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Linking Mobile Phones to Video Trapped At Home
By Bruce McGregor, Current Analysis Senior Analyst, Digital Home Services
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Issue
Watching a favorite TV show or movie on a wireless phone is a dream that is starting to become a reality. Currently there are a handful of methods to get access to premium video content on a mobile device without the need for a wireless carrier’s video portal such as Verizon Wireless’ V CAST, AT&T’s CV or SprintTV (which streams TV content to the phone over the 3G network) or even Verizon Wireless’ V CAST TV and AT&T Mobile TV (which broadcasts TV to the handset using Qualcomm’s MediaFLO technology). Carrier services typically require additional monthly fees and don’t have the widest selection of content; some of the broadcast TV services also require specific handsets and/or have limited geographic availability. From a quality perspective, the best method to watch content over a handheld is to have the video downloaded ahead of time by connecting the mobile phone to a PC. Downloading ensures the picture and sound quality will stay intact, while streaming over a 3G network or WiFi hotspot subjects the video to the possibility of a poor user experience due to reception, interference and dropout challenges of the mobile environment.
This report analyzes five solutions available on the market today that can allow consumers to take premium content with them in their mobile phone. Of the five solutions presented, Apple’s iTunes/iPhone is the simplest and most reliable, but it is limited to the Apple universe of content and devices (which in turn limits the user’s carrier choices to AT&T). Sling Media’s SlingPlayer Mobile provides the broadest compatibility with devices, content and carriers: SlingPlayer Mobile allows users to stream their cable or satellite feed or any recorded content from their DVR to a wide range of smartphones over WiFi or 3G. From a consumer perspective, it makes good economic sense to pay for a piece of content once and have the opportunity to play it on multiple devices both inside and outside the home.
Current Perspective
Since the dawn of prime time, some couch potatoes have longed to leave the couch, and take their TV programs with them. At first, this was impossible, and the invention of the remote control set the "off the couch" movement back by several decades. In the mid-1970s, the VCR gave sedentary viewers yet another reason to remain rooted in place. In 1982, Sony invented the WatchMan, a portable television. This bulky contraption was never as popular as its sister product, the WalkMan, and indeed mobile video content would stagnate for another two decades, when the portable DVD player became ubiquitous. Shortly after the turn of the millennium, consumers began snapping up mobile devices with tiny screens – cellphones and iPods – and it was not long after that man pondered, “Hey, how can I watch a movie on this?”
There are several ways to get video content to small screens, though they aren’t equally popular – and in some cases, consumers don’t know that solutions exist at all. We should note that it is possible to rip movies from DVD or Blu-ray to a PC using a utility that strips the digital rights management (DRM) from the disc, transcode the content for the mobile device, and move the files over manually. However, even ignoring the inconvenient fact that this approach is technically illegal, most mainstream consumers do not understand several of the words in the preceding sentence, limiting the appeal of this scenario. More straightforward (and legal) methods for watching video on the small screen include content purchased or rented on a PC and then transferred to the device, content recorded on a STB and then transferred to the device, mobile broadcast television, and streaming (or downloading) content over the air (OTA) directly to the device.
Carriers prefer the last two options because they can charge for mobile TV, while streaming video requires a data plan and enables them to take a cut of any content or advertising revenue. To encourage their subscribers to use this business model, carriers have built portals to help users find and view content on their phones. Current Analysis regularly covers operator portals and tracks the video content available on them. This report, however, examines a handful of promising alternatives to carriers’ mobile video portals, and ways to transfer premium video content to mobile phones. Some of these methods save consumers from paying for expensive data plans, while others leverage content that the consumer has purchased, and is sitting on the shelf at home.
The following chart illustrates some of the options; and we will examine each one in detail below.
