The Mobile Entertainment Industry Podcast

David Lynch and the idea of phone/ipod viewing of motion pictures...

Tue, 8 Jan 2008 19:59:00 GMT

As brilliant as Lynch is, he is not understanding the deal with Millennials and their media -- fans watch their favorite films for the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 20th time on ipods, phones, laptops, etc. It's part of the "ownership" of media that they love. It's a GOOD thing David, not a bad thing. In the 70's you could only see ERASUREHEAD when the theater boss decided to show it, and if you could be available at the exact time and place it was shown... now fans can carry the film with them and look over their favorite scenes, cut and mash-up the film, send it as movie-messages, remix their own soundtrack to it, etc. It's a new century.

MEIP #20 The Death-Rattle of Traditional TV Networks & July Systems helps the audience discover mobile content.

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:38:00 GMT

The Death-Rattle of Traditional TV Newtorks is the topic of the Mobile Entertainment Industry Podcast # 20. Also an in-depth interview with Jaishree Subramania from July Systems about their efforts to make TV content discovery easier for fans of TV programs.

Hosted by filmmaker and new media consultant, James F. Robinson .

For information on how to have your business take advantage of the mobile revolution, visit www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

Listeners can leave comments for the show at: (+1) 213 596 6293 #703

MEIP #19 Social Networking & User Generated Content

Mon, 3 Dec 2007 08:28:00 GMT

Nokia's unlimited music deal and Streamverse, Social Networking & User Generated Content are the topics of the Mobile Entertainment Industry Podcast # 19.

Hosted by filmmaker and new media consultant, James F. Robinson .

For information on how to have your business take advantage of the mobile revolution, visit www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

Listeners can leave comments for the show at: (+1) 213 596 6293 #703

MEIP #18 The Mobile Internet sucks... and how to make it better...

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:11:00 GMT

Robinson talks to Amy Leyh from Bytemobile about improving the mobile Internet experience and using Flash to view mobile multimedia.

Hosted by filmmaker and new media consultant, James F. Robinson .

For information on how to have your business take advantage of the mobile revolution, visit www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

Listeners can leave comments for the show at: (+1) 213 596 6293 #703

MEIP #17 The Average Joe is now an SMS Marketing Wiz

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:10:00 GMT

SMS goes Main Street! JFRobinson talks to Derek Simms and Omer Samiri at iVisionMobile about empowering small businesses to use SMS marketing, short codes and content delivery.

Hosted by mobile entertainment consutant & producer, James F. Robinson .

For information on how to have your business take advantage of the mobile revolution, visit www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

Listeners can leave comments for the show at: (+1) 213 596 6293 #703

MEIP #16 Mobot and the camera-phone as a new marketing tool

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:07:00 GMT

JFRobinson talks to Mobot CEO Russell Gocht about mobile marketing, specifically using mobile phone cameras and MMS to create new and interestings campaigns. Musings on the trends of a "Mega-Niche" society and how mobile is leaning on traditional media forms to create new experiences.

Hosted by mobile entertainment consultant & producer, James F. Robinson .

For information on how to have your business take advantage of the mobile revolution, visit www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

Listeners can leave comments for the show at: (+1) 213 596 6293 #703

MEIP #15 Zed Station and the WGA strike

Mon, 5 Nov 2007 08:46:00 GMT

JFRobinson discusses the Hollywood Writer's Guild strike and the changes ahead. In-depth interview with Zed's General Manager, Corporate Communication, Miguel Lopez-Quesada about Zed Station, sharing content, citizen broadcasting and the future of converged Social Networks.

Hosted by mobile entertainment consultant & producer, James F. Robinson .

For information on how to have your business take advantage of the mobile revolution, visit www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

Listeners can leave comments for the show at: (+1) 213 596 6293 #703

MEIP #14 CTIA Doldrums and Symbian vs. iPhone

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 07:00:00 GMT

Mobile entertainment producer and consultant James F. Robinson interviews David Wood, EVP of Research for Symbian in this weekâs Mobile Entertainment Industry Podcast. Robinson also discusses the aftermath of the recent CTIA IT and Entertainment show in San Francisco.

Wood discusses the future of the mobile user experience, the competition from Appleâs iPhone, and Symbianâs new product ScreenPlay. ScreenPlay is the new graphics architecture in Symbian OS.

Videos and information about Screenplay can be found HERE

Hosted by mobile entertainment consutant & producer, James F. Robinson .

For information on how to have your business take advantage of the mobile revolution, visit www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

Listeners can leave comments for the show at: (+1) 213 596 6293 #703

MEIP #13 Nokia's MOSH, Custom Ringtones from mSpot

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Nokia's MOSH, Custom Ringtones, Daren Tsui, CEO of mSpot talks about "Make-A-Ringer". Plus general chatter about music company revenues in the new digital age.

Hosted by mobile entertainment consultant & producer, James F. Robinson .

For information on how to have your business take advantage of the mobile revolution, visit www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

Listeners can leave comments for the show at: (+1) 213 596 6293 #703

MEIP #12 All about the iPhone experience

info@jfrobinsonconsult.com — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 07:00:00 GMT

iPhone, iPhone, iPhone. In-depth interviews with US iPhone users about what turns them on and off about the device. Also "Mystery Shop" an Apple Store and hear what the salespeople know. This podcast is a "must-listen" for anyone involved in mobile entertainment, marketing, user experience and services.
Is the iPhone changing the game forever? You decide....

Hosted by mobile entertainment consultant & producer, James F. Robinson .

