Dream Car, Dream Mobile Phone

I am an eyewitness of how technology has changed the reporter work. From carrying the manual camera to a digital one, from previously going back to the newsroom to write scripts, but now using laptop to send script back to the office, the work of the reporter has kept on changing in terms of speed, efficiency, and the quality of news content by utilising better and more advanced equipment.

Since three years ago, my television station, NTV7, has been working with Digi, a telecommunications company, on the “Mobile TV” project to reach wider viewers.

The users will be able to enjoy dramas, comedies, reality shows and documentaries anywhere and any time of the day (as long as ntv7 is aired) via the Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (Edge) enabled handsets.

The Mobile TV service is the optimum service for our viewers who place a premium on being kept informed and enjoy entertainment with us on our high speed mobile network. This would mean seamless connection with good reception.

In fact, viewers need specific enabled mobile phones to watch TV programmes. For instance, in the case of Digi Telecommunications’ service, viewers need the Nokia 6230 series (now is Nokia N80). It,however,is not equipped with a large screen.

However, trials conducted in the Netherlands reveal that the screen size does not pose an obstacle to watching a TV broadcast on a mobile phone—the image is sharp enough to show a quick pass between footballs during a televised football game, and to read the subtitles.

I believe that with this vastly improved technology, miniature television may soon be the next mobile craze.

Apart from this, currently, my station is using the Internet to transmit the video footage which is shot by the stingers from other states. The transmission is simple, just upload and download the footages. The problem is--it is obviously not clear and sharp like the original one. Before this, the footages have to take few hours to reach the TV station,because they are transported by the airplane or train, and later collected by the dispatch staff.

Technology always gives us surprises, beyond our imagination. Like the latest newsgathering technologies-- NewsGear which assembles the most innovative and practical tools for multi-skilled journalists.

It like a gospel for the newspaper. Newspapers can now have their own version of the remote truck—send journalists out to a major news scene in a vehicle that could help them collect, manage and feed pictures, video, text and other content back to the newsroom for use in real time.

A complete mobile online newsroom is built into the remote truck--a Volvo XC 90.So now NewsGear’s cross-media journalists have all the tools necessary to cover a news event in real time and in every possible format, plus they can reach their destination at 210 kph.

Mobile online newsroom is like a dream car for multimedia journalists.

The first NewsGear kit was created in 1998. It contained all the tools needed for a journalist to deliver text, photos, graphics and video news content. Everything fitted into a standard airline-size roll-on bag. The total cost was less than 10,000 USD.

Without the Volvo car, 10,000 USD for the NewsGear kit is reasonable.Is there a possiblity to find another vehicle which is more affordable for the media company from developing countries?

Besides,the multimedia tool for journalist will be the Nokia N80.It is a wirelessly networked webcam to stream live video and audio back to the newspaper or even directly to the Internet Editors in the newsroom who can even remotely pan, tilt and zoom the camera to zero in on the action.

With Nokia N80 mobile phones,reporter can also connect via WiFi to deliver podcast audio, VGA video or 3-megapixel pictures. A television tuner in a USB stick lets a journalist monitor local broadcasts on a laptop.

But,not many reporters can afford to buy the latest mobile phones--Nokia N80. It is costly--RM 1,600, which is equivalent to a reporter's one monthly salary.

However, I hope the times will change, and our vision to own our dream car-- "Mobile online newsroom" and dream mobile phone--Nokia N80,were materialize.