Monday, October 22, 2007

Content Kinks: User-Generated Videos Losing their Appeal?




By David Farquhar
European Editor

We have been saying for a long time that in the mobile and Internet video world content is king. Just ask the people over at YouTube, who measure the most inane and unbelievably amateur videos in terms of millions of hits, and are starting to get the advertising dollars to support these user-generated feeds.

Unfortunately, if you look beyond the platinum tower and sky-high stock price that is Google (owners of YouTube) you quickly realize that not everyone can duplicate that model and make a buck by creating a video trough of content. Promising young companies have tried and failed to capitalize on the user-generated video craze (and we use that term because it is a fad that will eventually fade) because there is no sustainable interest in the rubbish that is presently passing for clever video content.

Sure, there is the occasional gem, but these examples are far outweighed by clips of snoring dogs, posed 'accidents' and other media mayhem. Also, advertisers have caught on to the attraction of YouTube and are using it to post bogus videos that are nothing ads for products and services. One of these purports to show a guy who flips out at a local coffee shop after 'accidentally' spilling coffee on his laptop computer. In reality, it is a viral pitch for a computer repair shop.

One recent company that tried and failed to go the YouTube route is ManiaTV, which launched in 2004 backed by some VC money and knowledgeable co-founders. The company developed thousands of channels for user-generated content - a good idea since communities are critical to the success of this evolving broadcast medium. But, the channels offered the same old and worn user-created programming available at any URL nook and cranny on the Web. Also, like YouTube, the sources and copyrights for the content was questionable - which raised red flags with advertisers.

As a result, ManiaTV decided to close down shop for a while and re-tool its broadcast model to focus exclusively on quality custom programming and productions - meaning they have pulled the plug on amateurs and are now soliciting professionally-produced content. In August, the company struck a deal with Baeble Media LLC to partner on producing a music content series - called Backstage Pass - that will spotlight New York City's underground music scene.

Will the new strategy work? Perhaps, although we have our doubts that ManiaTV and other smaller players can effectively take the production route and bankroll higher-quality content. By raising the bar, they will also be competing with those in traditional broadcasting, who are salivating at the thought of expanding their network reach and creating links to existing television programming. We do like the idea of the music programming channel, but suspect this is not enough to carry an Internet broadcasting company.

The alternative is for ManiaTV to become a production company and channel their content through existing and bigger channels on the Internet and in the mobile space. After all, wouldn't it make sense to channel reports on the NY music scene primarily to mobile devices - even those a big larger in format such as the Apple iPhone and Nokia Internet Tablet? Most likely, the consuming community for these broadcasts are out and about and would prefer top watch and share updates at a 4am rave in some funky warehouse venue.

We are all learning our lessons when it comes to content, now it is time to play it smart when it comes to viewing communities as well.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Is the Video Pause that Refreshes Due for a Refresh?


Are people watching more online video and enjoying it less? Recent research on the movement would seem to indicate that although Internet-based video and even mobile video watching is on the upswing, there are some very important hurdles to overcome before viewers wholeheartedly commit to these new broadcast mediums.

There is no doubt that online video is becoming increasingly popular and will become more mainstream over time, says market researcher In-Stat. However, some of the key problems facing widespread adoption are download speed, user interface, cost, and quality of video (both visual and content).

This last point is important since (let's face it!) there is a lot of crap out there in cyberspace as video vessels like YouTube and others become virtual troughs for anything that is digital. YouTube may have validated the importance and demand for online and mobile video, the next step is to put some real effort into creating quality digital content that specifically targets communities of people who watch videos on the Internet or are out and about and crave that mobile video fix.

One ambitious effort to raise the bar in terms of creating quality mobile content was recently launched by the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) in Glasgow, Scotland. The school is the center (or centre, if you are of the UK persuasion!) of film activity in Europe and the world, and now wants to focus on the emerging area of mobile films and broadcasting to mobile communities worldwide. You can check out their early Web site at www.rsamdmobile.com.

(In the spirit of full disclosure, we will admit the effort is aided by Shoreline Media International, which is a parental affiliate of this blog).

