Mobile TV heading for a fall?

PC Pro is running what aims to be a sobering editorial, especially after this week's $70 million windfall VC round for MobiTV: "Mobile TV is heading for a fall." While the columnist, Paul Trotter, acknowledges the great potential of mobile television, he asks: "Is anyone, apart from those who stand to reap the financial rewards, really getting excited about mobile phone TV?" The question is a valid one, as week after week we see reports come out with varying, though always sunny predictions as to the explosive growth mobile TV is sure to enjoy in the coming five years. However, the current numbers behind those predictions are still less than stellar.

I do have one point of contention with Trotter's piece, since he makes the claim that mobile TV marketeers are going to make false promises--and then concludes by warning the reader not to be fooled by "the over-inflated promises," as if they'd already been made. While I've heard plenty of excitement from mobile TV marketeers, I've notice a sober, often humbling disposition when it comes to the service itself, at least here in the U.S. Sure, they think it's great and expect the QoS will continue to get better, but they acknowledge there's still a lot of work to be done on the quality of service.

For more on Trotter's editorial:
- see this article from PC Pro