Sling Media Inc. launched a software package allowing wireless subscribers to view TV broadcasts on Windows Mobile devices.
The developer announced a beta version of the much-awaited offering, which sends video from a cable box through an Ethernet cable to a handset running Windows Mobile Pocket PC 5.0 and 2003 Second Edition. The software requires a Slingbox, which sells for about $250 at consumer electronics and computer retailers.
A trial version of SlingPlayer Mobile is available as a free download through April 2; the company plans to charge $30 for the software after the trial. Existing and new Slingbox users who register their device will receive a “key” providing them free access to the mobile software.
Wireless subscribers can use the software to view programs, change channels, order videos on demand and control home digital video recorders. Sling Media hopes to deliver a version of the offering for non-touchscreen devices running Windows Mobile within the next month.
“This is an exciting time for people who want a single mobile device that does more than e-mail,” said Scott Horn, general manager of mobile and embedded devices at Microsoft Corp. SlingPlayer Mobile delivers video to handsets at an average of 25 to 30 frames per second, according to spokesman Brian Jaquet, nearly duplicating traditional broadcast frame rates.
The software underscores the growing trend of “place-shifting,” or using technology to move content across platforms. While some see place-shifting as a positive step that enables consumers to access a variety of content on multiple devices, others say the trend threatens wireless revenue streams by placing carriers one step closer to being “dump pipes” for data.
While the technology allows users to access mobile video without paying a premium for the content, though, Jaquet said Sling Media hopes to work with carriers to encourage users to sign up for lucrative data plans.
“We think it’s something that’s going to help them drive traffic to their networks,” Jaquet said. “When you’re spending $40 a month for a data connection, we think this provides tremendous value for customers to actually sign up” for those subscription plans.
But the ability for wireless users to access home TV broadcasts over a handset could have serious implications for carriers that have gained substantial traction with their own mobile video offerings. Cingular Wireless L.L.C. earlier this month joined both Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon Wireless in offering carrier-branded video services; Cingular and Sprint Nextel also carry MobiTV’s live wireless video broadcasts.
Whether wireless subscribers want to watch traditional TV broadcasts on a small screen has yet to be determined. Images can be difficult to discern even on repurposed video, and few consumers will be interested in watching a one-hour episode of “Nova” on their phones. So TV networks like MTV and the Fox Broadcasting Co. are joining pure-play wireless video publishers like GoTV in creating content exclusively for mobile users.
But many believe that carriers looking to keep viewers tuned to their own broadcasts will have to offer more than just three-minute video shorts. They’ll have to take advantage of their networks to determine what users want to watch and how they want to watch it. But they don’t have long.
“MNOs (mobile network operators) must solidify their position in the mobile TV value chain before their role becomes minimized,” according to Nick Holland, a senior analyst at Pyramid Research and author of a new report on mobile video. Holland estimates carriers have 12 to 18 months to offer mobile-centric video services at affordable prices lest they lose substantial ground to place-shifting technologies.
Schema, an Israel-based developer of network optimization software, this week plans to unveil an offering designed to allow carriers to glean and analyze network traffic information on W-CDMA and EV-DO networks. Other developers and infrastructure providers are evangelizing to operators, encouraging them to their most important asset: the network.
“The one advantage the carriers have got is that they do know who you are-they know your device, they know your tastes, and they know your location,” said Martin Dunsby, senior vice president at Openwave Systems Inc. “There are a lot of TV providers out there right now trying to duplicate the experience (of watching television) on a mobile … and you’ve got 300 channels and nothing’s on.”
And while the types of content or applications may vary, the battle lines remain the same for network operators. Wireless is being targeted by Google Inc. and Yahoo as well as digital music services and cable TV giants.
NMS Communications Corp., an infrastructure company that is working to leverage its experience in deploying ringback services, is building a “content promotions engine” that can track user behavior and analyze past purchases to recommend new kinds of content to users, like online retailer Amazon.com.
But the industry has a substantial amount of heavy lifting to do before carriers can capitalize on all the data their networks can offer, said NMS Vice President of Marketing John Orlando. The explosion of content and services on the market has operators scrambling to catch up, and content providers and infrastructure companies must help.
“I think the place (carriers) fall short is that all the application information is siloed,” Orlando said. “Our view is that there are a lot of things to fix to get to the other side.” RCR