In-Stat goes on to note that social networking trends will pay an important role in how the newer generation of digital consumers will watch and interact with TV. We believe that in order to be successful, mobile video must relate to something happening in 'real life' and be closely tied to location. The technology must also not remove you from your life experiences too long, but should enhance those experiences. In short, if mobile video doesn't relate tome and my needs then I will switch channels.

In-Stat points out that as consumers are offered more choice and control when it comes to content (be it PVRs, user generated content, or TV shows online) thee will be an increasing effort to unbundle television/video entertainment and these trends will dominate the video landscape for the next few years. We agree, of course, but caution that re-purposed and 'sliced and diced' content may be interesting for awhile, but is not sustainable and will ultimately not keep or increase viewership.

Our recommended solution: Regard Internet and especially mobile video as the new broadcast mediums that they are and create new techniques and models to develop and distribute digital projects. After all, how many regurgitated versions of Desperate Housewives is this new generation of video consumers expected to swallow?

Finally, In-Stat's surveys reveal that online videos appeal more to the under-25 crowd than older folks. We say, while this may be so for initial acceptance there will be increasing interest by those a little older and fatter in the wallet (remember those aging population demographics!). Older people, who like and are able to travel quite a bit for example, are perfect targets for mobile videos and interactive advertising that relates to where they are in the world and what they want out of a trip. Other prime content areas include education, entertainment and health.

Our wily friends at In-Stat note say in another report that people under 45 years of age are the likely drivers for future growth of enhanced mobile and entertainment services - which means that allegedly youthful pastimes are not necessarily reserved for the young when it comes to online and mobile content.



* "Internet TV Market Strategic Analysis" (#IN0703940TX), In-Stat (www.instat.com)

Monday, October 1, 2007

Up All Night with Apple..


Scripture tells us that the children will lead us into salvation. Hmmm..I don't know about that - especially with some of the kids I know! However, it is true that some of the best mobile and 'mini' filmmakers are on the young side and are students who know their way around digital cameras and new media.

This fact is not lost on the folks at Apple Computer, who have announced the launch of the 2nd Insomnia Film Festival on October 13 at 9:00 a.m. (EST). On that day, Apple will post a list of elements — special props, dialogue, settings — that must be used in its film competition. Choose any three to include in your movie. Then, you and your team will write, cast, shoot, edit, score, and upload a 3-minute masterpiece within 24 hours.

Once the films are in, your friends, family, and fans will be able to watch them online and rate their favorites. The 25 entries with the highest rating on November 9 at 12:00 a.m. EST will be screened by industry professionals, including Barry Sonnenfeld, James Mangold, and Nora Ephron. If your film is the biggest hit with either the public or the pros, each member of your team will receive a MacBook Pro, Final Cut Studio 2, Logic Studio, and Shake.

The top 25 public rated finalists will also be featured on Apple’s own iTunes Store Podcast page; and will have the opportunity to present their film and be featured in a Made on a Mac presentation at participating Apple retail locations.

The winner of the public voting and the film picked as the best by the celebrity judges will be front and center on the Facebook Apple Students page. The top 10 rated movies will also be featured in "Made on a Mac" on the Apple Students page. The films will be on display for over 400,000 group members to view and critique in the Apple Student discussion board.

These same two winning films will join the elite ranks of previous winners and be added to our Insomnia winner’s gallery.

Slingjam, a community rating website for multimedia content will present one Insomnia Film Festival team with the Slingjam Creative Award. The criteria for this award will focus on the creativity of the storyline and art direction, more than the quality of production or the acting.

Members of the winning team will receive a private group video iChat with David Barron, producer of the hit Harry Potter feature films. This one hour face-to-face discussion will offer the winning team the chance to have their Insomnia film critiqued, and their questions answered by one of Hollywood's leading producers.

Sounds pretty neat to us, so get ready for some fast and furious ultra-short film making!

Friday, July 27, 2007

iPhone Lust or Bust? Five Reasons Why I Will Not Be Phoning Home with an iPhone


I have to admit, I really did not 'lust' for an Apple iPhone until someone came by my house and casually took one out of his pocket and flashed it around in the mid-say sun. It is truly an awesome and incredible device - especially when you become adept enough to flip through all of its features like that disembodied person in the Apple television ads. It is like an iPod on steroids!

