In delightfully conflicting reports
today,
Nokia claimed that consumers want mobile TV, while an
InsightExpress poll concluded that Americans hardly want it at all. Of course there will be a disparity between an
American poll and Nokia's European trials, where they claim to have found that people enjoy TV on their mobiles and are
willing to pay 5 to 10 euros a month for the privilege. But over in the states a resounding 75 percent said, "I am
not interested in watching TV programs or movies on my handheld device." So which one is it? Darned if we know,
but it looks like
DVB-H service is moving forward in both
the US and Europe regardless.
Read: Nokia says yes
Read: InsightExpress says no
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DavidE @ Mar 2nd 2006 9:15PM
Whether the US is for it or not, give it a little time and the public will come on board. Just have Brad Pitt use it in a movie and they'll be breaking down the door to Fry's, looking for mobile tv...
strider_mt2k @ Mar 2nd 2006 9:25PM
Americans that commute, or otherwise have neither the time nor ability to watch on a big screen, in comfort, at home will be really hot for it.
Those that don't commute or can watch at home won't be as hot to pay for something they won't need to use.
Seems pretty straight forward to me.
Z @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:11PM
Of course Americans want it.
Who do these companies interview when they conduct these polls? People who hate technology? Talk about skewed results. The reason polls like these always make it sound as if Americans don't want anything is due to the fact they interview the wrong crowd - 1000 or less of the wrong people and then assume that's the way the entire nation feels, which of course, is ridiculous. These people barely even know what DMB, DVB-H, and MediaFlo are, but wouldn't know what to do without it once they had it.
And what technology, when new, hasn't fallen under this category? Every technology, when new, might have some people resisting the idea at first, but once they have it in their hands, they can't live without it. This was the case with radio, TV, phone, satellite radio, satellite/cable TV, cell phone, the internet, etc., etc. That's just the way it is.
Besides, in America, we see people in poorer neighborhoods who can barely pay the bills, with satellite and cable TV. People are addicted to TV and cell phones, so who wouldn't want a marriage of those two technologies?
I've said it many times before to people and I'll say it again: Society is destined to be connected every which way to data and media (internet, email, IM, messaging, TV, radio, voice (which would cover all things video, audio, and communications related)), and to have access to these things at all times, 24/7, everywhere they go, everyplace they're at (whether at home, at work, in the car, or on foot). We're always going to be jacked in and connected. That's the future, and that's the way it's going to be whether certain people resist it or not.
ZyphBear @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:19AM
I think people would like to have mobile video content, as long as they have more options on things to watch and not just 3-5 min clips of news and easier ways to listen/watch absorb that content. That is why many people like being able to use podcasts with 5th Gen iPods (and of course the Creative M), because the podcasts can be downloaded either overnight or even quickly in the morning before leaving for work (school, etc) and have available on demand once it is on your device. I have watched news, podcasts, even had my computer setup to record the late (or early) news and convert it to an iPod compatible format and just before I leave for work, drop it into iTunes and sync. It is all based on content, how easy that content is to get, and how useful it is to watch while on the go. Yea, some companies are offering content that is "updated up to the minute" for upwards of $15 a month (yuk!) in addition to "internet" and other fees on your cell phone bill. I would be willing to get last nights or early morning news and not "up to the minute" since alot of that is also based on bandwidth and too many people requesting content at the same time can really cause issues. I would like to see more content that is diverse for mobile entertainment, but being able to pause/stop, etc like on my iPod and go back to it is a feature I really enjoy. (Plus also getting content that isn't always available "on demand" like anime and tech shows, is why I lean toward using this content on my iPod instead of a Mobile phone with a much smaller screen)
Freddy J. @ Mar 3rd 2006 11:44AM
IMHO, Americans don't want it because:
A) The majority of Americans drive cars when they commute
B) The US is in a TV programming slump
C) Americans don't allow their kids to watch the programs that are on TV today
D) Americans that do watch TV want HD on massive screens
Europeans want it because:
A) Europeans are interested in the programmng content
B) A Majority of Europeans commute by public transport
C) European programs are watchable
D) European consumers are very forward thinking
4x4van @ Mar 7th 2006 12:09PM
I can see watching tv on the small screen if you are watching it for for the "story"(and these days I DO use the term LOOSLY) or the news, but if your watching it for the action scenes it's pretty much a waste of time.
Terry @ May 3rd 2006 5:37PM
HOOO HUMMM!!
All I want MY celfone to do is MAKE & RECEIVE CALLS.
I don't need a gazillion features on it; just TXT & PIX messaging.
Eventually, Mobile Devices are going to need to use a NUKE battery cause all these 'features' will increase the power consumption beyond the useful limit of current recharargeable batteries. Who wants to carry around Spares cause ya use up all the power in a single one in less than a day??
Mobile Phone News and Reviews @ Jul 7th 2006 9:03AM
I suspect the majority of people still don't know what they want. When they hear 'mobile tv', they think about those handheld televisions that night shift concierges love. Those tiny televisions never took off because no one wants another thing to carry around. Who knows, maybe once this is integrated in a mobile phone, people wouldn't mind using it. Also, tv is more interactive these days. Time will tell.