For information on how to have your business take advantage of the mobile revolution, visit www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

Listeners can leave comments for the show at: (+1) 213 596 6293 #703

MEIP #11 Graeme Ferguson, MD Global Content at Picsel

Mon, 8 Oct 2007 07:24:00 GMT

The latest episode of the Mobile Entertainment Industry Podcast features an exclusive interview with Graeme Ferguson, Managing Director, Global Content at Picsel. James F. Robinson interviews Graeme and topics include the iPhone, data revenue share disruptions between Orange and Apple, refining user interface, mobile TV, the problem with âclicksâ and other mobile entertainment nitty-gritty.

Formerly Director of Global Content Development for the Vodafone Group, Ferguson joined Picsel in 2007 to lead its Global Content Division. At Vodafone, Graeme led the team that launched Vodafone Live!

Podcast hosted by mobile entertainment guru, JFRobinson.

Feedback: Podcast@JFRobinsonConsult.com.

Listener Line: (+1) 213 596 6293 ext. 703.

www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

MEIP #10 Sponsored Content and Photo Community

Mon, 3 Sep 2007 07:00:00 GMT

This week, sponsored content and new directions in photo-based community and communication. Interviews with Mobileplay co-founder and CEO James Ryan and Tiny Pictures founder and CEO John Poisson.

Podcast hosted by mobile entertainment guru, JFRobinson.

Feedback: Podcast@JFRobinsonConsult.com.

Listener Line: (+1) 213 596 6293 ext. 703.

www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

20 BILLION USD in mobile revenue this year.

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 06:27:00 GMT

According to research firm iSuppli, mobile phone content will total 20B USD this year.

Now, I want to put this in PERSPECTIVE. According to the MPAA: total US theatrical boxoffice (movies) for 2006 totaled USD 9.49 billion. The GLOBAL take was 25.82 billion USD. So the entire theatrical movie revenues, are about 25% more than the mobile entertainment biz. The theatrical business started around 1910 or so and the mobile business... 1999?

iSuppli predicts that new services, namely mobile video, will take the industry up to 44 billion by 2011. They expect a large growth spurt from India and Brazil especially.

According to iSuppli, "Data now represents nearly 20 percent of revenue for the top 20 mobile operators in the world. Those that get more than 30 percent of their revenue from data are SK Telecom, and i-mode adopters NTT DoCoMo and Telefonica's O2".

For more info, see the MocoNews report:

The RETURN

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 19:05:00 GMT

The MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT PODCAST & BLOG returns!Â I have been diverted slightly but am anxious to catch up on all the amazing things that are happening in this space.Â There is a lot to talk about and I will be publishing new podcasts in the coming days...Â iPhone, YouTube on mobile, the wrecks at Amp'd Mobile and other MVNO's - It's a long list! I have been immersed in a different kind of mobile entertainment, introducing "Participation TV" (or "Text TV") to the US market.Â

I have been working for client ACTIVE LOOP TELEVISION (Norway) to create and launch TEXT-ME TV in the US. We did a regional test in Michigan, and I am developing a national syndication rollout for the fall. To see clips of the show, visit:

TEXT-ME TV

Mobile Entertainment Podcast #9, September 4th, 2006

Mon, 4 Sep 2006 04:01:00 GMT

Interview: "CELL" is new dance experience created by the Headlong Dance Theater of Philadelphia, PA (USA). Currently running in the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival, the perfomance relies on mobile phone technology. An idea-generating brain-shake as to what "mobile entertainment" can be.

LINK COMPANY

LINK PERFORMANCE

Podcast hosted by mobile entertainment guru, JFRobinson.

Feedback: Podcast@JFRobinsonConsult.com.

Listener Line: (+1) 213 596 6293 ext. 703.

www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

Mobile Entertainment Podcast #8, August 28th, 2006

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 04:01:00 GMT

Interview with Kristen McDonnell of LIMELIFE (USA) about creating mobile content & community for women and girls, plus BBC WAP & Nigeria, Austrian Mobile Multimedia smack-down, Nokia & Sony Ericsson & more. Hosted by mobile entertainment guru, JFRobinson. Feedback: Podcast@JFRobinsonConsult.com. Listener Line: (+1) 213 6293 ext. 703. www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

Fallout from LA Times Beat-Down of MobileTV

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 01:30:00 GMT

Did I mention that the LA Times article & poll was going to create a negative "conventional wisdom" (CW) buzz in Hollywood... Here is an example from the FILM & VIDEO website -- and I assume, the print version too.

SHOULD YOU CARE?

A Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll finds that only 14 percent of teenagers aged 12 to 17 say they want to watch TV on their cell phone, while 17 percent would consider watching on a video iPod or other portable device. (By contrast, 42 percent say they'd watch TV on a computer screen.)

SHOULD YOU CARE? NO. Kids aren't stupid. Have you tried watching television on your phone? It's a terrible experience -- the sound is bad and the video is worse. In the early days of CD-ROM technology, tiny MPEG-1 clips running at postage-stamp sizes on the screen of your Windows 98 PC were more compelling. Even the larger iPod screen (320x240) can induce iStrain. But this too shall pass -- once viewing technology exits the dark ages and cleverly designed gizmos with better screens (and more bandwidth for media) become the norm, expect the kids to come around. For now, don't bet the farm on mobile media -- but don't write it off, either.

... "Oh it sucks... but don't write it off either"... we call that "KYA" here in the big city. Expect this CW to come out of Hollywood execs and agents mouth's like a mantra for the next 9 months...

Mobile Entertainment Podcast #7, August 21st, 2006

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 04:01:00 GMT

Interview with Antonio Vince Staybl of GO FRESH (GERMANY) about user-generated content & mobile community, plus ROK TV in USA, LA Times polling flaws, Niche Ringtones and more.

Hosted by mobile entertainment guru, JFRobinson.

Feedback: Podcast@JFRobinsonConsult.com.

Listener Line: (+1) 213 6293 ext. 703.

www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

Science Fiction? (wait, we could do this now...)

