Narrowstep Inc., the TV on the Internet Company, has launched the first platform that enables scheduled, 24 x 7 TV channels and video-on-demand services to be distributed to mobile phones and mobile devices.

Based on Narrowstep's Television Operating System (TelVOS), the system can enable multiple channels with searchable video archives, video-on-demand, scheduled content and live events.

The first dynamically available mobile channel is extreme sports channel, "high.tv," featuring a mix of adventure content such as snowboarding, surfing, windsurfing and mountain biking. Other channels will be rolled out in due course covering subjects such as urban music, cycling and city profiles.

Other potential applications already supported include retail, education, government information, and company and employee TV channels.

Dynamic adverts can be generated on a one-to-one basis within the stream. Adverts can be distributed geographically by country and by subject by analyzing the viewer's selections.

Detailed statistics are available on all aspects of the system. Administrators can view where, when and for how long every content item and channel is viewed for, providing valuable research feedback.

The service supports GPRS, 3G and 4G, offering data rates from 33Kbps to 1.8Mbps. Viewers can select the appropriate connection for their phone and network service.

The system will also support pay-per-view and subscription payments, and circumvents the 'walled gardens' developed by the major mobile networks (although viewers will also have to pay data fees to these networks).

"These are very early days for video channel delivery to mobile devices," comments Narrowstep CEO, Iolo Jones. "Mobiles are now where broadband was five years ago. The costs being charged by the networks remain a big issue to the development of this industry and our platform provides an alternative route to market for content owners that is already proven in the broadband world."

Already, over forty broadband TV channels operate on TelVOS, including "high.tv," "cycling.tv" and "blueyonder.tv."

Currently, mobileplayer supports only the Windows Media format on Windows Mobile and Pocket PC devices such as HP's iPAQ h5555 and Sprint's SP-i600 Smartphone in the US and the iPAQ 6430 and Orange's SPV cell phone in the UK.

"We plan to add further formats as well as the ability to download and interact with clips in due course," adds Jones. "As the video mobile market develops, we aim to continue to provide the most advanced system for delivering mobile video services available."

An example of the system can be viewed using a Windows Media enabled mobile phone or a web browser on a PC, at http://mobile.narrowstep.tv.