EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands-Camera phones took a further step forward in the world stage with British news firm BBC announcing plans to arm a “significant” number of its journalists with video-capable mobile phones. The BBC said reporters will be able to instantly send 15-minute video clips from the phones to the BBC studios for broadcast.
Indeed, the BBC said it has already carried out a number of news broadcasts using camera-phone video, including a bulletin from a tugboat maneuvering in harbor.
Royal Philips Electronics said it worked with the British Broadcasting Corp. to develop and deploy the multimedia camcorder software. The phones will use GPRS networks to transmit video clips to the Television Centre studios in London. The BBC cautioned however that the phones will not replace conventional TV video and sound methods of filming and transmission.
“Using this software on a mobile phone is a breakthrough addition to the way we cover news,” said Rachel Attwell, deputy head of television news at the BBC. “It is very probable that it will become standard practice for our reporters, and even the general public, to send instant reports of breaking news, as it occurs, before a satellite truck can be there.”