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 14:03:00 GMT

"I am sitting in a comfortable armchair. In my left-hand is a cup of coffee, while my right is navigating the screen in front of me. The computer is asking me about my favourite colours. In the corner of the display I can see the home-screen of my handset customising in real-time as the system suggests a palette to meet my tastes."

So starts an essay by Marek Pawlowski on the MEX website on what the DREAM RETAIL EXPERIENCE could be for mobile users -- everyone in the indistry should read this... (And also subscribe to the MEX email newsletter - if you are all interested in Mobile Marketing). Enjoy!

Click on CLICK ME

Mobile Video Service Revenue Set to Skyrocket to $5.6 billion by 2009

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 12:38:00 GMT

More rosy predictions for Mobile Video...

The PRESS RELEASE follows from analyst firm Infonetics Research.

If mobile video providers are able to resolve a number of quality- and content-related issues -- and analyst firm Infonetics Research thinks they are -- revenue generated from mobile video services around the world is set to skyrocket from $46.2 million in 2005 to $5.6 billion in 2009, a staggering 11,997% jump in 5 years.

According to Infonetics' latest market outlook report, "Mobile Video Devices, Services, and Subscribers," mobile video is the wave of the future. But that wave won't crest until vendors and providers address a long list of difficult but surmountable challenges.

"The success of mobile video hinges on a number of factors, including the availability of handsets with reduced power consumption, value for the subscriber's money, ease of use, acceptable price points for multimedia handsets, and most importantly, the right selection of standard and unique channels, content, and services," said Jeff Heynen, directing analyst for broadband and IPTV at Infonetics.

"All of these challenges are within reason of being resolved quickly," Heynen continued. "Mobile video needs to replicate the home TV experience as much as possible, be it over broadcast (RF) or unicast (3G) mobile devices. The mobile video services available today leave a lot to be desired, but people are still subscribing because they're excited about the future of the technology. The convenience it provides outweighs its limitations."

Mobile operators are expanding the bandwidth of their existing 3G networks through HSDPA and MBMS, rolling out dedicated, RF-based broadcast networks, and deploying new mobile video service delivery platforms (SDPs), all steps that pave the way to offer the same content as we see on regular satellite, digital, or cable TV at home.

Infonetics' report indicates that sports will serve as a major content anchor for most mobile video service providers, as exclusive coverage will help drive advertising revenue, subscriber growth, and support for other prime time programming. In the US, Sprint/Nextel has a 5-year $600 million deal with the National Football League (NFL) to deliver highlights from the week's games and real-time updates of scores and player statistics. And in South Korea, Japan, and throughout Europe, mobile video operators who streamed and broadcast the 2006 World Cup games and highlights saw a huge spike in mobile video subscriptions. Infonetics says we can expect more of the same in the future.

Report Highlights

-- The number of worldwide mobile video subscribers will jump 8,006% between 2005 and 2009

-- Asia Pacific leads with roughly half of the world's mobile video subscribers and the largest portion of mobile video service revenue, every year from 2005 to 2009

-- The number of mobile video handsets sold worldwide is expected to grow from 28 million in 2005 to 336 million in 2009

STRATEGY ANALYTICS: US MVNOs Fail To Capture Market Imagination

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 04:01:00 GMT

Okay - here we go again... More analysts jumping on the MVNO-BASH SPREE.

PRESS RELEASE: "Strategy Analytics, the global research and consulting company, has today released a damning report from its Wireless Network Strategies service on the state of the US Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) market which indicates that the majority of the virtual networks launched with such fanfare earlier over the past two years, will fail to make an impact on the marketplace.

MVNOs, such as Helio and Mobile ESPN, have not lived up to their marketing hype. Despite promising to shake up the market, they have only attracted miniscule customer numbers. In contrast, less glamorous MVNOs, Tracfone, Virgin, and Boost, aimed at the prepaid and youth market, have carved out a comfortable niche, which the trendy, high-tech newcomers can only enviously ogle.

Sara Harris, Senior Industry Analyst at Strategy Analytics, who wrote the report, comments, "The new wave of MVNOs has failed to learn lessons from its predecessors. The handsets are boring, pricing uninspired and the distribution strategy is flawed. This is a three-fold recipe for failure." At the end of 2005, Tracfone, Virgin and Boost accounted for 65 percent of the US MVNO market.

David Kerr, Vice President of the Global Wireless Practice, notes, "Most MVNOs seem to have forgotten to recognize the digital youth segment's preference for prepaid service when planning these product, promotion and distribution strategies."

To view "US Reseller/MVNO Share, end 2005," a chart in the report, "Disney and Cable Operators Best Placed to Succeed in US MVNO Market," see www.strategyanalytics.com/press/PR00319.htm"

COMMENT: I continue to hope that these MVNO's don't cave-in to this frenzy of criticism... First, they have just launched their products... there is a lot of tinkering left to do. And I challenge that everything is rosy with Virgin and Boost (now Sprint/Nextel)... Many in the industry believe their growth has significantly slowed... Virgin USA has not released sub numbers in a long time.

But it seems to me that next-generation "content" is really the one getting bashed... anyone remember a few years back when net advertising was proclaimed a "disaster"? Look at it today.

LA TIMES POLL SLAMS MOBILE TV

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 19:03:00 GMT

Yikes! More butt-kicking of the infant Mobile video/TV medium. ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE PAPER NO LESS. It's like pounding a six-month old child with a hockey stick because it doesn't have a job. A sample from the times report entitled: NO BIG DEMAND FOR SMALL SCREEN.

You SHOULD read the entire article HERE

Front page HERE.

Poll HERE..

EXCERPT FROM ARTICLE: "Tech-savvy young people aren't as eager to watch TV on their cellphones and iPods as networks might think.

