June 29, 2005 - By Chris Marlowe, The Hollywood Reporter

Mobile entertainment is such a new medium that nobody is certain they know how to do it properly. That was the main theme that emerged during a lively discussion when a panel of experts met to explore the topic Tuesday night.

Even so, all four speakers had boundless optimism for mobile entertainment's potential. Innovative content and marketing ideas were shared, and each service representative had ideas for interactivity that would increase consumer satisfaction along with improving the bottom line by adding commerce and other premium options.

There was agreement on some of the basic assumptions, of course. For example, when asked what consumers want to watch, Verizon Wireless vp marketing Robert Miller spoke for everyone when he replied: "Anything they can get. Anything they can do at home they want to do on the go."

That primarily included news, sports, entertainment clips and games. Erik Smith, Idetic/MobiTV senior director business development and programming, pointed out that one of his company's most popular programs was nothing more than a camera set up at the back of the Comedy Store venue during performances.

The consensus quickly broke down, however, when the discussion turned to the relative merits of streaming vs. download. Herman Rush, Media Entertainment Llc. partner representing his client SmartVideo, supported streaming because it provided the immediacy of live broadcasting. Smith agreed, "So when you open your phone up, there it is."

Steve Leonard, GoldPocket Wireless president, countered that mobile should be more like a DVR. "You don't get to plan your downtime," he said. "You want the clips to be there when you want to watch them."

Another unresolved point was the issue of carrier control. "People want choices, and content owners want to program themselves," Leonard said.

Miller said that the "walled garden" carrier model was necessary in these early days. "It's got to be delivered the right way, with high quality and a good customer experience," he said, though this might change as the market matures.

Pricing also was still evolving, and many plans are too complicated, according to the panel. Services charge between $10-$15 a month, but as Rush said, "It's too soon to know what consumers will pay."

Technical factors still are hampering mobile entertainment as well. Smith admitted that Verizon's VCast service looked better than MobiTV's, for instance, but added that this will change in the near future as phones and networks improve. Other concerns included battery life, a lack of standardization, digital rights and licensing issues.

The panel was addressing the topic of wireless entertainment at a Century City event hosted by the Digital Coast Roundtable, a Southern California nonprofit leadership organization dedicated to emerging technology and new-media companies. It was moderated by Wireless Week senior editor Sue Marek and began with a special presentation by David Frerichs, Coding Technologies vp and U.S. general manager.

Copyright 2005, The Hollywood Reporter. All rights reserved.