Personal Television: A Qualitative Study of Mobile TV Users in South Korea

This describes a qualitative user study of mobile phone TV usage undertaken during September 2005 and centered on the real world Mobile TV usage of subscribers of the recently launched live service in Seoul, South Korea. Data collection and reporting methods were optimized to inform and inspire future Nokia product development. The study identified four primary use cases: at home; during the evening commute; macro-breaks; and secret use. Both home and commuting use are likely to be significantly culturally dependent. Barriers to use include: battery life; screen size; lack of compelling content; poor coverage. Design implications are discussed. The study suggests that if the current barriers to use can be overcome Mobile TV is a viable competitor to existing forms of entertainment and media consumption. Mobile TV provides the user with a choice of content in a setting of the user’s choosing. These and related findings led us to believe that Mobile TV is more about personal experiences, than the need for mobility itself and we therefore consider Personal TV to be a better descriptor of this service