Sprint brings live TV to the phone in USA

Mobile Phones Forum / Cell Phone Provider Forums / Sprint PCS Forum

teleguy
Enthusiast

Apr 25, 2005, 11:11 PM

Post #1 of 2 (961 views)

	Can't Post

Sprint, in bringing the #1 most watched cable channel to the phone in real-time, is pushing the ball forward again in video services. Other US carriers will probably follow quickly; but by going beyond video clips and going live securing the top rated cable channel first, Sprint again puts another notch in it's long line of ground breaking achievements.

What do you think about this? What channels would you watch live on the phone?

--------------------------------------------

Sprint presents live TV on phone

One channel now, more later

By DAVID HAYES

The Kansas City Star

Sprint Corp. is bringing live TV to the smallest of screens.

In a first for the wireless telephone industry, Sprint is broadcasting Bill O'Reilly, Neil Cavuto and the rest of the Fox News Channel live on Sprint phones.

The service, which is being rolled out this morning, allows Sprint PCS customers to view the same Fox News broadcasts on their wireless phones that they would at home on cable television — commercials and all.

It's the first time a live television broadcast has been streamed to a wireless phone in quality approaching that which consumers are used to seeing at home, said Roger Entner, a research analyst and vice president of Ovum, a technology research firm.

Sprint and Verizon Wireless have been offering news and entertainment clips that can be viewed on wireless phones for some time. The new Sprint service takes that one step further.

“The addition of live Fox News Channel to Sprint TV continues to illustrate our leadership in the wireless multimedia space, adding more high-quality live video to our customers' mobile experience that they typically consume on TV at home,” said Jeff Hallock, vice president for wireless data product strategy for Sprint.

The service costs $9.99 a month and is available on four Sprint multimedia phones, the cheapest of which costs about $200.

Viewers see the broadcast at just under 15 frames per second, slightly better than half the speed of traditional American TV.

Sprint has been offering increasingly sophisticated wireless services for about two years. The company launched its own wireless TV network last August, offering short clips from more than a dozen networks ranging from NBC News to the Discovery Channel.

It hasn't stopped at TV.

Sprint earlier this month began offering 13 radio channels provided by MSpot Radio.

By late this year, Sprint and other wireless companies are expected to start selling phones with built-in 2-megapixel cameras, offering quality similar to that of stand-alone digital cameras.

Entner said the Fox News broadcast on Sprint is another step in the “technical evolution” of entertainment on wireless phones.

For Fox, the Sprint service is the network's first venture into the wireless world.

Clips from other news channels have been available on wireless phones for about nine months.

“This deal positions Fox News Channel to become a significant player in the wireless industry and is a great opportunity to expand the brand and reach our loyal audience outside their homes,” said Jeremy Steinberg, the channel's director of digital media.

Dale Knopp, manager of multimedia services for Sprint, said the service is oriented toward anyone who wants to keep on top of the news.

Knopp said he used a demo version of the service while traveling earlier this month for instant updates on the condition of Pope John Paul II.

“It gives that instant glimpse of exactly what's going on in the world now,” Knopp said.

Sprint isn't making a political statement by airing Fox News, which has a reputation for delivering news with a conservative bent, Knopp said.

Fox was chosen because it is the most-watched cable news channel, he said.

“As we add services, we reach out to the best and biggest,” Knopp said.

Fox News won't be the only live channel Sprint will add, Knopp said. Other channels will follow, especially as the company rolls out its high-speed wireless network later this year.

Sprint is focusing on products “to inform you and entertain you and make the most of the wasted moments of the day,” Knopp said.

Entner, who has been a research analyst covering the wireless industry for years, put it another way.

“It's amazing what new phones can do,” Entner said. “It's really mind-blowing.”

teleguy
Enthusiast

Aug 31, 2005, 11:10 AM

Post #2 of 2 (812 views)

	Can't Post

Mobile Television Pioneers MobiTV and Sprint Receive Television Industry's Top Honor: 2005 Primetime Emmy(R) Engineering Award
Sprint and MobiTV Take Home the First Emmy for the Wireless Industry - Validating the Adoption of Mobile Entertainment as an Innovative, Exciting Way to Do More Than Talk on a Phone

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. & BERKELEY, Calif., Aug 24, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Sprint and MobiTV, the global leader in providing live mobile television services and technology, today announced that both companies have won historic recognition: The Emmy(R) Engineering Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development from The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Winning The Emmy Award for mobile television marks the first time the wireless industry has achieved such unique and high-profile recognition from the entertainment industry. MobiTV and Sprint were the first companies to put live mobile television in the hands of consumers.
"Companies like MobiTV and Sprint are changing the very definition of television," said Brian Seth Hurst, co-governor, Interactive Media Peer Group for the Television Academy. "This achievement is an eye-opener to the industry that lets television executives know their audiences are living on other devices. I believe MobiTV set the standard and started the race for mobile television."

Sprint was the first wireless carrier to dub the mobile phone as "the third screen" in a consumer's life - first being the television, second being the computer, and third being the wireless phone. Today, because of the partnership between MobiTV and Sprint, the first screen (television) has recognized the third (wireless) in a way that signals mainstream acceptance of a technology that came to the United States only two years ago.

"We are very excited that The Television Academy identified mobile TV as a significant driver in the advancement of television entertainment, and we are honored to have been recognized for our contributions in this new, exciting space," said MobiTV CEO and co-Founder, Phillip Alvelda. "We believe this recognition further demonstrates the incredible potential and significance of the mobile entertainment market."

Sprint's Vice President of Wireless Product Strategy Jeff Hallock echoed those sentiments by adding, "Winning an Emmy Award is certainly a first for a telecommunications provider."

"Sprint has a heritage of innovative firsts, and the Emmy Award is incredible recognition of our efforts to lead the industry in bringing new multimedia entertainment services to our customers," Hallock said. "Our partnership with MobiTV has continued to grow beyond delivering live television as we continue developing a rich portfolio of mobile television content, such as Sprint TV(SM). Sprint customers use their wireless phones more often and for more things than the customers of any other wireless company - and our multimedia services are no exception."

Giving customers the choice and flexibility to be entertained on the go with television in the palm of their hands is one more indication that the entertainment industry is recognizing wireless as a new and unique channel of distribution. The partnership between entertainment and the mobile industry has been building momentum - beginning with master-recorded ringtones, personalized screen savers, games and more. Now, advanced high-speed data networks, more sophisticated applications such as live TV, and digital-quality audio and multimedia services are turning handsets into portable media centers, providing entertainment virtually anytime and anywhere.

Groundbreaking services like MobiTV have contributed to strong data revenue for wireless carriers (Sprint's being the industry's highest - contributing more than 10 percent to its total average revenue per user in the second quarter of 2005). Further, mobile television provides an exciting new distribution outlet for producers, and has fueled a new industry of made-for-mobile TV production.

MobiTV and Sprint sparked the initial demand for television on-the-go by launching the first-ever live mobile television delivery service in November 2003. The two companies have continued their pioneering efforts, together introducing Sprint TV, a live and video-on-demand service for Sprint PCS Vision(SM) Multimedia Phones.

Nearly two years since its launch, MobiTV continues to lead the market and has quickly become the television standard on mobile devices. The service currently offers more than 25 channels of both live and made-for-mobile content directly to the customer's handset. The service is as easy to use as a TV remote control and works with more than 30 Sprint PCS Vision-enabled handsets.

On Sunday, Sept. 11, 2005, the Creative Arts Awards program will be pre-taped and aired in a two-hour special on Sept. 17 at 7:00 p.m. on E! Entertainment Television.