High end smartphones and media players are not new but they have not embraced mobile video - a market led by Apple's Ipod and similar devcies. But could that change with content specially designed for mobile devices? Carriers are formulating steps to with mobile video distribution to do just that says the article "Short films eye the small screen." 

Video distribution projects are in the works: 

"Carriers are taking their first steps into the mobile-video distribution market with services such as Verizon's VCast and Cingular Video playing clips of popular shows such as HBO's "The Sopranos" or ESPN's "Sportscenter." And, of course, Apple's iTunes service sells episodes of television programs such as "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" that can be played on a video iPod or on a PC or Mac. But most of that content was developed for a larger screen and can look awkward on a 2-inch mobile phone screen, said Mitchell Weinstock, vice president of business development for Kinoma. Kinoma develops a media player for smart phones such as Palm's Treo 650 as well as the production tools for moving video onto handheld devices."

Movies however should remain short given the small screen size: 

"However, not many people will want to watch anything that runs beyond several minutes on a smart phone screen, Crowley said. He advised the filmmakers to think of mobile devices as a potential home for short animated films that traditionally haven't reached large audiences outside of the festival community. "

Technical hassles aside, content still rules:

"If you had really good content that was done well and could be seen well on a small screen, you could find a legitimate audience," Bajarin said. "The issue continues to be more of one that is struggling to figure out exactly what people will want, and what they will pay for it."