Just a few weeks after the launch of MMS, Germany's T-Mobile has become the first European operator to launch video messaging, where customers can send brief video sequences using their mobile phone. The first mobile phone which allows you to use this new service is the Nokia 7650.
"With video messaging, we are offering our customers a genuinely innovative product. It is now possible for the first time to record moving images using a mobile phone and to send these to friends or business associates simply and directly", comments Martin Knauer, Chief Marketing Officer at T-Mobile Deutschland. "This represents a valuable expansion of the multimedia messaging service".
The new video messaging service allows users to record, save and play back video sequences, up to a maximum of 95 kilobytes in size, on their mobile phone. A sound clip or a message in text form can be sent with the video message as attachments. The recipient will require the relevant media players in order to play back the video message and attachments on his or her PC.
In order to use this service, customers must install video messaging software on their Nokia 7650 phone. Customers who are interested in the service can order the software by visiting www.t-mobile.de/videomessaging. T-Mobile will then send the software by e-mail free of charge to the e-mail address given by the customer (eventually - it took a long time to arrive but we have a copy below). Inspecting the software reveals that it is made by the Finnish company Hantro, who are powering the camcorder function on the recently announced 3650.
To play back the video file on a PC, the computer will need the very latest media players, as the file is in an mpeg4 format. You can download the latest players from http://www.t-mobile.de/videomessaging/mediaplayer although if you already have Real Player it will automatically update itself. A sample video clip is here (it was a bit dark when recorded, daylight recording should be better quality) and you will probably be asked which application on your PC you want to use to play it back - try to use Real Player as it is easier to do the update if necessary. The video clip time varies depending on how much movement is involved in the clip - the more action, the shorter the clip - the max file size is 95kb.
If you have a Nokia 7650 - you can download the video application (written in Symbian) from here - the program is in German, but it is quite intuitive to use, and when loaded, a new application will appear on the handset menu. To install it - send it to your handset via infra-red or bluetooth, and it will appear as a new message in your handset - click on it to install the program. You can only send the video files you make by e-mail, as far as I can tell.
We are unable to test if video clips sent to another 7650 without the software installed will playback (well, you do need two of the handsets to try that out !) but we should be able to test that later today when another 7650 handset arrives in the office. I'll post details on the discussion forum when we have finished testing the software.'"
Posted to the site on 23rd September 2002
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/7605.php