The next big battle

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I understand what NF is saying. More and more, you see people watching movies, yes movies on a handheld apparitus, whether it be iphone cell phone laptop and what have you; usually on the go of course. Some people commute for quite a while, so if theyre not reading a book, why not? This will only be more common as cell phone screens get bigger and better.

Here is the rub, cell phone screens are not getting larger, at least not the ones we see here.

It seems the US phone market isn't quite like it is here, it always looks like US phones are a couple years lagging, but I could be wrong. It's the impression i get when i'm in the US, which means Americans might not be watching as much video on their portable screens as they are in Europe (because of the less capable phones). But then Americans usually commute longer.

As a person who travels to Europe alot, you guys are a lot further ahead technology wise than we are. From everything from public transportation to health care and technology, Europeans are just more sophisticated in their thinking and usage. However, from what I have seen on our public transportation in the Bay Area not too far from Silicon Valley, you see a wide variety of things used for entertainment like the kindle(of which I see people using alot), and cell phones are mostly used for email and playing games while riding. Mostly people here get more shut eye, or read the paper on public transportation while listening to Ipods. What you don't see(at least on BART) is people looking at video, and I didn't see much of that in LA subway system either. I asked my kids who are heavy smartphone users(they have the iPhone), and they, nor their friends watch much video on their phones either. It is mostly texting, and little video clips they make themselves.

Of course it's not the same experience as it is with a massive home screen, but it's still happening. Whether or not it's more popular or will be than home viewing, I can't say. Probably not, but who knows...

Studies on cell and smartphone usage here show decisively that the home is the number one place for viewing televsion and movies, and that is by a wide margin.

[audio amateur]

Here is the rub, cell phone screens are not getting larger, at least not the ones we see here.

Strange... Here they're definitely getting better. iphone style I guess. Touch screen technology is being used rather than keyboards simply because they have to use the whole area of the phone in order to maximize screen size.

[E-Stat]

Here they're definitely getting better. iphone style I guess.

I guess it depends upon your point of reference. My iPhone screen is 3" x 2" for a total of six square inches . My mid-sized laptop is 14" x 7.5" for a total of one hundred five square inches - or nearly twenty times the amount of screen real estate. Are your phones any bigger?

rw

[audio amateur]

I guess it depends upon your point of reference. My iPhone screen is 3" x 2" for a total of six square inches . My mid-sized laptop is 14" x 7.5" for a total of one hundred five square inches - or nearly twenty times the amount of screen real estate. Are your phones any bigger?

rw

Not sure I understand, bigger than a laptop's screen? Well no, but that's not what I'm saying. NF & I are including laptops in the whole portable movie playing devices. Granted, laptop screens are quite a bit bigger.

[E-Stat]

Not sure I understand, bigger than a laptop's screen? Well no, but that's not what I'm saying. NF & I are including laptops in the whole portable movie playing devices. Granted, laptop screens are quite a bit bigger.

I guess I'm confused by comments made by both of you concerning cell phones:

NF: "You're missing the point. Your sales figures don't include cell phones. Those are also screens, and in the very near future, they will be used to watch everything from broadcast TV to full-length movies. The number of smart phones out there is staggering in comparison to TV sets."

You: "Strange... Here they're definitely getting better. iphone style I guess. Touch screen technology is being used rather than keyboards simply because they have to use the whole area of the phone in order to maximize screen size."

Cell phones and laptops have significantly different screen sizes!

rw

[pixelthis]

I guess I'm confused by comments made by both of you concerning cell phones:

NF: "You're missing the point. Your sales figures don't include cell phones. Those are also screens, and in the very near future, they will be used to watch everything from broadcast TV to full-length movies. The number of smart phones out there is staggering in comparison to TV sets."

You: "Strange... Here they're definitely getting better. iphone style I guess. Touch screen technology is being used rather than keyboards simply because they have to use the whole area of the phone in order to maximize screen size."

Cell phones and laptops have significantly different screen sizes!

rw

And lets not forget LG and their new projector fone, projects a 40" pic onto the wall.

[audio amateur]

And lets not forget LG and their new projector fone, projects a 40" pic onto the wall.

I heard about that but it was a photo camera, not a phone. It's pretty crazy what they can do now

[nightflier]

I guess I'm confused by comments made by both of you concerning cell phones:

NF: "You're missing the point. Your sales figures don't include cell phones. Those are also screens, and in the very near future, they will be used to watch everything from broadcast TV to full-length movies. The number of smart phones out there is staggering in comparison to TV sets."

As I mentioned above, I was wrong about the number of cell phones compared to the number of TVs. Even the number of cell phone screens + laptop screens + everything else in between probably doesn't amount to more than the number of TV screens out there. That said, small screens are replaced far more often, so change there happens much faster. What may just be a smaller market because of overall sales figures, could be a whole different beast in as little as six months.

My belief is that that there is something happening on small screens, that is being underrepresented here, and sales figures don't address that. I realize that portable video this has been lauded since the the early days of V-cast, but I think this is different. It is happening matter-of-factly, without much media fanfare. People are just expecting their small devices to include it as standard. The big question is will cell phone providers be able to control it?

If the video content becomes part of the internet, then my guess is that they won't. But if it becomes part of a private cellular-wireless internet where net neutrality does not apply, then it could even become a threat to the Internet itself. That is the next big battle, IMO. Now that's not the opinion of others here, but let's be honest, who are we? Many of us have spent thousands, tens of thousands, some of us even hundreds of thousands on gear that is directly threatened by this technology. Are we really that representative of what the next generation will be spending their money on?

[E-Stat]

Many of us have spent thousands, tens of thousands, some of us even hundreds of thousands on gear that is directly threatened by this technology. Are we really that representative of what the next generation will be spending their money on?

Frankly, I'm not concerned that phones will be obsoleting televisions and movie theatres. Smart phones have their place and I use my iPhone quite a bit. My wife and I text up a storm. I just don't see the enthusiasm for folks wanting to watch Avatar on a 6 square inch screen vs. a 500,000 square inch screen (The 1570 IMAX at Mall of Georgia where I first saw it).

rw