By Matea Gold, Times Staff Writer August 10, 2006

Before Kaitlyn Brown headed to church camp this summer, her mother outfitted the 13-year-old with a sleek new Sprint phone that boasts one of the newest features on the market: mobile television.

"Me and my mom thought it would be a cool thing," said the soon-to-be seventh-grader, who lives in Spring Branch, Texas. But after watching a couple of jerky transmissions of comedy clips on the phone's display panel, Brown quickly became disenchanted.

"It kept stopping midstream and stuff," she said. "I didn't really like it, so I took it off. It was extra money, and I didn't think it was worth it."

She's not alone.

Entertainment purveyors may be scrambling to package their content into mobisodes, video downloads and podcasts, but a new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll found that teens and young adults - the generation most likely to be the early adopters of this new technology - have yet to fully embrace it.

About half of young adults and 4 in 10 teenagers said they were uninterested in watching television shows or movies on computers, cellphones or hand-held devices such as video iPods, the poll found.

While more than 2 out of 5 teens and young adults indicated they were open to viewing this kind of content online, only 14% of teenagers said they wanted to watch television on a cellphone, and 17% said they would view programs on an iPod.

The findings suggest that networks are rushing to package content for these new platforms before even tech-savvy young consumers are hankering for the "third screen" experience.

The survey, which asked a wide range of questions about entertainment consumption, highlighted the pervasive influence of television particularly on tween girls, a majority of whom reported that TV shows affected their dress, speech, music preferences or social activities. In addition, it found that a surprisingly high number of teenagers and young adults gleaned news from traditional media sources such as local television and network newscasts - for many through a sort of information osmosis as they absorbed news from programs their parents were watching.

Perhaps most intriguing, however, was the indication of a widespread indifference toward small-screen viewing among teenagers and young adults. While many in the industry expect the demand for such content to rise dramatically in the coming years, the poll offered clues to a consumer reluctance that first must be overcome.

In follow-up interviews with those surveyed, many young people said they were intrigued by the notion of getting their entertainment on devices such as cellphones and iPods. But two major obstacles have so far dampened their enthusiasm: the cost and the uneven quality of the experience."

COMMENT: I have a major gripe with this poll -- the key question: "Q: On which of the following devices would you want to watch a movie? " if fundamentally flawed... I wouldn't want to watch a "movie" (which generally means a feature length program - more than 90 minutes) on a mobile phone either -- HERE'S THE POINT... This generation is thriving on a new "Clip Culture"... YouTube is the greatest example (how many of the 53% of the teens polled who said they would NOT watch a movie on thir computer, have watched clips on YouTube?)

What will be interesting is how this effects the "suits" at the studios -- who have already been bumbling around the edges of this new medium. You can be sure every entertainment executive in Hollywood has read this article.

Mobile Entertainment Podcast #6, August 7th, 2006

Mon, 7 Aug 2006 04:01:00 GMT

Sprint Nextel stock hammered, Voda 3G dump, is RAZR everything (?) and cash rich US MVNO Amp'd goes Canadian and raises even more. Plus interview with David Warburton of Pitch (UK) about free content for advertising. Hosted by mobile entertainment guru, JFRobinson.

Feedback: Podcast@JFRobinsonConsult.com.

Listener Line: (+1) 213 6293 ext. 703.

www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

Great 3G Advertising

Thu, 3 Aug 2006 05:01:00 GMT

From OPTIMUS (Portugal). A "must see"...

WATCH

HUH? GPRS-GSM-WCDMA-DVBH-EDGE-WAP ???

Tue, 1 Aug 2006 11:42:00 GMT

If you are new to the mobile content business -- you may not have a clue what we are discussing on the podcast... it can really be confusing.

Amuse your friend, dogs and small children by expanding your wireless vocabulary -- find a dictionary here:

ASIA.CNET

Mobile Entertainment Podcast #5, July 31st, 2006

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 04:01:00 GMT

MobileTV in Japan, YouTube & "Clip Culture", interview with Ghatim Kabbara of SAFIRA SOLUTIONS discussing discusses trends in European WAP content delivery, plus... figuring out wireless terminology.

The Mobile Entertainment Industry Podcast is for professionals in the mobile content industry. Hosted by mobile industry veteran and filmmaker JFRobinson. New episodes each Monday. Feedback to: podcast@jfrobinsonconsult.com or leave comments at the listener hotline (+1) 213 596 6293 ext. 703. TRT 40:44

http://www.JFRobinsonConsult.com.

The MVNO Butt-Kicking Continues...

Fri, 28 Jul 2006 23:42:00 GMT

Amid all the ulcers and hand-wringing about US MVNO's -- Sue Marek's opinion piece in today's Wireless Week email-newsletter says it all, and I quote:

"MVNO has suddenly become a dirty word. In fact, I recently had a conversation with the public relations person at a very high-profile MVNO. He was disgruntled because I said I was working on a story about MVNOs. He said he would prefer it if I would call the company a wireless operator because from the consumer point of view, this MVNO is no different from an operator. He also said that this MVNO considers its competition to be the traditional operators, not other MVNOs. I told him that Wireless Week is a business publication and our readers are other wireless industry professionals so I thought it was important to distinguish between traditional operators and virtual network operators. He didn't agree. Clearly, he was trying to distance his firm from the term MVNO. Although I won't go so far as to say that the MVNO term has become equated with a failing business, I do think the MVNO business model was over-hyped and now many firms are experiencing a backlash. Do you think the term MVNO is a dirty word in the industry? "

So we have had Wall Street (Merrill Lynch) slam Disney's MOBILE ESPN offering, telling them to kill it -- and the Disney-brand MVNO in the works is tarnished by association. No one will talk about subscribers for AMP'd and Virgin hasn't posted subscription numbers in a coon's age, which probably means no-good-news.. And now we have HELIO launching! HELIO WEB PAGE

I personally like Helio's marketing effort (They have billboards plastered all over LA -- slogan: "Don't Call it a Phone"). It seems cool and more female-friendly by far than Amp'd. And it is becoming clear that the Mobile Content industry in the West is going to have to focus on young women to succeed, just as the Koreans and Japanese have so successfully.

