Two Minute Television to Bring Original, Short-Form Programming to Smartphones

US : SmartVideo Technologies announced today that short form video series from Two Minute Television Network will be available to anyone with a smartphone or PDA equipped with a media player. The free, ad-supported entertainment channel will put series such as Genius on a Shoestring; the first two-minute reality series, Adventures in Speed Dating; and News with a Punchline - in the palm of their hand.

SmartVideo offers technology that enables fluid motion, fully synched live video and audio broadcasts, even on phones running on current 2.5G cellular networks, making it the only such service able to be called television in the true sense. Thanks to the successful launch of the more robust 3G networks in the U.S., SmartVideo can provide 3G-capable phones with a minimum of 24 frames per second and virtual broadcast quality of at least 28 frames per second on Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Already close to 70 million phones in the U.S. are equipped with media players that support the SmartVideo system, which is compatible with all major wireless carriers in the world.

"Two Minute Television has taken their experience bringing short form content to broadcast and cable television, as well as the Internet, and realized the opportunities SmartVideo made available by mobile video," said Richard E. Bennett, Jr., president and CEO of SmartVideo. "Their original, episodic television programs are ideal for the third screen, and we are glad that Two Minute Television has embraced this emerging medium."

In addition to the three two-minute series it has in production, Two Minute Television has six more series in development, including Cinderella Stories, which follows a person's transformation in preparation for his/her big day, Emma in Two, the first two minute sitcom, a sports block of short form segments an others. The shows are all original and not re-purposed from long form TV, and all are being made available for three screens: television, the Internet and cellphones.

Two Minute Television and the recently announced Digital Music Video Network, (which will offer the latest music videos from top musical acts) are unique offerings in the emerging mobile television business, offering their services free to anyone with a current-generation media player installed on their device. The revenue for SmartVideo and Two Minute Television will come from brief, 15-second ads. These two channels make the promise and excitement of mobile television to a virtually limitless consumer audience, one that is not tied to any particular cellular service provider.

"We are excited about our relationship with SmartVideo, and believe that our rapidly growing library of two minute television series is well-suited for smartphones," said David Post, chairman of Two Minute Television. "SmartVideo's mobile television offering is easy and robust, and will help subscribers to enjoy our content, anytime, any place. We believe that TV is a perfect medium for cellphones."

Two Minute Television joins such content providers as ABC News, ABC NewsNow, NBC Universal (CNBC, MSNBC and NBC Mobile), The Weather Channel, FOX Sports Network, IFILM, Fashion TV, E! Entertainment, the Digital Music Video Network and DIC, as well as others.

The innovative deal that brings Two Minute Television's programming to smartphones was put together by Media Consulting Associates (MCA), a leading entertainment consultancy based in Los Angeles consisting of well-known television and motion picture executives specializing in content placement, distribution and production. MCA members include Herman Rush (former CEO, Columbia Pictures Television Group), Robert L. Friedman (former President, The AMC Entertainment Motion Picture Group), Joe Indelli (former Vice President, Orion Television Distribution), Jerry Katzman (former President, William Morris Talent Agency), and Ave Butensky (former President, Television Bureau of Advertising).

About Two Minute Television

Two Minute Television is a pioneer and leader in the short form video industry, with its content available on broadcast and cable television, on the Internet, and on cell phones with TV capability. The Company brings nearly seven years of experience in creating and producing two minute TV segments, for networks and local stations, for news and entertainment shows.