Mobile TV is undeniably a hot topic. Here are just a few recent news highlights: Verizon V-Cast subscribers can now stream episodes of the popular US TV show Lost for an additional $1 per episode. Sony Pictures Digital is pushing it's movie-on-a-card system, which allows British mobile phone users to buy a memory card loaded with a Sony movie preformatted for the small screen. TiVo has teamed up with Sony and Apple to allow users to watch recorded television programs on a PSP or video iPod. In India, Nokia has just released its N-series "TV phones" and anticipates high demand. The US will get TV phones mid-2006 when DVB goes live.
Admittedly some critics say the hype isn't justified, but with so much momentum behind it, I can't see how mobile TV could fail. According to Russell Beattie's 2005 mobile trends, "Mobile video is here (and then some)."
In related news, FierceMarkets is pleased to announce the launch of FierceIPTV. This once-a-week email offers concise summaries of new developments in IPTV technologies and insight into the business strategies about the bundling of video, voice and data processing. To download a copy of our first issue, and sign up for a free weekly email, please visit: www.fierceiptv.com. -Eli