And not to slight Amp'd -- I think the usability of the product and UI is fabulous... It is simply not easy to get teenage boys to step away from the parents (FREE) "family plan" and shill out the money for a unique service... The big difference in the US is that teens simply get a free $$$ ride for their mobile bill -- the youth oriented MVNOs (is there any other kind that has a chance?) need to find a way to cut the apron strings. While in Europe, kids spend almost ALL their available cash on mobile - it's accepted as normal - that is why SMS caught on as fast as it did there.

Personally I think Wall Street and everyone else should cut the MVNO's a little slack and let them work out the bugs -- it's obscene to expect a new product (like MOBILE ESPN & AMP'D) to be kicking ass after 6 months. How long did television or radio take to establish themselves? Years and years. Let's let them figure it out and check back with them in January '07. It is such a HOLLYWOOD thrash-frenzy right now -- Hollywood's favorite thing is to watch others fail -- the town loves it MUCH more than when someone succeeds. The mobile industry should be cheering for these guys to succeed -- remember the billions of dollars in those high-speed networks? Why did you build those again? -- oh yeah -- content.

Check out Sue's excellent MVNO musings here:

WIRELESS WEEK

Mobile Entertainment Podcast #4, July 24th, 2006

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 04:01:00 GMT

Bashing Mobile ESPN, Verizon vs. Cingular, Pitch's UK offer of free mobile content and an in-depth interview about user-generated mobile content with David Springall, CTO of YoSpace UK. The Mobile Entertainment Industry Podcast is for professionals in the mobile content industry. Feedback to: podcast@jfrobinsonconsult.com or leave comments at the listener hotline (+1) 213 596 6293 ext. 703. http://www.JFRobinsonConsult.com. New episodes each Monday. My Odeo Channel (odeo/cd51753896390f19)

Cingular Video Service with HSDPA (with LG RAZR-killer?)

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:15:00 GMT

Cingular (USA) just rolled out their first phone for its HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) network, enabling customers to access mobile entertainment via a high-speed network. They claim speeds of 400 kilobits per second to 700 kbps, with burst speeds as high as 1 megabit per second. Cingular subscribers use the network for consumer applications, namely the Cingular Video service, which offers news, sports, movie trailers, and clips from TV shows. Like all the mobile operators, Cingular is counting on users to get on the phone-based-entertainment bandwagon (so do we), along with enterprise use, to make this expensive high-speed network pay off. The Cingular Video Service should be the biggest beneficiary of this new bandwidth -- hopefully we will see INNOVATIVE CONTENT as well, to go with the innovative network and innovative handset.

The phone is the The CU500, from LG Electronics, a RAZR-like clamshell phone that includes a music player for MP3, AAC, and AAC Plus songs. It comes with a 1.3-megapixel camera with a rotating lens and video capability, as well as a MicroSD slot for storage. I think it looks great. Nokia, SEM, Moto - where are you on this? Why do the Koreans ALWAYS seem to offer all the handsets for ALL the new American 3G services at launch? Hats off to them!

Guangdong China loads up for MobileTV

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 05:27:00 GMT

From Cellular News:

A new series of combined broadcast systems from broadcast solutions group, Radio Frequency Systems (RFS), is providing dual-channel mobile TV service to China's southern province of Guangdong. Implemented in three stages and scheduled for completion in mid-2007, the Guangdong mobile TV project incorporates 42 separate RFS antenna systems, and represents the largest commercial mobile television network in the world to-date.

Read the article: HERE

Guangdong province is by far the most active in mobile content sales and data services. In the south near Hong Kong, it has more highly paid workers than other provinces with a bit more extra cash to spend on frivolities like mobile games & personalization. With transmission sites located in Guangdong province cities of Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Shenzhen and Zhuhai, the country's latest broadcast installation is predicted to attract over three million viewers.

Mobile Entertainment Podcast #3, July 17th, 2006

Mon, 17 Jul 2006 04:01:00 GMT

Interviews with CELLFIRE CEO Brent Dusing to discuss his mobile digital coupon service and JUICE WIRELESS COO and Chairman, Nick Desai, on the rise of user-generated content on mobile and his new product, JuiceCaster. MobiTV gets 70 million, new Symbian OS and the new Samsung blackberry "killer". Mobile entertainment industry consultant JFRobinson hosts the podcast. www.jfrobinsonconsult.com Comments, suggestions or rants? Call +1 213 596 6293, ext 703

Sprint Podcast

Thu, 13 Jul 2006 18:52:00 GMT

If you are into CDMA and EVDO or just need mobile podcast stuff rattling around in your brain while you do email -- check out the Sprint podcasts at "The Communications Insider". Podcasts include "EVDO Roundtable", "Wireless Phone Etiquette", "Mobile Multimedia" and "NASCAR and mobile broadband technology". Well done.

http://podcast.sprint.com/1/1/

Mobile Entertainment Podcast #2, July 10th, 2006

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 04:01:00 GMT

Crap Mobile Games, Skype Cold-Call Research Project, My Friend the Transistor Radio and Jasper argues with the research. Plus interview with Neil Closner of Cascada mobile about Viral Marketing. Hosted by JFRobinson. www.JFRobinsonConsult.com

Research confusion -- do we laugh or cry?