Despite this infatuation and iPhone envy, however, I have decided that I can quite nicely live without Apple's answer to "What next, after the market is saturated with iPods?" In fact, the following are five reasons why I will not be buying an iPhone any time soon - at least not the first iteration of the product:

1. My departed father always told me never to buy the first version of a product, whether it be a washing machine or an automobile, since everyone knows that a initial products are full of bugs and problems and early adopters are noting more than cash-carrying beta users (my words, since my father was an old-world Irishman who preferred a room-temperature pint over anything electronic). He also refused to buy any kind of entry-level or top-of-the-line products, opting instead for middle-of the-road dependability (which is why he always shopped at Sears).

2. The New AT&T, formerly Cingular and not to be confused with the Old AT&T (before Cingular) is truly the slowest data network on the planet. The voice network may be passable, but I can only believe that AT&T paid a bundle and sold its soul to the devil (and Steve Jobs) for the right to exclusively marketing the iPhone. Like hundreds of thousands of others, my teenage son rushed down to the Apple store to check out the iPhone when it finally leaped beyond the hype and tried to call me on the device to tell me he actually had it in his hands. Sadly, I could hear the background noise in the store, but he couldn't hear me over the AT&T network. A new technology is only as good and strong as it's weakest link, and AT&T is a weak link.

3. I am a bit put off by the initial numbers surrounding the iPhone. AT&T claims 146,000 activations in the first two days of its introduction, while Apple is tossing around 240,000 as a comfortable number. That's quite a gap. This discrepancy dredges up memories of Apple's ill-fated Newton mobile device unveiled many, many years ago. This was a very slick piece of equipment that also rode a heady wave of initial anticipation. When it was finally unveiled at a MacWorld event in Boston, hundreds of people jumped all over themselves to shell out $1000 for this neat device. They quickly discovered, however, that hype form just didn't meet the system's promised function, and the next day The Boston Globe was filled with ads for "slightly used" Newtons. Call me a skeptic, but I an happy I still have my $599 iPhone money in my pocket.

4. There are just too many problems surfacing related to the device. These range from some very real concerns about the security of data and its compatibility with industry-standard email environments like Microsoft Exchange, to complaints about the touch screen and durability of the system. I don't have a habit of dropping and banging around my current cell phone, but I certainly don't want a device that requires special care and is unduly fragile.

5. Okay, I have been a PC user for decades and have only recently come over from the 'dark side' and now use a MacBook as my primary PC. I made the jump because many people told me how reliable and dependable the system and Mac OS is as compared to the PC and Microsoft Windows. I'll admit the experience is different and maybe a little more fun, but I have just about had it with the eccentricities and flakiness of the Safari OS and the MacBook's habit of stalling between applications and annoying me with that damn spinning wheel icon. It makes me yearn again for that little hourglass icon from the PC world. Clearly, Apple has its own issues to resolve, despite what those PC-Guy Apple-Guy commercials present to the public.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

From Porn to Corn: E3 Slams Door on Mobility




If you build it, they will come - or at least that's what Kevin Costner was told before he mowed down a perfectly good corn field to build a playing field for some long-gone ball players.

This was sort of the tactic taken recently by the E3 gaming people as they launched their revamped and remodeled E3 Media and Business Summit event in Santa Monica earlier this month. The idea was to bounce back after a rather severe housecleaning the previous year that eliminated exhibitors who relied on scantily-clad women and suggestive gyrations to attract video game players and distributors to their wares.

The result was a more homogenized, much more serious and (some say) very boring gaming event that was a mere shadow of it's former self. IDG Expos hopes to take advantage of this tactical weakness as it debuts it's own EforAll event this October in Los Angeles. The effort is spearheaded by Mary Dolaher, the former director of E3 who was responsible for putting the brakes on the suggestive cakes and frosting which had tainted the original event. Helping her in this effort is an ex top video game honcho who is determined to bring gaming excitement back into the exhibits arena - being billed as a mecca for the 'serious gamer'.

