The Feature has a nice round up of things happening on the TV to Mobile front. O2 in the UK and Korea and Japan will probably be first to market.

TU Media in Korea will offer 14 video and 24 audio channels for about $10 a month, and MBCO in Japan will deliver 7 video and 30 audio channels for between $9 and $30 per month. TU also had handsets from Samsung and LG that can receive the broadcasts and will be available before the end of the year, while MBCO says phones for its service will be ready sometime in 2005.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the effort seems to be in the technology, rather than thinking through how people might want to interact with TV on their phone. The theory is that because people watch TV at home, they’ll want to watch the same thing on their mobile, just because they can.

It doesn’t necessarily work like that, as we’ve found for instance, with video calls. Just coz it’s available, doesn’t mean people want it. So the winners in the space need to figure our how to get TV on the mobile (sure) but also what customers want in programming terms.

Portable, hand-held TV has been with us for ever, it seems. But it’s a very small market indeed. So why will people suddenly start watching it on their mobiles?

Admittedly, there’s a theory that indicates if it’s there, it’s in danger of being used. Digital photography has exploded now that you’ve got a camera in your mobile. You don’t need to remember to take your camera, because your mobile’s always with you.

But, I also think that TV formatting is going to have to change from say, the 1/2 hour soaps that dominate the channels. A programming format needs to be developed for the short attention-span “killing time” viewing that will certainly be a major use.

This assumes that people do want a TV on their mobile in the first place. And are prepared to pay for that type of programming.

—–>Follow us on Twitter too: @russellbuckley and @caaarlo

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The Feature has a nice round up of things happening on the TV to Mobile front. O2 in the UK and Korea and Japan will probably be first to market.

TU Media in Korea will offer 14 video and 24 audio channels for about $10 a month, and MBCO in Japan will deliver 7 video and 30 audio channels for between $9 and $30 per month. TU also had handsets from Samsung and LG that can receive the broadcasts and will be available before the end of the year, while MBCO says phones for its service will be ready sometime in 2005.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the effort seems to be in the technology, rather than thinking through how people might want to interact with TV on their phone. The theory is that because people watch TV at home, they’ll want to watch the same thing on their mobile, just because they can.

It doesn’t necessarily work like that, as we’ve found for instance, with video calls. Just coz it’s available, doesn’t mean people want it. So the winners in the space need to figure our how to get TV on the mobile (sure) but also what customers want in programming terms.

Portable, hand-held TV has been with us for ever, it seems. But it’s a very small market indeed. So why will people suddenly start watching it on their mobiles?

Admittedly, there’s a theory that indicates if it’s there, it’s in danger of being used. Digital photography has exploded now that you’ve got a camera in your mobile. You don’t need to remember to take your camera, because your mobile’s always with you.

But, I also think that TV formatting is going to have to change from say, the 1/2 hour soaps that dominate the channels. A programming format needs to be developed for the short attention-span “killing time” viewing that will certainly be a major use.

This assumes that people do want a TV on their mobile in the first place. And are prepared to pay for that type of programming.

—–>Follow us on Twitter too: @russellbuckley and @caaarlo

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

The Feature has a nice round up of things happening on the TV to Mobile front. O2 in the UK and Korea and Japan will probably be first to market.

TU Media in Korea will offer 14 video and 24 audio channels for about $10 a month, and MBCO in Japan will deliver 7 video and 30 audio channels for between $9 and $30 per month. TU also had handsets from Samsung and LG that can receive the broadcasts and will be available before the end of the year, while MBCO says phones for its service will be ready sometime in 2005.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the effort seems to be in the technology, rather than thinking through how people might want to interact with TV on their phone. The theory is that because people watch TV at home, they’ll want to watch the same thing on their mobile, just because they can.

It doesn’t necessarily work like that, as we’ve found for instance, with video calls. Just coz it’s available, doesn’t mean people want it. So the winners in the space need to figure our how to get TV on the mobile (sure) but also what customers want in programming terms.

Portable, hand-held TV has been with us for ever, it seems. But it’s a very small market indeed. So why will people suddenly start watching it on their mobiles?

Admittedly, there’s a theory that indicates if it’s there, it’s in danger of being used. Digital photography has exploded now that you’ve got a camera in your mobile. You don’t need to remember to take your camera, because your mobile’s always with you.

But, I also think that TV formatting is going to have to change from say, the 1/2 hour soaps that dominate the channels. A programming format needs to be developed for the short attention-span “killing time” viewing that will certainly be a major use.

This assumes that people do want a TV on their mobile in the first place. And are prepared to pay for that type of programming.

—–>Follow us on Twitter too: @russellbuckley and @caaarlo

Be Sociable, Share!

•