Sun, 9 Jul 2006 06:31:00 GMT

Jupiter Research just announced a report focused on Europe and Mobile Entertainment. They say that only 8% of Europeans want "Mobile Video" or "Mobile TV" or whatever we are calling it... (What about PocketCinema?)

This conflicts (seemingly) with a ORC International report based on the UK (funded by Microsoft) that says 44% of UK mobile subscibers want "Mobile TV" and that the number was even higher among 16 to 24 year olds, the key Mobile Entertainment demo.

Yes, I know the UK does not consider itself part of Europe :) But those are BIG differences in numbers.

My only comment is that in 1995 if you asked 1000 people if they wanted to type very short messages with their thumbs and send them to other people and PAY for the honor, how many would have said "yes?". What made SMS the global phenom that it is, was 2 things... the fact that it struck people as a cool, slightly subversive and hip way to communicate and that texting itself, amoung the young, it became as much ENTERTAINMENT as COMMUNICATION. (high voice tariffs helped too).

When PocketCinema becomes unique, social and invents itself as a new form of "Communitainment"... no teenager in the world will be able to do without it.

Mobile Entertainment Podcast #1 July 3rd, 2006

Mon, 3 Jul 2006 06:15:00 GMT

Premiere Episode of The Mobile Entertainment Podcast hosted by JFRobinson. Interview with Gerrit Jan Konijnenberg, CEO of Comsys in Europe, i-Mode, DVB-H mobile video, Advertainment and Jasper the press release-reading robot.

Women Dominate Mobile Phone Gaming

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 16:47:00 GMT

There is a new report from PARKS ASSOCIATES that shows women are the dominators in mobile gaming.

Telephia recently published similar data, their study showed 65 percent of mobile gaming revenues are from female users. Telephia says females make up 72 percent of the total revenue generated from puzzle & strategy games, which is the hottest category of mobile games.

Parks Associates claims women represent 59% of all U.S. consumers who play games on a mobile phone. Furthermore, women comprise 61% of all those playing mobile phone games 1-4 hours per month and 58% of all those playing for more than four hours per month.

These findings concur with the overall demographic makeup of Internet gamers, where women are the majority due to their penchant for online trivia and card games. Men, on the other hand, hold the majority among gamers who play intense action and role-playing games, and there is not a comparable group of male users in the mobile gaming space.

Press releases:

PARKS ASSOCIATES: http://www.parksassociates.com/press/press_releases/2006/electronic-gaming-mc1.html

TELEPHIA: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060626/20060626005581.html?.v=1

Projection: Mobile Entertainment fuels growth in Europe to EUR 198.4 billion

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 17:17:00 GMT

The upbeat projections from analysts continue for the growth of 3G and mobile entertainment services. Now a new report from Analysys gives a ray of sunshine to a difficult moment in the industry as consolidation and flat mobile game sales are starting to rain on the parade.

The Western European mobile market is forecast to grow by more than 6% per year to reach EUR198.4 billion in 2011, according to a new report, The Western European Mobile Market: trends and forecasts 2006 to 2011, published by Analysys, the global advisers on telecoms, IT and media. With mobile penetration close to saturation, growth will primarily be driven by rich-media services including music and television.

"We are now seeing a rapid acceleration in the number of full-track downloads and in streamed TV usage," says report author Dr Windsor Holden. "Subscribers are becoming more familiar and comfortable accessing both on and off-portal content; as mobile broadband becomes more prevalent this growth is likely to continue." Holden adds that that the longer term prospects for voice revenues are also encouraging. Total mobile services revenue is forecast to grow at a compound average growth rate of 6.2% from EUR138.4 billion in 2005 to EUR198.4 billion in 2011

Chocolate makes LG smile... where's the yummy content frosting?

Sat, 24 Jun 2006 20:54:00 GMT

You have probably heard about the huge success of the LG "Chocolate" phone. Which has officially shipped more than a million units. There has absolutely been a rush on this phone in the UK (similar to what happened with the Razr). This confirms again what we are seeing is the mobile phone as a true pop culture product, where the looks of the phone and what that look says about you is such a strong motivation, that you are willing to go through such an incredible about of effort to make that statement. In this phone's case, that effort is not only in the form of going to the phone shop and paying through the nose for example, $550 in the UK online as of today (Â300), then transferring all your phone numbers and data, giving up all your downloaded games and ringtones and trying to figure out what must be for most European customers, a very foreign LG user interface and software. What do they do this? A quote from Saudi Arabia hits the nail on the head (except for the "affordable" part...):

"Modern buying trends are governed as much by emotion as by product specification and the LG Chocolate phone connects on both levels. It is totally unique, very desirable and yet affordable" said C K Cho, GM of LG Saudi Arabia.

Some are claiming the LG Chocolate a success of form over function. LG certainly should be congratulated for having a hit like this, opening up a new level for them in Europe. I was very impressed by the adventurous spirit of their overall design at GSM world in Barcelona. But there has been some brutal online trashing of the phone's UI and functionality. But the point I want to make is this: if a slick look and red glowing buttons will sell a million (or two or three or ten) five-hundred dollar handsets, what would a cool addictive content service do that was available ONLY for that phone? Why wasn't there an awesome download video service or other exclusive interactive and addictive content service that reflected the same feel and appeal of the design? I'm not talking about a fat content licensing deal or putting movie trailers or repurposing TV shows, I'm talking about a mobile-centric, ORIGINAL service that is AS CREATIVE AS THE DESIGN OF THE PHONE ITSELF. Remember, this is a Pop Culture product, and I think the day has come to see the complete product as one thing - so what the phone can DO for the customer is just as cool as it LOOKS.