In any case, the new and improved E3, in all its glorious wisdom, decided to shut its doors on mobile gaming companies by keeping them off the oh-so-restrictive invitation list. Interesting, considering the mobile gaming and entertainment market is expected to bump the $11B range by 2011, according to analysts. As a result, these shunned mobile vendors packed up their wares (easy, since they are portable!) and went across town to hold their own confab - called Mobile Games Insider. The group's organizer said about 150 or so executives shuffled over to a meeting spot on the Santa Monica beach to gossip and exchange business tips and leads.

Our insiders tell us the actual crowd that turned out was much more modest group. But, the point is that E3 shut the door on what will quickly become the future of the gaming industry. Companies like Sony are pushing wireless gaming as a growing trend and developing systems to back up that claim. Even popular gaming systems like Guitar Hero have gone wireless and mobile. Everyone is cutting the wired cord while the E3 Media and Business Summit seems to have cut off its own umbilical and chance of future growth and survivability.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Rumors of Mobile Media Death (or Failed Birth) Are Exaggerated






By Adam McIwaine
EU Editor


Critics of mobile video services and cell phone-based mobile media are quick to point out that initial demand for these services and a subscriber’s willingness to pay for them is less than strong.

However, wireless service providers seem to be making money from these offerings, and forecasts for the future of mobile media are pink, if not rosy.

Service provider revenue from mobile video services increased 317% to almost $200 million worldwide from 2005 to 2006, says market researcher Infonetics Research in a new report, entitled "Mobile Video Devices, Services, and Subscribers." And those figures are expected to triple this year, which means there is profit in mobile pictures.

The report also points out an increase in the number of worldwide mobile video subscribers by more than 300% between 2005 and 2006, and forecasts 46 million mobile-watching mavens by 2010. Pushing acceptance and demand are such things as new and more powerful handsets, and the continued migration to all-digital networks (and subsequent death of analog).

Other findings detailed in the report:

- Competition among service providers will keep subscription prices lower in the long term, but revenue will be bolstered by a spike in on-demand mobile viewing (especially related to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing;

- Asia Pacific will be the regional stronghold of mobile video subscribers through at least 2010, with 57% of the world total in 2006, followed by European countries (31%) and North America (10%);

- The number of mobile video handsets sold worldwide nearly doubled from 2005 to 2006 (including video-capable handsets not necessarily tied to a specific mobile video service)

Okay, the critics may point to the relatively low percentage figures in North America to validate their claim of a lukewarm reception for mobile media. But, this may be because people are being charged right out of the gate for these services in NA, while Japan and Asian based companies have just about given them away for nothing.

We think the demand in North America will skyrocket as the content offerings improve and specific communities of users build affinities for particular content types. This sends a pretty clear message to those involved in content creation and distribution today to get their acts together and stop slicing and dicing existing television, film and Internet content and start making some fresh made for mobile material.

You can get more on the Infonetics report at their Web site (www.infonetics.com), although we’d also love to hear your thoughts via this Web log.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

You Say Potato, I Say Mobile…

One factor that may be driving more people to wireless and mobile devices for news and information is an insatiable desire for more and more content – at least that’s what a report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project indicates.

According to the report, released this week, increasingly-available communications technologies – wireless and wired – has led to more reliance on the Internet, mobile systems and social networking sites as pools of content.

The report noted that 85 percent of adults in the U.S. use the Internet or cell phones to access content, send messages and participate in social networking activities. These people desktop computers, laptops, digital cameras, video cameras, Web cams, iPods or other MP3 players, cell phones and PDA/smartphones on a daily basis. Eight percent of these people admit relying on stationary and mobile tools to keep in touch, do their jobs, or just kick back and watch the latest mobile media feed.

Roughly 10 percent of the people polled regularly use their cell phones for communication, Internet surfing and video viewing. However, about 8% prefer their networking to be tethered and do not care for wireless devices or slow communications infrastructures to get their daily fix of information and connectivity.

