Mobile technology lacks cohesion
FROM VARIETY: Video formats can't transfer between devices
By Scott Kirsner of Variety -- Video Business, 1/12/2009
JAN. 12 | CES FROM VARIETY: Consumers are snapping up millions of video-capable cell phones like the BlackBerry Storm and Apple iPhone - so why isn't there a robust business in delivering video content to those small screens?At the 2009 CES, the problems are the same as they were last year and the year before: There's no single video format that works across all phones and carriers, and no one's found a reliable way to make money doing it.
Those media companies with some measure of success in this arena rely on lucrative deals with mobile carriers willing to pay up-front licensing fees and guarantee minimum annual revenue. Those deals are becoming rare as more phones gain the ability to pull video directly from the Internet and consumers hunt for a broader range of content than carriers could ever offer.
Read the full story on Variety.com.