See Chocolate links to reviews and photos here:

Mobile Entertainment Sales -- entering the desert

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 04:46:00 GMT

If you have not yet felt the ill wind of change on your back, you will. It appears that the Mobile Entertainment business, and mobile data services industry in general have entered a period of flat sales and industry re-evaluation, navel-gazing, teeth-gnashing and finger pointing.

THE END OF THE BEGINNING

Is this the end of the boom-time hype-athon about mobile data sales? How can things be slowing down when smart phone sales are growing at a great rate? Why do the the MVNO's seem so BORING? What is wrong with the marketing, UI and WHY is the DESIRE waning? Why has mobile entertainment development not created that next-stage ADDICTION service we all have been expecting?

And when did we first step foot out into the desert?

Maybe it started when Graeme Ferguson of Vodafone called most mobile games "crap" or maybe it was EA's flip-floppy announcements about creating "off the deck" opportunities for itself, to the stories that Verizon and other carriers were "cracking down" on heavy data users and on and on... it seems like a major funk is coming on.

I have some theories about why this is happening which I will blather on about in a future post, but I wanted mainly to point out another blog I like that is discussing this. You should check out "Mobile Opportunity" by Michael Mace (http://mobileopportunity.blogspot.com/).

There are 2 recent posts worth looking at, "Why are Mobile Application Sales Dropping?" (WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2006) and "Trouble with a 3G Smart Phone" (WEDNESDAY, JUNE 07, 2006). The first is interesting but I think, not specific to us in the Mobile Entertainment biz, but the June 7th post however is a "must read". A blistering critique of a new Sprint EVDO phone + service (phone by Samsung). This detailed report about the trials and tribulations of using the phone and service is ABSOLUTELY SMASH ENTERTAINMENT and Mace says many things about the way operators develop services that many of us think, but prefer to keep to ourselves. Enjoy. http://mobileopportunity.blogspot.com/

In Italy, DVB-H means the full plate o' pasta! (no "snacking")

Thu, 1 Jun 2006 18:42:00 GMT

(FROM MOCO NET NEWS) The Wall Street Journal has a detailed account of the Italian mobile TV sector, with a suggestion that this could be a good model to follow in other countries because the broadcaster and (two) operators are working together. Of course, it requires that the respective companies be willing to do what the Italian companies did... "Mediaset, controlled by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, owns the frequencies over which Italy's DVB-H signals are transmitted. The company leases a portion of the network to Telecom Italia and Vodafone. More importantly, Mediaset provides a broad menu of cellphone-formatted video channels that the mobile operators can offer their customers. Operators have the option of finding their own content as well...The model enables both sides to retain their most important assets: The operators still have their relationship with their cellphone customers; the broadcaster still is the main source for content and keeps its relationship with its advertisers." Mediaset spent Euro 250 million ($321.7 million) rolling out its DVB-H network and leases 25% of the network for Euro 75 million for a five-year lease, an offer taken up by Telecom Italia and Vodafone. That's slightly more than the cost of the network, but assumes that Mediaset has plans to utilize the other half in some way. In contrast, Hutchison decided to build its own network to launch mobile TV, arguing that it had to differentiate itself from its two bigger competitors. Hutch spent Euro 220 million on the network and supplying its own content could cost it another Euro 10 million a year -- but it will launch first. Hutch loves that first mover advantage. The need to provide its own content explains the purchase of a TV station at the end of last year. As a sidenote, Orange found that users of its mobile video service "snack" on the content, watching 2-3 minutes at a time, whereas trials with DVB-H technology showed that users stayed tuned for an average of 16 minutes.

CHINA REPORT, Part 2

Thu, 1 Jun 2006 07:09:00 GMT

China is at an interesting spot in terms of mobile content. It is getting ready to move beyond the highly successful text services popular with millions of consumers. Ringtones are booming and new entertainment applications, games and multimedia are bursting on the scene. China Mobile rules it all with a firm hand. And over and baby-brother China Unicom, BREW subscribers continue to grow. Where it will go is anyone's guess, because China will be China, not an imitation of Japan or Korea. WAP seems to be on the upswing, with subscription services in some cases reaching 200,000+ members, paying 20 to 35 cents a month (USD). Taiwan and Hong Kong are both interesting markets to watch, partly because of the competition between multiple carriers going after a small audience and because of the mix of services (3G, i-Mode, etc.). Photo taken near Shanghai Airport, after I missed my flight home and had to wait another day (typical!!). Actually if you look close, she is talking on a land-line phone... but I like the photo...

Mobile Marketing, China

Thu, 1 Jun 2006 07:07:00 GMT

WPWDVC? (Which Phone Would Darth Vader Choose?)

I love this stuff...

Thu, 25 May 2006 18:24:00 GMT

This has nothing to do with mobile entertainment -- but things like this is why I love going to China. This was taken near Pudong Airport (Shanghai)... laundry laid out accross a sidewalk... or maybe it was an art installation! In a way this reminds me of the current business attitude in China -- JUST DO IT! Also I have never seen anyone dry kids trousers on hangars like this in America or Europe, but it is simple, cheap, efficient and gets the job done -- again, similar to the Chinese approach to business.

The Land of the Morning (construction) Crane

Thu, 25 May 2006 18:20:00 GMT

Everywhere in China, high-rise apartments and offices on the rise. This is in Dongguan.

Fish Head Delight (China)

Thu, 25 May 2006 16:23:00 GMT

The remains of a delicious fish-head meal in Shenzhen, courtesy of my generous hosts at Haoxi. I have to say, it was delicious. The Chinese say the head is the best part of a fish, and they prefer parts of the animal that are in motion (like the feet of a chicken) to the rest of the animal (like chicken breast). Did I mention "fresh" means REALLY fresh in China? -- they bring out the flopping fish for your approval prior to cooking. International dining tip number 324! (photo taken with Nokia 3230)

Another friend of mine who lives in Shanhgai told me a trick that experienced diners use... The reason they show you the live fish (or crab, eel, etc.) is to convince you that the animal didn't die on it's own (horrible!) and has been floating in a bucket in the back for a week and a half. Some less-than-reputable chefs have been known to show the diners the live fish and then cook the old dead one. The dining tip is this (animal activists, divert your eyes!) Smart diners tear off a fin from the live fish when presented for their inspection, and then use the missing fin as an ID to make sure their meal is the same fish. International dining tip number 325!

