John Whelan is Off Portal and Off Net!

Mobile Video Interaction with TV

Up to now interaction with TV via the ubiquitous cameraphone has been confined to POSMS (Plain Old SMS). Now however still image MMS (Picture messaging )interaction is just beginning to emerge. Hence it is a good time to think about the possibilities for camera-phone interaction with TV:

· Static images: Currently deployed by for example weather (Martin King TV3 here in Ireland) or news (Sky News UK) programmes as an e-mail service. However alatto have developed a system that supports sending content direct from phone to a long or short code.

· Video Clips: Viewers can create the content for TV by sending a video direct from phone to long or short code.

· Examples where video from cameraphones has been used in TV include:

o In Japan a show called "Syamekke" and the Norwegian NRK TV channel which invited viewers to send in their video-clips shot on mobile phones, broadcast on the specialized TV shows.


o Tu-Media Korea, the first full-time 24 hour TV channel that broadcasts NOTHING but video-clips by viewers. Thanks to Tomi Ahonen for pointing out the above two examples.

o Public supply news footage via camera-phone: e.g. London Bombings, flasher on New York subway

· Possible future examples with alatto solution (all below can be revenue generating via premium shortcode)

o Live interactive competitions / voting

o Viewers send in pictures/videos with questions to resident panel experts in particular field such as:

§ Golf: analyse my swing

§ Fashion: analyse my clothes/wardrobe on air

§ Gardening: what disease does this plant have?

§ Pets: Can this dog's behaviour be controlled?

§ Antiques: Value this piece

§ Property: How much is my property worth.

§ Interiors: How can I revamp my living room.



o Traffic: Live images or video from specific junction

o Sports: Local sports events

o Live Video feed from 3G camera-phone to TV broadcast system


In alatto we are not a creative organisation but a technology enabler hence I am sure the creative types will have far more better ideas. However alatto are well placed to enable you to deliver a revenue generating solution because:

· Alatto's "Memphis" system is already installed as the main picture and video messaging platform within Vodafone and O2 Ireland

· Alatto were the first to provide picture messaging services to the media industry in Ireland and elsewhere including:

A. Our Memphis MMS alerts system for Setanta TV and others live on Vodafone live!

B. Send Picture to Big screen promotion at 6-nations rugby internationals for Guinness.

C. Budweiser World Cup picture messaging campaign now live.

D. Alatto as advisers on Jay Leno Tonight Show where viewers sent in pictures and videos to win a GM car.

Finally video calling from handsets is also a very powerful interaction mechanism for TV. This is already being deployed in the UK where video shortcodes are available. A BBC Sports programme enables viewers to send in their comments via video call. The next step will surely be live interaction via the video call.

posted by alatto @ 11:18 AM