Finns willing to pay for mobile TV viewing

Media companies do not believe in viability of programmes tailored for handset TVs

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Mobile TV has got commercial potential and the Finns are willing to pay for on-the-go viewing pleasure.
      This was the finding of last spring's mobile TV test run organised by the mobile giant Nokia, in cooperation with teleoperators and media companies.
      In the pilot undertaking, 500 test clients of various ages from the Greater Helsinki area viewed TV programmes between April and June on their Nokia multimedia mobile phones. Two out of five test users said they might be willing to pay for the use of mobile TV in the future as well.
     
At first, the mobile TV broadcasts would consist of the exact same programmes as the conventional TV.
      "I do not believe there will be a significant call for special programmes tailored for the mobile TV during the first few years", said Head of TV New Media Jari Lahti of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE), in Tuesday's press conference on the results of the test run.
      The pilot project confirmed the notion that even people on the move would prefer to see familiar programmes. Morning TV's current affairs programmes, as well as sports events and drama series, were popular among the test users.
     
The first commercial mobile TV transmissions would start next year at the earliest. The atmosphere is more cautious than a few years ago, when digital television made its first appearance here. Media companies seem to have learned their lesson from the delusions of the interactive revolution.
      Teleoperators, such as Elisa, have more faith in programming geared specifically towards the mobile TV. For the pilot project, Elisa developed two experimental mobile TV channels.
     
The prime time for the mobile viewing pleasure was while commuting. Still, test users used their handheld TVs even more at home in the evenings.
      This was perhaps a slight surprise as most of the test viewers had a regular television receiver as well. Still, while cooking, putting children to bed, or while the spouse was watching another channel, the mobile TV was of use.
      Those taking part in the test run had to pay EUR 4.90 per month for the use of mobile TV. Half of the test subjects would have considered even EUR 10 per month a reasonable fee.
      The technology still needs some fine-tuning. For example, turning on the mobile TV and changing the channel took annoyingly long.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Mobile phones with TV receivers being tested (9.3.2005)

Links:
  Mobile TV Forum Nokia

Helsingin Sanomat