Quality of Experience Factors for Mobile TV Users

Introduction

Nowadays sophisticated devices such as smart phones are available in the telecommunication markets. Users can access telecom services at any Universal Personal Telecommunications (UPT) terminal on the basis of a personal identifier (user mobility). For this reason, networks supporting user mobility provide suitable services according to the user’s service profile. In the context of mobility, consumers use their mobile applications for fun, games, music, at work etc. and distribute these applications to their community. Some consumers also use their cell phones for invoking various mobile multimedia applications such as Mobile TV. Mobile TV provides television-like content through a mobile device and holds a limelight as the next killer application of wireless technologies. Mobile TV brings together two contemporary social developments:

• (1)

  Enhanced end-user mobility, and

• (2)

  Novel forms of access to media content.

In the business landscape of mobile TV, there are several actors already involved (Marilly et al., 2007):

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  Broadcasters who provide TV channels.

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  Aggregators who bundle TV channels into clusters.

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  Broadcast network operators who provide access to their own broadcast networks (terrestrial, satellite or cable) to deliver the TV channels or clusters to end-users.

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  Mobile operators (operating a cellular network).

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  Mobile service providers (operating a mobile portal) who are now offering Mobile TV programmes in a unicast mode.

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  Content providers, advertisers or even access service providers (ASPs)/Internet service providers (ISPs) who directly offer content to be delivered through the network.

Mobile TV is mainly consumed in leisure time. As a consequence, users do not want to spend much time to find out how to use it. Therefore, usability issues are major concerns of mobile TV users. So, much research focuses on results clarifying the users’ needs and motivations regarding Mobile TV. According to Repo et al. (2004) the commercial success of a TV product depends on the users’ requirements and its viability. Schuurman et al. (2009) summarized the literature regarding Mobile TV. In particular, they conducted a meta-analysis on user-studies from mobile TV-trials, surveyed a panel of 35 trial as well as non-trial mobile TV-experts and conducted a user study with 405 respondents. They compared the views from these four sources regarding context (possible mobile peak times, usage duration and usage goals) and content for Mobile TV. This comparison left them with a better understanding of different views regarding Mobile TV, which paves the way for a more user-centric approach. According to Buchinger et al. (2011) a User Centered Design (UCD) must be applied to any Mobile TV product. UCD involves users in the design and development process for a better understanding of their needs, tasks and expectations (Hanington, 2003; Eronen, 2003). Eronen (2003) states that for new devices and applications, the focus of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) research has to shift more to user experiences, which are relevant for the use of the product according to user’s needs.