China Report -- Part 1

Thu, 25 May 2006 16:15:00 GMT

I recently returned from 8 days in China, in Shanghai and Shenzhen. It was my third trip there in the last year. China is a big priority for everyone who is serious about Mobile Entertainment, and it is complex and rapidly changing target.

As most people know, China is the home of the largest mobile phone user base on the planet. Trust me, even this guy asleep in his tricycle/pickup truck has a phone in his pocket (photo). Already, there are more mobile phone subscribers in China than there are men, women, kids, babies, and old folks and criminally insane in all the US put together (380 million by last count). This is about 28% penetration, so folks; we gotta a lot of growing still ahead. By the end of the decade or before, they will top 500 million subscribers.

The Chinese set up two state owned major operators, China Mobile (GSM) the big boy, and China Unicom (CDMA) the little brother. The goal on everyone's mind is to have a new 3G network polished and humming by the 2008 Olympics.

However, there is plenty of action in content sales and delivery via GPRS and BREW on Unicoms CDMA network. In the next post, I will talk more about what is being offered and the pricing and numbers.

Japan, China and the rest of us...

Thu, 25 May 2006 16:10:00 GMT

It's important to stay in touch with the Japanese mobile entertainment industry. Conventional Wisdom says it is a look in the future of mobile multimedia in Europe, The Americas and greater Asia. That is only partly true. Japanese carriers have adopted a strategy of delivering content that is different from the path carriers like Verizon, Sprint, Orange and Vodafone are pursuing.

The Japanese model opens up access to their "official" service providers to hundreds of content owners/publishers. For a small country like Japan, that cuts the pie into very small slices for content owners. Other operators are not so generous with their portals, and tightly control who has access to their customers. This is good news for the companies that started early and built relationships, but not so good news for those who want to jump in now.

Obviously, there is still much to learn in Japan, and one of the best lessons is that there seem to be no end to the money to be earned from mobile content. In the mature Japanese market, some elite i-Mode sites are now boasting 5 million subscribers paying 500 Yen a month (about 5 dollars) do the math... THEN look to China... with a user base approaching 400 million consumers.

Lov'n the 90 minute commute (Tokyo Japan)

Thu, 25 May 2006 16:05:00 GMT

Here is a typical scene in a Tokyo subway, 3 of the 5 people are communicating or consuming some kind of media or information on their phone (no one is allowed to talk on the phone in the Tokyo subway), one is sleeping and the fifth is reading something called a NEWSPAPER, a user-terminated form of information distribution developed in the 18th century.

Mobile-addicted fashionista, Tokyo style

Thu, 25 May 2006 08:19:00 GMT

The original Mobile Lifestyle -- 24/7. What did she do before mobile phones? Photo taken with a Nokia 3230 at about 1 am.

Cool, flat and slick

Thu, 25 May 2006 07:51:00 GMT

Not all the phones in Japan are flip-phones. I likes these...

Some Japanese smart-phones

Thu, 25 May 2006 07:44:00 GMT

Here are some photos of unique phones I saw near Shinjuku Station. Note the lack of keypads.

Tokyo commuter train

Thu, 25 May 2006 07:24:00 GMT

Mobile entertainment growth and usage are greatly enhanced by a commuter culture in urban societies like Japan and the UK. Because USA workers generally drive themselves to work, it may develop in a different way from Europe and Asia.

A Coffee in Tokyo, Ichigaya

Thu, 25 May 2006 07:16:00 GMT

Tokyo can lay claim as the birthplace of Mobile Entertainment culture, yet because of the specific cultural nature of Japanese consumerism, entertainment properties are difficult to import to and export from Japan. But the fact is that we in the west have to keep our eye on the trends in Japan in terms of Mobile Entertainment, because it is like a peek into the future for the rest of the world. I try to get to Tokyo a couple of times a year, and it always sparks new ideas. Photo from Starbucks, Ichegaya Station, Tokyo

Thoughts on Mobile Culture, the new Mass Medium and other nonsense from JFRobinson

jfrobinson@jamesfrobinson.com — Wed, 24 May 2006 06:30:00 GMT

Hi, I am Jim Robinson and this blog and podcast is about the Mobile Entertainment Industry, which if all goes according to plan, will including interviews with key mobile industry leaders, news, reviews of services and new multimedia handsets and other information and and tidbits for those in the mobile entertainment industry. In other words, this is about the business of movies, games and other entertainment on mobile phones. And by the way -- there are now over 1.5 BILLION of those little buggers out there, making this platform the biggest mass-medium in the world.

I am a consultant for the Mobile Entertainment Industry, and the founder of CinemaElectric, Inc., a Hollywood-based content provider specializing in "PocketCinema" for mobile phones. I started the company in 1999, built a distribution network spanning over 50 countries and later took the company public. I have recently left CinemaElectric and started a consulting business to help others exploit opportunities in this explosive new industry. For those that are interested, my website is JFRobinsonConsult.com .

Before that I was (am) an independent filmmaker, my last film was STILL BREATHING starring Brendan Fraser, Joanna Going, the late Lou Rawls, Ann Magnuson and Celeste Holm. For more on STILL BREATHING see the listing at IMDB.com STILL BREATHING ON IMDB and also on AMAZON.COM.