EPN online - In-Stat/MDR Research Highlights

August 28, 2006

Mobile Video Industry Will Begin to Shape up in 2008

The market for long form mobile/portable video content (video content of greater than 30 minutes) is currently in an experimental phase, and will likely remain at this stage for at least two years, reports In-Stat (http://www.in-stat.com). By 2008, however, the industry will begin to gain traction and demonstrate its long-term potential, the high-tech market research firm says.

The greatest potential for this market rests with its ability to complement the existing video industry. For example, there will be over 50 million portable media players in use worldwide by 2008. The portable/mobile long form video market will not likely cannibalize sales from the DVD and other traditional markets, but rather, supplement top-line growth.

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

It is not clear if users will prefer an all-purpose multimedia cellular phone or separate voice and multimedia devices.
Mobile video subscribers stand to represent over 10% of US wireless subscribers by 2009.
Roughly one out of eight respondents in an In-Stat survey of mobile users expressed interest in mobile video for the cellular market.

This Market Alert is drawn from the In-Stat research, The “Audience of One”: Long-Form Mobile and Portable Content Slowly Emerges (#IN0602975CM), which covers the worldwide market for mobile and portable video. It includes four-year forecasts of worldwide revenue per portable media player by region and worldwide total portable media player and PSP revenue by region. Extensive analysis of market drivers and challenges is provided.

For more information on this research, please visit: http://www.instat.com/catalog/Ccatalogue.asp?id=212 or contact Erin McKeighan at 480-609-4551 or emckeighan@reedbusiness.com. The price is $2,995(US).

This research is part of In-Stat’s Consumer Media and Content Service, which focuses first on the changing digital content models, and then how this will influence the evolution of equipment, standards, technologies, services and consumer usage models. The service addresses the acquisition, distribution, and use of digital content (audio, imaging, video, and voice) and how it fits into the consumer’s digital entertainment lifestyle. The service explains the opportunities for equipment makers and service providers within the emerging digital home.

In related research, In-Stat found that several factors point to rapidly increasing consumer acceptance of mobile video and music multimedia services from wireless carriers. Interest in mobile video has inched up during the past three years but streaming music still leads the way. Streaming music offers many marketing benefits because it is most like familiar and successful mobile consumer services. One plus for carriers is that streaming is not subject to the same Digital Rights Management issues involved with music file sharing. The research, “In-Sights: Will Multimedia Phones Threaten Portable Music Players? (#IN0603269MCM),” covers the worldwide market for mobile multimedia consumer services. For more information on this research, please visit: http://www.instat.com/catalog/Wcatalogue.asp?id=231 or contact Tina Sheltra at 480-609-4531 or tina.sheltra@reedbusiness.com. The price is $1,495 (US).