4 Things You Didn’t Know About Mobile TV

In the near future mobile TV will quickly become a reality in the U.S. Already in 2007 the BlackJack has come to market, the iPhone presents the promise of new opportunities and Verizon has announced plans to carry live TV programming through their V-Cast service.

So what learnings can be applied to the mobile tv viewing experience that havs already taken place in more mature overseas markets?

1. Home use is a strong use cases for Mobile TV
It offers a very personal experience including micro-level control over where, what and how to watch. Mobile TV is about personal experiences so expect a level of personalization and programs that to market to be part of the consideration set in how people consume mobile video


2. Factor in what happens before, during and after watching
Currently finding decent program to watch is harder than you think. Limited display real estate makes browsing, choosing and retaining program information challenging. That’s why the promise of the iPhone is so important. The accelerometer sensors that detects when you rotate the device from portrait to landscape will automatically changes the contents display to widescreen so that content can be enjoyed the way it was intended to be consumed. Apple has also signed agreements with Paramount and Viacom to enable people to access movie content from their wide selection bringing the potential for a large library of widely available content to the mobile platform.

Almost as important, is Apple’s agreement with Cingular to bring the phone to market, accelerating the further adoption of 3G or Wi-Maxx technology to make streaming broadband content fluid as watching at home or steaming content on your computer. This will make it easier for people to share, discuss and comment on mobile content making the experience akin to watching traditional tv programming.


3. Accessories designed to enhance the watching experience will vary in effectiveness
For the most part people are on the move when the decided to access mobile content, so arm length space is at a premium and often a luxury. If mobile TV users are like me, they will be willing to watch between 15 and 45 minutes worth of content on the go. Usually this content will be consumed on public transportation and more often then than not in tight spaces. So the technology used has to be transparient enough not to interrupt the viewing experience. I think the Wall Street Journal has taken the right approach is their paper redesign to streamline the experience of readers. This will help determine the adoption rate of consummation as more people will be on the go with less leisure time.

While enhancements like antennas may not increase the marginal utility of mobile TV consumption, headphone via noise reduction tools like headphones will always be at a premium. People will want to control the environment around them and that goes double for when you are trying to focus your attention on TV programming.

So the watching experience needs to couple a smooth watching experience with sensory considerations (ie: listening when a conductor makes announcements or being aware of when your stop is)


4. Consider the posture in which people decide to consume
Ergonomical design is more important than you think. How people consume mobile TV will largely be dependent on the context of the type of content people decide to watch. For instance, while watching my video iPod this morning I had to hold the screen up close so that I could see the detail of the fight scenes taking place in Episode 1 of the Clone Wars. I can’t help to think design will inform my purchase decision depending on how people like to watch TV. For instance a vertical vs. horizontal display would weigh heavy in my mind if I knew I was going to be watching most of my videos on the subway

Inspired by: Perfect Future