The study included responses from 4,001 adults, aged 18 and older, which were surveyed via telephone last year (although it is not stated if any of these phones were mobile.

The burning question: Who was that single individual who pushed the respondent count over 4,000, and why did Pew stop there? If you are out there, send us a message (via a mobile deice, of course!)

Monday, May 7, 2007

Is Mobile Media Making Enough Forward Motion?



By Adam McIlwaine
EU Editor


Last year, approximately $421 million was spent on mobile phone advertising, according to a report by eMarketer, a market research company that tracks such things. This compares with roughly $48 billion spent in television advertising last year, says another reputable source.

In an article that appears in a recent New York Times*, experts are quoted as saying this is a bit disappointing and may signal that advertisers are not ready for small screen positioning. Hollywood types also say that it will be years before the enthusiasm for small screen productions catches up with mass-market consumption.

While some pundits may view this article and others like it as an indicator that mobile media is not growing if not be leaps and bounds then at least steadily, we believe that the industry is making strong gains and may even be ahead of plans in terms of audience and mobile advertising activities.

Sure, there are some roadblocks ahead, not the least of which is the installed based of mobile devices that are capable of adequately hosting short films, clips and mobile advertising. This same article goes on to quote market researcher The Yankee Group as stating that the number of mobile video viewers in the United States is "about 5 million, 10 times more than in 2004 but still a small fraction of the 195 million mobile phone subscribers nationwide."

The introduction of newer and more multimedia-capable wireless devices should help eliminate the hardware disparity - especially the availability next month of Apple's iPhone (although we caution Apple and wireless Carrier Cingular - the first to carry the device - not to price it too out of range of your average prime demographic user!).

Also, we believe there will be a host of other new devices coming whose form will meet their intended function, and may port a larger screen offering a more comfortable viewing platform. Mobile viewing devices are already available from Archos and Nokia, and these can easily be adapted by adding cellular chips and soon high-speed and high-bandwidth WiMAX technology (reportedly available from Sprint in early 2008).

The use of widespread use of mobile media and mobile media-capable devices is very dependent on the application of content and software and its relevance to each and every mobile user. This means that people who travel will make wide use of travel-related mobile video and services, and news junkies will subscribe to real-time news feeds. The trick is to relate this stuff to what a person is doing at the moment and where they are, and not suspend their lives to watch it. It is all about lifestyle and work style enhancement.

In terms of mobile advertising, nearly every major ad company has already launched or planned to launch a mobile and digital effort. Smaller mobile advertising companies are also popping up every day and have developed very successful 'buzz' and affinity marketing campaigns that go right to the heart of mobile users.

Financial instiututions have also caught onto the value of mobility, and are deploying mobile money applications, video training and other content that appeals to the penny-pincher in al of us.

So, to those that are quick to say that mobile media is not growing fast enough, we say the problem is not growth but how you are measuring it. What is needed is a new yardstick and not old and outdated measurement algorithms.



*http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/07/business/media/07cell.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin

Monday, April 30, 2007

Mobile TV Price Tag Too High for Most?


Is cost a major factor when it comes to cell phone-based mobile television. If the results of a recent survey are any indication, most consumers are very concerned with the current and proposed price tag of get-up-and-go media. More than 70% of the respondents in a survey conducted by Tellabs and M:Metrics said that cost of service is a major consideration in mobile TV, and one that far outpaces picture quality, screen size and even available channels.

Once users get a taste of the mobile life, however, they are more apt to be concerned with things like picture quality, notes the survey, which included respondents from the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Although many users choose to cut and run once they subscribe to mobile TV services, whether it is due to the high cost or poor channel selections, says another survey of 22,000 European users that revealed more former mobile TV fans than present subscribers (by about 19%).

The two surveys and others bring out some interesting points about the current and future state of mobile TV: Are these services too expensive for the mass market, or is there just too little good content to keep subscribers interested and willing to pay for more? We think it may be more than latter than the former, since the cable industry has shown that most people are willing to pay a lot extra for some really good content - be it the latest world title fight or a new season of The Sopranos.

