Jason Dunn
06-30-2004, 02:35 AM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,64009,00.html?tw=rss.TOP' target='_blank'>http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,64009,00.html?tw=rss.TOP</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Time Warner and Walt Disney already ply their wares in cinemas, on television and over the Internet. Now they're reaching into the mobile phone in your pocket. Some phones can already display pictures and replay video clips, but as networks get faster, it will be possible to watch live newscasts or even a whole movie on wireless gadgets."</i><br /><br />This Wired article discusses the move by Disney and Time Warner to investigate content distribution options for their branded movies, TV shows, characters, etc. This might be do-able with 1xRTT, but GPRS just doesn't have the bandwidth for much in the way of content distribution. One of the more interesting pieces in this article was the mention of these content kings were talking about launching their own phones on their own network. What this means is that you might have a phone contract with ESPN and have an EPSN phone with a special phone shell, ring tones, etc. <br /><br />This is something that Microsoft has been preparing for - ESPN could talk to factory in Taiwan that has several Smartphone designs to chose from, customize it with their brand, slap Windows Mobile on there, and have a phone on the market in under eight months. Trying to do the same thing with a Nokia phone would take approximate two years last I heard - that's a very big difference in terms of bringing a product to market! I'll be interested to see what Disney and Time Warner decide to do with this idea...someone from Microsoft's Mobile Devices group should be calling them right now. ;-)