Are People Really Using Mobile Multimedia?

A major trend in the mobile phone arena is toward multimedia functions: the ability to download and/or listen to music on your phone, watch videos, capture photos, and browse the 'net. People must be asking for these features, or else we wouldn't be focusing so much attention on them, right? According to a recent study by research firm Parks Associates, U.S. consumers aren't exactly making use of all the fancy features available on their phones.

More than half of U.S. consumers surveyed that own a video-capable mobile phone, for example, said they've never watched a video clip on it. Interestingly, almost 40% have never played a song on their phone either! Close to 60% said they've never browsed the 'net on their mobile. This isn't surprising, though, since even the most basic phones today have web browsing capabilities and, with the high cost attached to occasional browsing, you're better off waiting until you get home!

So does this mean that consumers don't really want all the features that are being incorporated into these devices, or have they simply not reached past the eary adopter phase? Assuming these numbers are similar in Canada, we could certainly attribute them to high price tags attached to utilizing such services. Unless you purchase a pre-defined package, per/kilobit Web browsing, for example, typically costs $0.05/kb. As you can imagine, this can get pretty darned costly!

In addition to the cost factor, Parks attributes the lack of consumer uptake of mobile multimedia to the fact that people simply aren't familiar with the services, and what exactly they can offer.

"Buy before you try is always a tough sell," explains John Barrett, Director of Research at the company. "Many consumers are hesitant to pay for a new, unfamiliar service, but they will remain unfamiliar with the service until they or someone they know uses it."

Barrett suggests that a "free taste" could help entice customers to get on board with features like mobile video. He uses Japan and South Korea as examples of countries where such services are free, and there's widespread adoption . In Italy, he adds, additional fees are required, and usage has, not surprisingly, been limited there. "It's in everyone's interest to offer some free programming."

The "3 months free" offer has pretty much been standard across various industries. Perhaps the mobile phone industry should look into adding such promotions to encourage customers to use these advanced features and functions.

People Using TVs to Listen to Music

I'm not surprised at the results of a new Parks Associates survey that discovered that one-third of U.S. and Canadian broadband households use their TVs to listen to music. Remember this previous post about my dad's surprise discovery that he could do this, and subsequent frequent use of the feature?

"iPods are sexy, but not everybody has one," explained John Barrett, Director of Research at Parks Associates. "TVs are ubiquitous and increasingly capable of delivering a range of content, especially with new features like digital music delivery and place-shifting services. This is just the tip of the iceberg for TV applications."

Indeed even in my own tech-savvy household, I find that we often use the TV as a conduit for background tunes, either by using the dedicated music channels provided by our cable company; or via a concert DVD. This way, we can not only enjoy the full surround sound speaker system, but also catch glimpes of the live performance when in need of some visual stimulation.

In addition to the TV, two-thirds of consumers said they use a PC to play back music at home.

If nothing else, this study reinforces how every format for content distribution is connected; we're no longer just watching TV, listening to the radio, and word processing via the PC. We're engaging in every medium in more ways than we ever have.

The Majority of Online Leisure Time is Being Spent Playing Games

With all of the media attention as of late, one would think that things like online video and social networking take the cake when it comes to leisure time spent online. But this isn’t the case. According to research firm Parks Associates, casual gaming actually leads the online leisure activity race, with 34% of U.S. adults admitting to playing games on the 'net weekly. Video clip watching is right on gaming’s heels at 29%, followed by social networking, which was surprisingly only cited as a weekly occurence by 19% of those surveyed.

This could be attributed to the age range of the survey sample: I’d guess the majority of the participants were above 30, while the average age of a social networker is undoubtedly much younger. Had they conducted this same survey among 16-30-year-olds, I’ll bet the numbers would have been skewed much differently.

Nevertheless, the study discovered that online gaming has grown 79% year-over-year, compared to 46% growth in social networking. However, video streaming sites blew gaming out of the water when it comes to growth, with an impressive 123% year-over-year rate. Interestingly, although a recent study by Parks’ claimed that consumers weren’t interested in downloading videos online, the results of this new survey imply that they have no problem watching them there!

This survey sheds some light on the often overlooked ‘net activity of “casual” gaming. I’m a victim of this growing trend myself, having engaged in a quick game of MSN Bejeweled 2 every now and then when I’m unwinding at home. It just goes to show that, even in a world with complex, first-person shooter, car chasing, gremlin massacring games, there’s still a thriving market that simply wants to match three shapes together repeatedly until a game board is cleared.

[Photo: MSN's Bejeweled 2, which is accessible via the MSN Games page.]

Sex Sells….HD DVD

The rumour mill is buzzing that the adult film industry has opted for the HD DVD high-definition format, leading many to speculate that this could be the deciding factor in the high-definition format war.

Many may recall that, around the time of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (January), word on the street was that adult film folks were leaning toward the Blu-ray format. Supposedly, the change of heart was brought on by Sony, a driving force in the Blu-ray format, being opposed to associating with adult content. Another possible reason is price: HD DVD is reportedly cheaper to produce. Not to mention that, with the HD DVD format, adult film makers will have the opportunity to make discs in the “twin” format, with HD DVD and standard DVD versions on the same side (albeit likely more expensively than a single-sided Blu-ray Disc, but still less expensive than a separate high-definition disc and a standard-definition disc).

The adult film industry might seem like small potatoes when compared to “regular” movies, but you’d be surprised at the power it could hold in this format war: porn is a billion-dollar industry, and many claim that adult films actually outsell regular movie sales! Meanwhile, back in the 1970s, the porn industry’s decision to utilize the VHS format played a major role in VHS prevailing over Betamax.

The pendulum has been swinging back and forth between Blu-ray and HD DVD over the past year, with Blu-ray always appearing to be one step ahead in the race. In the U.S., Blockbuster announced that, while it would still carry HD DVD in its stores, it would only rent movies in the Blu-ray format, citing customer choice as the driving factor toward this decision. Research firm Parks Associates reported last month that Blu-ray is the front runner in the U.S., when taking both set-top boxes and gaming consoles into consideration. And of course when it comes to studio backing, Blu-ray leads the pack with support from more movie studios, while HD DVD titles are only available from Universal, Paramount, and Warner.

If the adult film industry goes HD DVD, will others follow; and will this spell an eventual win for the HD DVD format? Or will this just put a dent in Blu-ray’s perceived lead, and prolong the war? An even more important question: what advantage is there for the adult film industry to produce films in high-definition at all? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for technological advancement in any sense. But if TV actors are nervous about HD showing their every wrinkle and blemish, imagine how adult film actors must feel!