(keitai-l) Re: Sense of video on wireless phones (was:Re:i-motion Mpeg3)

There's this argument that people can go to smaller screens because
people rented videos to watch on their (smaller) TV screens when
videotape arrived.

This argument misses at least one very important point.

When mass-market videotape arrived, virtually all TV watchers had
avidly watched movies on TV already.  Indeed, it was one of the most
popular "content" categories.

I saw the Wizard of Oz perhaps four times on black and white before
I ever saw it in color (on a color TV), and was an adult in my thirties
before I saw it as it was originally intended to be shown: in a theater.

Movies work on TV.  They always have.

But not even TV works on TV, when the screen falls below
dimensions that keitai screens haven't reached yet (sizes that
they may never reach in a handset form factor.)

To reiterate: I believe video on keitai will work, if it ever does, by
giving people home videos and wallet-photo animation -- i.e.,
amateur video products with admittedly crappy production values
that are more than made up for by the content's personal value
to the carriers and/or producers.

And porn, too, of course, as the technology driver, as always.
Of this I am increasingly convinced.

As Dave Barry says, "Men have an entire lobe of the brains
devoted to boobs."

And that lobe will suck all the impact it can out of a limited
number of pixels in a small frame, however fictionalized the
portrayal may be.  The usual rules of willing-suspension-of-
disbelief need not apply to that category.  (When have they
ever?)

-michael

----- Original Message -----
From: "Benjamin Kowarsch" <benjk@mac.com>
To: <keitai-l@appelsiini.net>
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2001 1:52 PM
Subject: (keitai-l) Re: Sense of video on wireless phones (was:Re:i-motion
Mpeg3)



Objection to keitai video:
> >> I still can't see how this will turn a majority of phone users to start
> >> watching payable video on a tiny screen. It costs 300 yen at Tsutaya to
> >> rent a full length movie, watchable on a large size screen with Dolby
> >> surround etc etc. It costs 0-1200 yen for a music channel on CATV,
again
> >> watchable on a large size screen and with HiFi sound.

Response:
> >This argument could have been said about VHS tapes when they were
> >introduced.  Can you imagine everyone saying "We have movie theaters,
> >why would anyone watch a movie at home on such a small screen."

And Bernard responds to the response:
> How convenient for you to leave *pricing* out of your analogy, for it
falls
> apart if you had included it.
>
> Video rental meant movies became significantly cheaper *and* better
> available. If this analogy is applicable, then it confirms my point: It
> will have to be very reasonably priced.
>
[snip snip snip ah god it's endless...]



[ Need archives? How to unsubscribe? http://www.appelsiini.net/keitai-l/ ]