FinPilot2 Final Report – User Acceptance of Mobile TV Services ...

common. This made it more convenient to follow media content, for instance, in
public transport without disturbing others.
In Podracing trials the quality of reception was one of the major technical
problems perceived in mobile TV use. Users perceived a significant difference
between different delivery methods, i.e. 3G and DVB-H and pre-downloading, and
the difference affected the length of watching sessions of mobile TV. Although
podcasting via the mobile phone was quite a new concept for the test users,
after the trial they all thought that this delivery method was a major addition
for mobile TV. Podcasting as a delivery method was considered most suitable for
loading entertainment content such as TV series, but also news broadcasts were
downloaded for later watching. Although typical mobile use is spontaneous, most
users did not consider it inconvenient to subscribe and download podcasts at home
for later watching elsewhere (Oksman et al., 2008).
Similar to some earlier mobile television studies, the results of the Podcasting
project indicate that news is very often the most popular mobile television content,
and news viewers prefer to have live feeds. Entertainment is popular podcasted
or loaded content. The findings of the trial confirmed many previous studies
concerning the contexts of using mobile TV. Mobile television was mostly used in
the public sphere. The test users mainly picked the content and channels which
were already familiar (Oksman et al., 2007).
The test users expected mobile TV to offer additional services compared to
conventional TV and media. There was a demand for additional services, and the
test users especially wished for more real-time and specially tailored content for
mobile TV. The users stated that a mobile television service should be able to give
a feeling that a user actually knows and receives more than others. Users hoped
that a mobile service would match up to their real needs and use situations. Whilst
the use of mobile television is usually very spontaneous and low commitment, just
surfing around and viewing meaningless program flow is not necessarily enough.
Mobile television in itself was new to the users and thus it is understandable that
the broadcast was considered the most interesting feature of the service. Three out
of eleven test users said they expect mobile television to carry interactive elements.
The test users seemed to understand interactivity mostly in connection with buying
or advertising purposes. None of the test users were interested in chat, where users
could discuss the programmes with each other. They also disliked the idea of voting
for something trivial, just for fun. Four users said that they would like to give
feedback. Of the test users surveyed, 68% preferred professional made content and
32% preferred amateur made. Professional content was appreciated for editorial and
technical quality whereas user generated content was considered funny, surprising
and life-like. Half of the test users said that they would be interested in uploading
their own video clips to the service.
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