| Video Source | Compatible Mobile Phones | Available Content | Transfer Method |
| Apple iTunes Store | iPhone, iPhone 3G | iTunes offers about 2,500 movies and over 30,000 television episodes. The iPhone itself also offers streaming video from YouTube and other video applications can be added. | iTunes synchronizes and transfers from a PC using a USB cable |
| Amazon Video On Demand | Nokia N85, N79 and N96 | 40,000 TV shows and movie downloads from Amazon Video On Demand. | Manual transfer from a PC using USB cable |
| TiVo Desktop Plus | Nokia N80, Palm Treo 650 and 700p, and other H.264 and MPEG-4 compatible devices | Whatever TV programming consumers have access to from their cable or satellite TV provider that is recorded on a TiVo Series 3. | TiVo Desktop Plus software for the PC pulls content from the DVR over a home network, at which point it can be transferred to the device using a USB cable |
| Sling Media SlingPlayer Mobile | BlackBerry: Bold, 8820, Curve (8320, 8900), Pearl Flip 8220, Pearl 8120Windows Mobile Smartphone: Pantech Duo, Samsung BlackJack and BlackJackII, Motorola Q9m and Q9cWindows Mobile Pocket PC: HTC Fuze, HTC Tilt, LG Incite, Sony Ericsson X1, Samsung i760 and Saga, Palm Treo Pro and Treo 700wPalm: Treo 700p, Treo 755p, CentroSymbian S60: Nokia N95, N82, N75 and E65iPhone, iPhone 3G (Coming Soon) | Whatever live or recorded TV programming consumers have access to from their cable or satellite TV set-top box, DVR or DVD player that is connected to a Slingbox | Streamed over WiFi or 3G |
| HAVA Mobile Player | Nokia S60 models, Windows Mobile 5.0 or 6.0 Phones | Whatever live or recorded TV programming consumers have access to from their cable or satellite TV set-top box, DVR or DVD player that is connected to a HAVA device. | Streamed over WiFi or 3G |
The Apple iTunes Store Supplies iPhone Movies and TV Shows
For ease and simplicity, Apple’s self-contained universe simply cannot be beat. The iTunes Store has amassed an expansive library of video content from primetime TV shows to new movies with over 30,000 television episodes, 2,500 movies, plus thousands of podcasts and several million songs. (Nokia and Sony Ericsson are launching content stores for their devices, but, for the time being, they lack video and don’t work in the U.S.) iTunes allows iPhones to play purchased movies (typically $9.99 - $14.99) and also movie rentals ($3.99) that have the restrictions of a 30 day expiration with a 24-hour window to view the movie multiple times. TV programming from NBC, ABC, CBS, MTV, ESPN, Showtime and others is sold for $1.99 an episode.
Unlike streaming content, iTunes downloads are stored on the iPhone and are not hampered by network speed or dropouts. The downside is that moving video to an iPhone is a multi-step process and must be done in advance. iTunes music can be directly downloaded to an iPhone using a WiFi or 3G data connection, but video must be purchased or rented on the PC in iTunes on a PC or Mac and then the software will copy it over to an attached iPhone. In addition to iTunes pay-per-view content, iPhone comes with an application to view free YouTube video clips, and users can add other video applications, such as SlingBox Mobile (see below), TV.com (video clips and some full episodes of CBS primetime shows for free with some commercials), and Joost (access to over 46,000 free videos).
While iTunes content can be played back on PCs, Macs and Apple TV boxes, a key limitation is that the only mobile devices it works with are Apple’s iPhone and iPod media players, and the iPhone is only available in two models (8 GB and 16 GB) from a single U.S. carrier (AT&T).
Amazon Downloads Available on Three Nokia Smartphones
Like iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand offers computer users (PC or Mac) quick access to movies and TV shows via its streaming/ download platform with a pay-per-view business model. Amazon has rights to a large portion of premium Hollywood video content including over 40,000 TV shows and movies. Content can be purchased, rented, and ported over to other devices including TiVo’s DVR, Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Roku’s Player or select Sony Bravia televisions. Amazon downloads can also be moved to select Archos and SanDisk media players as well as a few Nokia phones (N85, N79 and N96). Like iTunes, these portable devices access Amazon video content by using a computer for the download process and Amazon’s Unbox Video Player software on the mobile device.
On paper, Amazon seems like a viable alternative to iTunes, but the Nokia handsets it works with are not sold by U.S. carriers, so it will not be a serious contender until it is compatible with a wider collection of mobile handsets.
TiVo Offers DVR Owners a Means to Transfer Recorded Shows to a Few Phones
The TiVo DVR device pioneered timeshifting in the digital age – i.e., recording television for later viewing – and the latest versions offer consumers at home many entertainment choices on top of recording cable TV programming. A TiVo connected to a home network can access Amazon Video On Demand pay per views movies and TV shows (see above), YouTube video clips, and Netflix’s streaming service. TiVo’s Desktop Plus computer software allows users to copy recorded content from their TiVo over to portable devices including a few mobile phones (another option is to burn the content onto a DVD). TiVo states that this porting solution works with the Nokia N80, Palm Treo 650 or 700p, and other H.264 and MPEG-4 compatible devices, including the Apple iPod and Sony PSP.
There are actually a fair number of phones – smartphones and featurephones alike – that meet these standards, but the solution overall is quite complicated. To make this work, you’ll need a compatible mobile phone, a TiVo Series2 DT DVR ($199) or TiVo HD DVR ($299.99 to $599.99), a TiVo membership ($12.95 a month), TiVo Desktop Plus software ($24.95), a home network (WiFi networks will require a TiVo wireless adapter), and a PC (it is not Mac compatible). TiVo is a company focused on entertainment within the home, so its features for mobile users is more of an added perk than a core part of the solution, and it shows.