The M:Metrics study also showed that up to 24% of mobile TV/video service subscribers stopped using it because of quality and reliability issues, 35% hated the connection speeds, and a relatively small 6% didn't like that small viewing screen. Fortunately, advances in technology will easily eliminate two out of three of these issues. After all, we are not still watching American Idol on a 10-inch Philco black-and-white (although maybe this would be an improvement!).

Read more about the report and other research on items on mobile TV at www.eMarketer.com, which recently presented the findings of this study.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Are You Texting to Me???


Would Robert De Niro be any less sinister and disturbing if he drove a Mini Cooper in Taxi Driver? Would his performance in Raging Bull be any less powerful if he were just four feet tall and the movie renamed Raging Calf?

Probably not, which may be just one reason why the Tribeca Film Festival has decided to mix mobile media in with its film offerings this year as it kicks off its fifth festival today in New York City. The popular film fest was launched in 2002 Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff after the attacks on the World Trade Center to help economically and culturally revitalize Lower Manhattan through an annual celebration of film, music, and culture.

The festival’s mission is to help filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enable the international film community and the general public to experience the power of film, and to promote New York City as a major filmmaking center, says it's Web site. Mobile media can fulfill that promise by delivering clips and shorts to a massive worldwide audience, as well as to those lucky enough to be attending the event, which kicks off today and wraps up May 3rd with an awards ceremony.

In its first five years, the festival attracted over one and a half million attendees from the US and abroad and created more than $325 million in economic activity for New York City, says Tribeca Film Festival organizers.

Mobile media content will be channeled to mobile phones Verizon Wireless as well as on broadband Internet and FiOS, Verizon's rapidly expanding fiber network that is positioned to compete with conventional cable television systems.

Tribeca Film Festival wireless content will include three current festival full-length feature films, three short films, 49 movie trailers and three short films created exclusively for mobile users.

Obviously, we think the made-for-mobile media stuff is the most exciting since this represents the future of mobile media, which will eventually evolve from a world of mostly re-purposed and sliced-and-diced content into content that is specifically made for mobile mass audiences and mobile devices.

This is not the first time that a major film festival has dabbled in mobile media. In 2001, the Sundance Film Festival experimented with mobile wireless, although the technology wasn't quite ready to meet expectations. Fiver years later, Robert Redford and the Sundance group launched the Global Short Film Project to showcase short films and channel them to mobile devices. A good effort, but still something that falls short when it comes to taking full advantage of the location-aware and personal aspects of mobile systems.

The Tribeca Film Festival is taking it a step further by zapping out notices of private film screenings to mobile devices and sending mobile barcodes to these devices that can later be scanned for user admittance. Text-based movies reviews are also available to mobile users.

We think all of this is a move in the right direction. What do you think?

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Welcome!


Unless you’ve already guessed, Inside Mobile Media is an online publication, newsletter and blog that is totally focused on mobile content development, production, distribution and consumption. It is an insider’s look at what is happening in one of the fastest growing and exciting segments of digital entertainment and mobile broadcasting.

Everyone knows that mobile content will be a big deal, but nobody really has a handle on just how huge the industry will be and how much of an impact it will have on both the consumer and business segments.

We have a few ideas (naturally!) and hope to share them with you in this virtual publication as we build our “little” community. We also want you to share some thoughts with us , so that we can pass them along to others who are knee-deep into mobile media. We've elected to use Google as the platform for this online publication because it promises to be flexible and capable of handling everything from plain old text to video. We'll see if Google lives up to its promise as we strive to bring you the latest news and information and invite you to participate in this virtual forum.



Our goal? To make Inside Mobile Media a leading source for useful news, information, tips and leads for everyone from the people who man the digital cameras to the crew that pulls it all together, channels it over a mobile device and puts it into the hands of a mobile community.

It’s a tall order, but we know we can do it with you! So, if you have a comment on the world of mobile media or something we've said then by all means post it! Also, if you have some video you would like us to showcase, or present on our Shoreline Media International portal then let us know and we'll tell you how to upload it as well as participate in planned fstivals abd competitions worldwide (more on this later!).

Thanks!


Photos by Andrew Scannell