US Lags in Mobile TV Adoption - Inaccurate Truth?
Written by olafdunn on Feb 14th, 2008 | Filed under: Mobile TV
According to an article at MoCo News
“The US is lagging the rest of western Europe in video usage. Only 36 percent of devices in the US are capable of receiving mobile video.
How can this statistic be made? Mobile TV is only mobile TV when it uses technologies such as DVB-H, DVB-T and DVB-S. Mobile TV over data is not mobile TV, it is a really poor user experience, and high data usage. Hence 36% of devices do not support true mobile TV. Once Mobile TV uses DVB technologies, then the update will be expected to increase as costs to the user “SHOULD” be none, as commercial sponsored channels cover this expense.
While statistic like this are usually misleading I think you have been misled in what you think Mobile TV is.
TV viewed over cellular networks *is* Mobile TV, it isn’t limited to TV on mobiles over dedicated broadcast networks like DVB-H et al.
Also Mobile TV over cellular networks doesn’t always imply a poor user-experience, though this has been an issue in the past. As networks with HSPA protocols have started to go online across the globe they will have more than enough bandwidth to deliver a good TV experience. And as more and more networks are now giving into all-you-can-eat data packages, data usage shouldn’t be an issue
Finally assuming that DVB-H services will be free might be misguided. I’d put money on most European networks charging an extra monthly fee for DVB-H usage. Sponsorship money for commercial channels wouldn’t cover the costs the network incurs in setting up and maintaining the DVB-H network and the operators are notoriously greedy.
Mobile TV should be regarded as satellite TV (or otherwise) with broadcast quality as good as real TV. Watching TV over a cellular network is just not good enough, especially the quality. If cellular networks could provide very high speed access speeds (currently, most cannot) that did not harm TV reception quality, then that would be okay although I doubt that’ll arrive any time soon.
A classic example where mobile TV has *really taken off* is South Korea and its DMB satellite broadcasts. It is 100% free (with all the free-to-air TV and radio stations providing content) and is not just restricted to phones but also desktop and portable computers and even come standard with Navigators and PMPs. I guess it was easier to implement such a system in South Korea since it is a small country compared to the US but still, you have it admit that it’s a huge success with relatively low costs.
blaqk: Most western networks are already using HSPA technologies that would enable great TV quality but even if they weren’t good quality does not define Mobile TV.
The South Korean DMB implementation was indeed a great success but in mobile terms these types if successful trials in South Korea and Japan rarely translate when similar implementations happen in the West. I really hope DVB-H services will be free in Europe but I have a feeling we’re looking at an extra monthly charge.
On another note it’s good to see Nokia include DVB-H support in their new Flagship device, the N96. In the past DVB-H support in Nokias had only been included in fringe models so it;s good to see that Nokia feel the time is right to make it a bit more mainstream. Let’s hope the services follow soon…