Mobile TV for the UK
p2pnet.net News:- With news that the Big Four Organized Music cartel in the US is bent on taking out XM Satellite Radio, the country’s largest digital radio broadcaster, as a backdrop, BBC One, ITV1 and Channel 4 say they’ll broadcast to mobile phones over the Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) network.
“BT Movio will offer BBC One, ITV1 and E4 live – but with some films, sport and US shows removed from the line-ups,” says the BBC.
And Virgin says it’ll launch its Lobster 700TV handset able to pick up DAB video and radio, says The Register.
“Customers on contracts costing £25 (about $47) or more per month with the company will get the phone and TV service for free,” says the BBC, going on, “Otherwise, the handset will cost £199 (about $371), with subscription to the TV and radio package offered free for the first three months and £5 (about $9.30) a month thereafter.
“BBC One will be part of the service for 12 months on a trial basis and will be provided for free. Other phone operators are also expected to start offering the package – which is the latest step in the move towards mobile viewing.”
“The BT Movio software, which manages the service, is more than capable of providing pay-per-view, subscription services, and such like, but for the moment all content is free,” says The Register. “It would be hard to make subscribers pay for content they can get free at home (subscribers will still need to own a TV license, so not completely free), and the important thing at this stage is to generate some interest in the service and find out if people actually want to watch TV on their mobile.
“It might seem obvious that TV viewing would be a popular service; with Sprint offering full-length movies in the US and both 3 and Orange in the UK providing a streaming video service over their cellular networks, but the business case for mobile video is far from proven.”
“Users will have the chance to watch Coronation Street in the pub,” says the caption to the BBC pic, upper right.
But if the service does take off, will the Beeb, Virgin, their customers and any other companies who decide to pick up BT Movio feel the fetid breath of Hollywood and Big Four so-called ‘trade’ outfits, the BPI and the MPAA, on their necks?
Also See:
taking out – RIAA targets XM Satellite Radio, September 8, 2006
BBC – Major TV broadcasters go mobile, September 7, 2006
The Register – BT and Virgin announce broadcast TV over DAB, September 8, 2006
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