The Third Screen?
Posted by: Heather Green on May 17, 2005
With all the whizzy buzz about the cell phone’s potential future of becoming the third TV screen, I thought that this little phrase in a press release about research from JupiterResearch certainly throws some cold water on the the party :
“Only 4% of consumers cited the ability to watch video as a priority feature for them when purchasing their next handset. Carrier subsidies will be required to develop a mass market base of higher end handsets with the most advanced video functionality,” said Julie Ask, research director at JupiterResearch, in a press release.
Isn’t the U.S. the ultimate TV nation? And isn’t more tv available all the time our idea of Nirvana?
Well, according to Jupiter, people do want to get TV on their phones. Nearly half, or 44%, of the 2,337 online respondants surveyed in March by JupiterResearch do want to video on their phone. But they want it gratis. Indeed, only 19% of those surveyed said they were willing to pony up for these mobile TV services.
And, because we're only now beginning to catch up with the rest of the world with our high-speed wireless networks, this staged rollout, the high costs of less than mass market handsets will "dampen demand" as Jupiter puts it.
