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Salvation for Mobile Couch Potatos
By Mark Evans | April 27, 2005
Do you really think people will watch a 30-minute sit-com on a wireless device? It's not something I would ever do but some analysts believe there are couch potatos who will need to get a TV fix while on the road. ABI Research's Alan Varghese is a mobile TV believer, although he concedes most usage will be short video clips. He said, however, that “for die-hard fans, watching their favorite half hour sitcom is not out of the question.” Varghese also throws out a physical theory about mobile TV's potential, suggesting the optimum TV viewing distance is 5x the screen size. Using this formula, he argues mobile devices are perfectly suitable for on-the-go TV.
What may put Varghese and I in different camps is I don't watch much TV - other than Deadwood, Arrested Development and - when the NHL is not on strike - the Toronto Maple Leafs. As a result, it may be difficult for me to relate to people who may watch 10, 20 or 30 hours of TV a week. For these people, maybe the ability to watch “Survivor” or “Desperate Housewives” while you're waiting to catch a flight is a pleasure worth paying for - even if it means looking at a small screen. You should never under-estimate how the mass market behaves, and never under-estimate the power of TV.
In other TV-related news, I was listening to CBC radio today about a device called TV-B-Gone that lets people to turn off TVs in public places such as bars and restaurants. It was interesting to hear there was little reaction when a TV was turned off in a bar - suggesting TV can often be more background noise than anything else.
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