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Internet-based Smartphone TV Show Airs

[Huge personal plug alert] Programme 1 in a new 'TV' series looking specifically at smartphones has aired. The show covers all software platforms and is currently free to download online. Read on for details...

Each 20 minute programme is distributed as a Quicktime video (at quarter VGA resolution) that's been designed and encoded to have as wide an audience as possible, including all Windows PCs, all Macs, video iPods and even the most recent smartphones themselves.

Programmes will include introductions to various aspects of the smartphone scene, plus hardware reviews and 'how to' material, covering Symbian OS, Windows Mobile and Palm OS-based phones. Each programme will also feature at least one guest reviewer, a well known man or woman in the mobile industry.

Steve commented "I've been inspired by the content from existing broadcast TV shows such as the UK's Gadget Show. But where a broadcast show would only be able to spend a few minutes on smartphones, I felt that with most people now on broadband at home or work, there was no reason not to start an Internet-based show of my own. Video delivery over broadband has been here for some months now, it's just that most of the traditional media haven't woken up to the possibilities yet. With the Smartphones Show, I'm able to cover hardware and software within hours of release."

While neither a 'blog' or a 'video log', the Smartphones Show has many of the same immediacy benefits and aims to put out a new programme every fortnight. The Smartphones Show can be downloaded from http://www.smartphones-show.com/

Published by Steve Litchfield at 13:43 UTC, January 9th

Categories: Links of Interest
Platforms: Series 60, Series 80, Series 90, UIQ, General, General, N-Gage

News Discussion

JuhaN
Comment: Steve:

Could it be possible to add "Smartphones-show" to iTunes video-podcast catalog? I have my iTunes check for new podcasts daily and add them to my iPod. It would be nice to have new episodes ready to watch as soon as they are available...

Thanks!
=)juha
Mossy
Comment: There's no way to access the manual download without first going to the page that automatically plays the episode in the browser. Most people aren't going to want to both watch in browser [i]and[/i] manually download.
slitchfield
Comment: Well yes, but if it's playing OK in the browser then you wouldn't need to manually download it. If it's not playing OK in the browser then you need to grab Quicktime Player and/or manually download it.

And if you want to manually grab it, despite it playing OK, just click on stop/pause and then download as normal.

And iTunes integration is hopefully coming, once the rush is over and once I work out how to do it!

What do you think of my 'donation-supported' model? Do you think I'll get any?

Steve
chip
Comment: Steve,

Did you put on some weight? Coz you look "bigger" ;-) By the way, any plan to make it available as AVI format (DiVX) suitable to be played using SmartMovie? Because I want to download it to my 9300 and watch it on the train. I dont have time to watch it on my office PC.

Superb stuff mate! :-D
JuhaN
Comment: Here is a little help for integrating to iTunes: [URL="http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/techspecs.html"]http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/techspecs.html[/URL]

=)juha
slitchfield
Comment: [quote=chip]Steve,

Did you put on some weight? Coz you look "bigger" ;-) By the way, any plan to make it available as AVI format (DiVX) suitable to be played using SmartMovie? Because I want to download it to my 9300 and watch it on the train. I dont have time to watch it on my office PC.

Superb stuff mate! :-D[/quote]

Thanks. No, it's just the camera angle! 8-)

Asri Al Baker is doing and hosting an official 3GP conversion, I hope. My own server is going to break under the current strain of the MOV version, I suspect! I don't suppose anybody out there has a nice fast business server and can offer me 100MB or so for free, for hosting the MOV files for each show?

Steve Litchield
slitchfield
Comment: Aha! Thanks, Rafe!

Rafe's just offered server space on AAS, so that's that sorted. 100 people have downloaded the show in the first six hours, which isn't bad.

Steve
slitchfield
Comment: And there's now a 3GP version for playing ON a smartphone. Though, to be honest, the 176 by 144 picture size makes a bit of a mockery of some of the close-up work. 18MB.

Also, I uploaded a new version of the main MOV file, with 20% higher bitrate, in an attempt to try and get less artefacts in on the close-up screens. As with most things in digital video, it's something of a trade-off, quality vs size. Hopefully it's now about right?

Steve
flipjetiel
Comment: (or more general, as a video podcast)

Keep up the good work!

Niels

 

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