[Fmpro] It does work ;-) please note

[leshurdle]

Also see

http://www.informatm.com/itmgcontent/icoms



Mobile TV : A Hot Topic



The mobile industry's frenzied efforts to reinvent itself as a mobile  
entertainment business continue apace, with mobile TV making a larger  
than life appearance at 3GSM World Congress, which kicks off in  
Barcelona on Monday. Despite the fact that the vast majority of  
revenue growth - both for the operator and vendor communities - is  
coming out of developing market, mobile TV is one of the biggest  
hopes around.

"At times it's going to feel more like a TV exhibition than a mobile  
exhibition," said Mark Newman, chief research officer. This year the  
Sundance Film Festival makes its appearance at 3GSM - Sundance has  
commissioned six independent film makers to produce made-for-mobile  
films. As the mobile phone morphs into a device that can capture both  
TV and internet content, huge interest is being generated in the user  
generated content and social networking space. "User-generated  
content plays on customer's vanity and ensures they receive their 15  
seconds of fame by transforming them into mini Tom Cruises and/or  
Steven Spielbergs," said Nick Lane, principal analyst at Informa. 3  
UK's recent transition to the open internet model is one good  
example. "3 can now sit back and reap the benefit of its transition  
toward the internet model with X-Series safe in the knowledge that  
its content requirement is being met by its customers," said Lane.

Mobile TV was the hottest topic in Barcelona last year, but this year  
visitors will be expecting to see fully operational trials and  
compelling content, Lane added. In 2006 DVB-H emerged as the clear  
frontrunner for the delivery of mobile TV. But implementation has  
been slower and a clutch of other systems have caught up. These  
include the French-backed satellite platform DVB-SSP, Multimedia  
Broadcast-Multicast Subsystem with either HSDPA or UMTS-TDD air  
interfaces, and MediaFlo. Currently only a UK phenomenon, BT's DAB-IP  
mobile TV solution is also expected to feature at this year's event.  
"Mobile TV services over 3G networks have rolled out in a number of  
European countries over the last year," said Lane. "But none of them  
have really taken the market by storm. "There are still big questions  
that need to be answered about the viability of different technology  
platforms and - more importantly - the business models for mobile TV.  
People are going to want to see compelling content that consumers  
will be willing to pay for," Lane said.