Internet telephony provider Vonage plans to sell videophones and a videophony service before the end of March, while the Indian film Rok Sako To Rok Lo (Hindi for Stop Me If You Can) will premiere on Airtel cell phones in ten cities.
Vonage didn't release the actual planned release date or pricing details for its projected videophone equipment and service, but chief executive Jeffrey Citron said Vonage partnered with broadband video equipment maker Viseon to develop the idea.
"Historically, it's not a product we were interested in," Citron told reporters. "The quality wasn't great, there wasn't a reliable enough network, and it was incredibly expensive. We think those barriers are being eradicated."
The Vonage videophone is said to resemble the VisiPhone II, which Viseon developed to debut in January. Videophony is the latest service coming aboard Vonage and other Voice-over Internet Protocol service providers, with VoicePulse also said to be preparing to bring videophone service "very soon," according to a published report which said details about that weren't yet available.
Packet8, another videophone service provider, already sells unlimited video calling for $30 per month, through videophones with embedded cameras to capture the caller image.
Citron said recent chip design developments and better communication among videophone makers regarding standards has helped push down equipment prices to more affordable levels, and broadband connections are getting fast and reliable enough to make videophony more viable now than when it was first dismissed through comparisons to the classic 1960s futuristic cartoon, The Jetsons.
Meanwhile, Airtel planned December 9 to play Rok Sako To Rok Lo for cell phone customers in Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, and seven other cities in India, with the customers using Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE)-enabled phones, the day before the film was to get its theatrical release.
EDGE is touted as a third-generation cell phone technology bringing broadband-like speed to mobile phones. "Airtel has become the first cellular service in the world to premiere a full-length movie on mobile," said the company's director for mobility, Atul Bindal, in a statement.
Airtel subscribers who wanted to watch the film could log on to Airtel's Airtel Live entertainment portal at 3 p.m. Indian Standard Time and, once they clicked on the film's link, the film began playing within seconds on their handsets. Logging on at any but the scheduled time would mean a customer missing the film, because it was streamed live and could not be copied or downloaded, Airtel said.
Other cell phone leaders are reportedly speculating that cell phones might soon have the power needed to make a lot of newer services like streaming full-length films live more attractive to so-far reluctant customers. And companies like News Corp. are thinking of taking a dip: News Corp. reportedly plans to air television shows and video services over special cell phones in the near future.
