By Marguerite Reardon, 6 March 2006 16:25
NEWS
According to a survey conducted by RBC Capital Markets, about 75 per cent of roughly 1,000 people polled said they have no interest in watching TV on their mobile phones. And about 70 per cent said they didn't see themselves using their mobile phones for musical entertainment.
The news could come as a blow to mobile operators, which have already spent billions of dollars upgrading their networks to accommodate new data services such as video and music downloads.
Three of the largest cellular operators in the US, Cingular Wireless, Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless, have already launched video services. Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless have also introduced music download services. And Cingular supports Apple's iTunes service on some of its phones.
Even handset maker Nokia, which is investing in DVB-H, is optimistic that people will spend money on watching TV on their phones.
But judging from the results of this survey and others like it, consumers aren't as excited about the new services as the carriers may have hoped. Linda Barrabee, a senior analyst at The Yankee Group, said there was a similar response to a survey her research company conducted last July.
She said: "I think it's really hard for most people to imagine what the experience of mobile TV would even be. Right now, most people are using phones that aren't even 3G compatible. I think they'll have to see how it can really work and fit into their lives before they can really judge whether they want it."
Barrabee and some other analysts suspect that early adopters of new mobile services are likely to be people 24 years of age and younger. This market is roughly 20 per cent of the 206 million mobile phone users in the US but young people tend to be the heaviest users of text messaging and ringtone downloads, according to The Yankee Group's research.
Only about 15 per cent of the respondents in the RBC survey were between the ages of 21 and 29. No one younger than 21 years of age participated in the survey.
Marguerite Reardon writes for CNET News.com
Comments
There are 8 comments. Join the discussion
1. Stuart Fawcett
I would almost always use a mobile TV to catch up on the weather and news on my train journey into london.
I think many newpaper buyers would consider doing the same; although i'm only likely to pay as much as a newspaper for it.
If Video on demand was there too then maybe i could catch up on neighbours during my 30min journey!
2. Rob
It will turn out like all the other features of a mobile, some will get used to it and wonder how they lived without it, geeks will definately use it. Then there will be the people who will have those sort of phones but won't use it, just like some people have the latest phones but don't use the internet or the camera, yet they have those features cause it's hard to get a phone without them.
I already have the ability to download TV shows to my phone from my PC at home and I do watch those on the train, so there is definately a market out there for it and those that have seen this feature on my phone like the idea.
3. Budd Margolis
Very misleading study as those who have experienced MobileTV (Oxford and Cambridge trials) usually see the practicality of it. And video Podcasting is a similar experience and is also going to have an impact.
Phone screens will increase in quality and resolution. When I watch a PSP film, at about 2 foot dsistance from my eyes it is similar to watching a 15" TV at a typical distance.
This is MeTV so I watch what, when and where I want. Some will enjoy Mobile TV, some will not. But to state that it is a no-goer for the public is akin to saying airplanes wont work because some people hate to fly.
Watching on your mobile while commuting will save time.
4. Nick Clark
Many newspapers are already available free electronically for mobile devices via AvantGo and similar services. I can't see what TV/Video will add, and if anything it will detract as it forces you to absorb information at its pace rather than at your own.
Would be useful for the visually impaired (radio would be even better) or if you want to doze while listening on the commute though.
5. anonymous
I think the success of this application/service will be determined by the price of it. Do you imagine texting would have been as popular if it were priced the same as phone calls ?
6. Andrew Lewis
I had about 5 weeks free trial with Vodafone 3G and I have to admit I was pretty impressed. I still haven't decided whether I will subscribe. If I do it will be for the news channels to watch when I am travelling which at £5 / month is not too bad. The primary spend for me with 3G is for high speed mobile data whether it be for my laptop or just to data feed the live traffic for my sat nav. For the networks data for business customers has got to be the top earner above fancy addon applications. I very much doubt I will ever make a video call for example.
7. Brian McIntyre
A market survey that asks the over 30 crowd about adopting emerging technologies (like TV on your handheld) and headlines like this one do real disservice to the investing community.
My headline would read "Twenty Five Percent of Americans over 30 would watch TV or video on a cell phone" and this even before the technology is readily available!! That's a pretty big number.
This is exciting news. Are you ready for the survey of consumers under 30 who will actually drive this market?
My money is on the experts polled who say yes 65% of the market will use the feature when it becomes widely available. But then they look at the emerging market rather than the mature set in thier ways over 30's that this survey exploits.
If I had surveyed the over 30's ten years ago asking if they would pay real money to change the ringtone on a cellphone what do you think the answer would have been? Who do you think embraced it?
Writers and editors who push this kind of headline with seemingly little thought, a follow the herd mentality, are in fact misinforming thier readers and deliberately so it seems to me.
8. Mike Hill
How many minutes does a Blackberry user stare at his/her screen? Especially on the plane.
How could some teenagers use 2000 sms a month?
Do we really know when it is already happening?
As long as the quality and price are relevant, my call is that TV - moving pictures in full colour - will continue to get viewers, in any screen size.