Industry calls on mobile TV to evolve offering

HONG KONG - Mobile TV must focus on educating consumers about its ease of use, or face irrelevance. The conclusion came from a panel that discussed the future of mobile as a TV medium.

“The day you can’t use something is the day you don’t use it again,” said Itsun MD Nick Pilbeam, who added that consumers do not simply want TV, but a “new way of viewing it.”

While the industry remains undecided on the best method of supplying mobile TV content, it was felt that consumers would rather “snack on entertainment” than watch regular linear TV on mobile devices. “Mobile TV can’t be a passive broadcast device,” said Mike Walsh (pictured) of CASBAA.