The software allows carriers to offer their subscribers content that is similar to that of V-Star and CelVibe. But with so much weight being thrown behind these companies, an important question becomes whether they are headed down the same path that led to doom and gloom for online streaming video providers. A recent Gartner report states that while MPEG-4 and similar compression schemes can help, but these technologies haven't revolutionized scenarios with more available bandwidth, such as desktop video. Compression helps, but you still need bandwidth. The report said user expectations of 24 to 30 frame per second wireless streaming video, the standard for TV and movies, won't be realized during the next five years.
Bigger issues are also at play on the demand and infrastructure side.
A recent report by Jupiter Media Metrix found simple yet practical interactive services like games, short messaging, and positioning capabilities will dominate amidst limited bandwidth, multiple platforms and competing service providers in the coming years. Gartner's Dulaney thinks wireless is not reliable in general. Snapshots are a much more practical short-term wireless offering, he said. Another option, streaming snapshots, could be practical in the next year or two, according to the Gartner report. At two to three frames per second, bandwidth usage is reduced significantly, yet solid information could be conveyed.