BBC gets the picture

News

Lech Boron Aug 22 2005, 12:00am

The BBC is continuing its steady build out of mobile services, with a flurry of activity encompassing MMC-based programme distribution, 3G video viewer interaction and the streaming of show previews.

The BBC is continuing its steady build out of mobile services, with a flurry of activity encompassing MMC-based programme distribution, 3G video viewer interaction and the streaming of show previews.

The UK public broadcaster’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, has agreed to licence top shows for distribution on ROK Player MMC cards, including cult sci-fi series Doctor Who and Red Dwarf.

On sale shortly and priced at around £17.00, the co-branded ‘Digital Video Chips’ (DVC) will be available from Nokia stores and Choices Video outlets, with direct sales and retail via www.rokplayer.com.

Meanwhile, the BBC is currently in conversations with London-based VoxSurf regarding their dynamic mobile video messaging platform. VoxSurf’s technology would enable viewers of the BBC to use a push-to-video application to send in their own video reports from sports or news events for broadcast.

And if that’s not enough, UK digital TV channel BBC Three is previewing clips of its Rose D’Or award-winning comedy Nighty Night on mobile phones. Viewers can text Nighty to 81010 to initiate a stream of the show.

The offers are part of ongoing BBC trials of online and mobile services.