set their clock and simply use the device to watch movies. But for me, it cut the chain to linear tv watching and allowed me to not miss favorite tv shows. It freed me from having to choose.

When Tivo came into the house, it not only made it easier to record multiple shows, but even easier to locate, watch, and fast forward through commercials. No longer did I have to locate the show I wanted to watch on a tape, or keep track of multiple tapes that were constantly being re-recorded over. Tivo even recommended shows for me to watch. Heaven; even more freedom.

The DVR exists in my house as well and is used primarily for kid's programming. It's advantage for us is that it records digital programming, while my Tivo is on a set without a cable box. My kids have grown up on DVRs and on demand. They understand fast forwarding and tv programs when they want. Waiting for a show to start is foreign to them.

Does it matter that our Tivo is not yet online and connected to Amazon or Netflix. Not really. The combination of on demand and DVR provides enough choices for us so far. Where I see the challenge is when I want to watch the show on my TV but have the ability to copy the show to another device to take on the road, either for the cars dvd player or pc or ipod. If the DVR box could simplify the mobility piece, I'd be even happier.

Did Mobile Communications Mean Taxis?

If you live in NY, you've noticed that taxis now offer credit card option for payment. Unfortunately it comes with a horrible annoyance, television advertising in the back seat. And while I have found my eyes drawn to the screen, I find it neither enjoyable or welcoming. I am being force fed advertising and not being compensated for it. And while I tend to tune it out, I have et to turn it off. Perhaps that is the one true option.

Nickelodeon Expands Virtual Worlds - Ad Support & Subscription

Nickelodeon seems to understand their demo and the power of multi-platform content. On TV, they have built a brand that reaches across all ages; both adults and their children can sit in front of their TV and enjoy the same shows. And they have created character driven shows that extend online; iCarly being the perfect blend of online and linear to the you tube generation.

They continue to lock in their audience by extending their reach into online gaming and virtual worlds. As kids have become so adept at using the computer, they will have no issue moving back and forth among these offerings. Nickelodeon will in fact lock in this demographic.

The challenge is that this audience is at an age where they are naive to the business model. When a kid watches a commercial, they immediately desire to have the product. As parents, we must use our best tact to listen to that need and to redirect to other subjects. Advertising to this demo must be managed successfully. Reaching this audience is great, but the parents need to be reached as well. Paid subscription can offer to the parent safety that the child won't see or be influenced by advertising. The free to play model, while ad supported, needs to walk a fine line as to the commercial message being sent and the action being asked of the child. Perhaps, systems can be put into place where the child can click to show interest in the ad and the ad message will be sent to a parent's e-mail address. The bottom line, they must proceed cautiously.

Kids are the next generation of online users; Nickelodeon has a variety of content offerings to keep this audience from age 3 through 16 and beyond! From Dora to Zoey 101, from Wonderpets to Spongebob to Avatar; if they show restraint and common sense in their advertising model, they will keep the parents, too.