NTV hosts mobile TV expo, sees into the future

Mobile television is no passing fad. It's clearly here to stay, and its popularity is growing very rapidly. A broadcaster in Japan, NTV, has recognized that watching TV at home isn't going to be the only stream anymore, and as such, is hosting an expo in Tokyo showing off a wide range of nifty gadgets and technology from leading Japanese manufacturers.It can only be expected that the floor is filled with cell phones that do the portable video thing, but there are actually two innovations that should be of note. Panasonic is developing a system that would send terrestrial digital broadcasts into trains, making the daily Japanese commute a little less mundane. What's more is that the sound won't flood the subway, but would rather be sent wirelessly to individual rider's headsets.

Robust Mobile TV Growth

The research firm, eMarketer has forecast in a new report that there will be more than 100 million worldwide users of paid or sponsored mobile broadcast video services by the end of 2009. eMarketer's bullish outlook comes after an in-depth review of various global trials, market surveys and carrier and content provider announcements. Mobile television burst onto the radar screens of carriers, content providers and a few marketers in 2005. A year later, it's clear that something major is going to happen with mobile TV, and sooner rather than later.
According to eMarketer, the two pivot points for mobile TV from a technical point-of-view are growth in smartphones and growth of advanced 3G networks.
"What will be crucial to marketers is trying to determine whether mobile TV represents a sub-market or the next huge mass market for mobile services," says John du Pre Gauntt, eMarketer Senior Analyst and author of the report. "Right now, they're poring over demographics, income and spending patterns of early and near-term adopters."