Watch television on you Blackberry! As part of a cool Trend Hunter exclusive, I've had the chance to review bbTV (Blackberry Television) on my Blackberry 8700! The service, provided by Canada.com and Rogers Wireless, is the world's first television broadcasting on a Blackberry. bbTV lets you browse the latest headline tv with daily clips in World News, Sports, and Finance. The bbTV clips are launched immediately after the episodes are aired, so you won't miss a beat.
On the upside, it's pretty cool to watch TV on your handheld. The episodes stream at 12-15 frames per second and the sound is very clear. Finally, it's a deal at $5 per month, which is pretty much free relative to the cost of a good data plan.
On the downside, you can't yet use your headset. Allegedly, an update will take care of that but it is not developed yet. Also, it takes about 1-2 minutes to download an episode. You can use your Blackberry in different ways while it updates, but I don't like waiting.
Currently, the service is currently only available to Canadian subscribers. However, it will be opened up throughout North America very soon (with more shows on the way). Why is it all starting in Canada? Blackberry is a Canadian company and its partner, Rogers telecom, is the largest Cable TV company in Canada. In other words, bbTV is a pretty nice fit.
More About bbTV:
Now you can take the show on the road with bbTVâ„¢, brought to you by CanWest Media Works Publications, Canada's largest and most innovative media companies and Rogers Wireless.
- What is bbTV? It is a videoplayer designed to play multimedia files exclusively on the latest generation of BlackBerry® devices. It has the ability to receive and play high quality synchronized video and audio files.
- Easy and simple Over-the-Air (OTA) installation method gives users the flexibility to quickly download the application with ease and speed.
- Standard media controls (play, pause, rewind, stop etc.) means the operation and functionality is familiar.
- Display of media description information (title, description, duration, genre, etc.) allows for convenient navigation while viewing files.
- Offline Viewing - With the ability to store and manage multiple clips, you can view files and listen to audio when not connected.
Blackberry TV
bbTV Reviewed
Trend Themes
1. Streaming Television - The trend of streaming television on mobile devices like Blackberry presents opportunities for innovative content delivery platforms and services.
2. Mobile Multimedia - The trend of mobile multimedia, exemplified by bbTV on Blackberry, creates openings for companies to develop and optimize video players and audio synchronization technologies for handheld devices.
3. Over-the-air Installation - The trend of over-the-air installation methods, as seen with bbTV's easy and simple OTA installation, provides opportunities for companies to create convenient and efficient download processes for mobile applications.
Industry Implications
1. Media and Entertainment - The media and entertainment industry can explore innovative ways to produce and distribute streaming television content, taking advantage of the growing demand for on-the-go viewing experiences.
2. Mobile Technology - The mobile technology industry can capitalize on the trend of mobile multimedia by developing advanced video players and audio synchronization technologies to enhance the multimedia capabilities of handheld devices.
3. Mobile App Development - The mobile app development industry can focus on creating efficient over-the-air installation methods for applications, enabling users to quickly and easily download and update software on their mobile devices.