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Cell Phone Video Remember Portable Tv

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by Kevin Maney
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Apr 22 2008 12:00am EDT

Cell Phone Video: Remember Portable TV?

So many companies are so hot on the concept of full-length shows and movies for cell phones. But I don't get it. Not in a mass-market way anyway. USA Today says that cell carriers are ramping up full-length offerings -- big shows on tiny screens. OK, so if you're a 15-year-old kid stuck at your grandfather's retirement party, maybe you sneak into a corner and watch the American Idol you missed last night. On occasions, you might find yourself with an hour to kill and no screen anywhere to entertain you (gasp!), like maybe waiting for your wife outside a department store dressing room. But on a regular basis, professional full-length video is not likely to prove out as a major success on cell phones.

Reminds me of portable TVs. Remember those? Seemed like the coolest thing at the time -- a TV you could carry and set up at the family picnic. Of course, they were limited by only getting broadcast signals via the antenna. But all in all, portable TV never had a big impact on the market.

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