Slingbox Moves Content from Home to Smartphones
Sling Media pioneered place shifting – moving content from the home to connected computers anywhere in the world. Its Slingbox devices can now push live and DVR content from a home’s set-top box over the Internet to a fairly wide range of smartphones. Unlike the solutions listed above, content isn’t downloaded to the phone, instead it is streamed live over WiFi or 3G networks and viewed on the device using SlingPlayer Mobile software. Sling Media supports several of RIM’s BlackBerries, a wide range of Windows Mobile Smartphones, Palm OS smartphones, and most Symbian smartphones from Nokia and Sony Ericsson. An iPhone application is in private beta and is expected by the end of this month (it will also work on the iPod Touch via WiFi).
In addition to the phone, users will need a Slingbox ($179 - $299), Sling Player Mobile software ($29.99), a PC or Mac, a home network (Sling Media sells SlingLink powerline connectors for those without Ethernet), and a broadband connection to the Internet. If users plan to watch Slingbox content over 3G on their smartphone, they’ll need a 3G data plan, and should be aware that carriers are beginning to restrict “unlimited” data packages. It’s hard to exceed a 5 GB cap if you download a lot of email, but it’s considerably easier to do if you stream a lot of TV.
Despite the hurdles and associated costs for setting up SlingPlayer Mobile, consumers are rewarded through the benefits of remote access to their home’s pay TV services with access to all the cable or satellite channels, video-on-demand (VoD) content and recorded programming from their DVR connected to their TV at home. This wealth of content cannot be matched by any mobile video portal and maximizes the value of cable, fiber, or satellite TV subscriptions. If you recorded a favorite prime program at home, Sling Mobile eliminates the need to find it and pay for it again to be watched over a cell phone.
HAVA Mirrors the Slingbox Solution
Lesser known than the Slingbox, Monsoon MultiMedia’s HAVA also offers consumers the ability to stream digital home content remotely on to a PC or mobile device. The required HAVA device costs between $99.99 to $249.99 (the pricier devices are compatible with HD content and offer more home networking functions). Similarly, HAVA Mobile Player software (free) provides mobile phones access to live TV broadcasts and DVR content originating from a home’s cable or satellite set-top box.
An assortment of Nokia S60 models and Windows Mobile smartphones are compatible with the HAVA Mobile Player. With the purchase of a HAVA Gold box priced at $99.99, users can watch cable TV streamed over their phone and save money compared to the Sling Media solution, which is more expensive for the hardware and charges for the mobile software. However, HAVA has a long way to go to catch up with Sling Media on the device compatibility front.
Conclusion
Carriers don’t offer the breadth of content that consumers can find from Apple and Amazon, let alone the TV shows and movies consumers are already paying to have piped or beamed to their homes. Getting the content from the PC to the mobile device can be challenging, but Apple’s iTunes/iPhone combination is simple (if limited), and Sling Media’s SlingPlayer Mobile provides broad compatibility with devices and carriers (though setup is involved) and provides access to content that the consumer has already bought. With either solution, couch potatoes are free to get up off the couch, leave the house, and watch their favorite programming somewhere else - ah, progress.
Recommended Vendor Actions
• Carriers need to recognize the larger world of content open to savvy, media-centric consumers and price their offerings accordingly.
• Service providers promising three screens of video content over the television, computer and mobile phone need to rationalize their content offerings across platforms as much as possible. For example, the content available through a pay TV service like U-verse TV is vastly superior to what is available to AT&T mobile phone users through the AT&T Mobile TV portal, and the VOD options on U-verse are dramatically better than AT&T’s Cellular Video (CV) offerings.
• Wireless carriers should work with traditional pay TV companies such as cable and satellite TV to deliver access to their content over smartphones directly. Current offerings from Sling Media and Monsoon MultiMedia require additional equipment and software, and many consumers are terrified with the thought of adding another box underneath the TV. The installation requirements of Slingbox or the HAVA device present carriers with a competitive window to offer the same content access without the hassle.
• Place-shifting hardware enablers such as Sling Media and Monsoon MultiMedia should be scouting out mobile hardware vendors who are creating mobile handheld devices for WiMAX and LTE technologies. As these are emerging technologies with throughput greater than 3G speeds, richer user experience (e.g., frame rate and viewing windows) can be and will be expected.
Recommended User Actions
• Consumers prioritizing media playback on their phones must at least consider Apple’s iPhone 3G before moving on to alternatives. iTunes offers an enormous, growing library of content, and movies can either be rented or purchased. iTunes also makes the process of synchronizing this content seamless.
• Frequent travelers and television junkies with a smartphone and a data plan (or a WiFi capable handset) should consider Sling Media’s Slingbox solution as a way to broadcast the content that they are already paying for to the smartphone that they have with them at all times.
• Fears about costs and installation of a Slingbox are probably a bit overblown. The hardware and software setup costs are significant, but amount to less than two years of paying for a carrier mobile TV subscription. We have set up half a dozen Slingboxes over the past couple of years in various environments, and while it hasn’t always been glitch-free, Sling Media has done a good job making the process straightforward.
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