TR: World Cup's Mobile TV Far From a Success

Authored by Robert Spears on July 6, 2006 - 7:34am.

Technology Review's Brad King comments on some of the setbacks mobile TV has experienced during the World Cup so far. A key, if not obvious, observation is that live or semi-live coverage is much more challenging to deliver for the mobile channel. For example, the quality and reliability expectations of rabid soccer fans - especially during a live do-or-die penalty kick situation – are much higher than those of bored teenagers watching the latest video clips from MTV on their cellphones. In any case, where there is demand, better market solutions are sure to follow, as competition heats up between various vying standards: DVB-H, DMB, TDtv, ISDB-T, and FLO.

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=17120