Many people have done this or at least tried to at one time or another. At the back of the car, on the bus, inside the MRT, while on coffee break, in between or during meetings, or whenever you have some time to spare.

That is, of course, watching videos on your smartphones, whether it is to take a peek at a new YouTube video upload, check on the latest K-Drama episode, or find out what that cute cat video is doing on your feed.

You click and hope for the best.

If you are lucky the video will play without a hitch, but if not, all you are going to see is that hypnotic yet annoying buffering circle. And when it does resume, what you get is a low-resolution mess of pixelated blocks.

The problem is not just about speed, but also bandwidth. When too many people are trying to connect within the same area, everyone shares the same download speed.

That may soon be a thing of the past as Smart ramps up its 5G services to more areas in the Philippines.

5G is the culmination of decades of wireless technology upgrades. If 1G, the first generation gave the world sound over wireless, 2G added text, 3G brought everyone to the mobile web, and 4G allowed people to use Netflix, Spotify, and millions of other apps, 5G is designed to connect virtually everyone and every device together with the potential to change the way people live, work, and play.

For media and entertainment, the benefits of 5G go way beyond faster movie downloads and smoother video streaming. It will also affect how consumers watch movies and live events, transforming viewers from mere spectators to active participants.

Creating the next blockbuster

Video accounts for most Internet bandwidth used today, and if downloading gets even faster, consumers will likely spend even more time on YouTube, Netflix, and other streaming platforms.

5G technology can provide a great opportunity for the entertainment industry to change the way people make, access, and watch movies.

The ''choose-your-own-experience'' of ''Bandersnatch'' from Netflix's Black Mirror series might just be the tip of what is to be expected in the next blockbuster movie. But what awaits big screen cinemas?

Last year, movie ticket sales were already on the decline even before the health crisis, and with the global lockdown, people have gotten used to watching movies on the small screen. Watching on a mobile device has become the new normal for many.

Viewers need to be excited about going back to the theaters once again and 5G with its connected, end-to-end extended reality experience might just be the way to make them return to the big screen.

What if going to the movie theater was part of a connected experience spanning multiple touchpoints and devices? Before the theater experience, on the way to the theater, at the theater, and back at home – or anywhere consumers are using their devices.

Instead of just showing trailers, studios can create interactive games or clips to further interest moviegoers and making them feel as if they are part of the movie. When they get to the theater lobby, the pre-movie experience could continue by making every screening feel like a red carpet premiere. With 5G and a video technology called 3D volumetric capture, they can join the lifelike digital images of the cast and pose for the paparazzi.

Interactive live events

5G mobile technology will likewise have a big impact on live events such as concerts, sports competitions, and Esports broadcasts.

Just recently, Smart gave a glimpse of this with Acces5Granted, a groundbreaking 360 concert experience streamed on the 5G.Smart website. Acces5Granted brought together top musical acts including UDD, She's Only Sixteen, Brigada, DJ Aryan Magat, and Michael Pacquiao, who performed from two stages - one in Intramuros, Manila, and the other in Boracay Island in Aklan. Though hundreds of kilometers apart, Acces5Granted showed the artists collaborating and interacting with their peers seamlessly, made possible by the ultrafast speeds and ultra-low latency of Smart 5G.

Relive the groundbreaking Acces5Granted concert powered by Smart 5G here.

In addition to being able to watch 4K live broadcasts on their mobile devices, spectators can look forward to the excitement of being able to view the game from multiple angles, listen to the huddles, pull up game stats, or watch replays instantly.

Event producers will likewise be able to capitalize on 5G to incorporate AR/ VR in their production designs to make it truly an immersive experience for fans. As gaming will be at the forefront of 5G, expect Esporting events to lead the way when it comes to incorporating these innovations to its tournament broadcasts.

Mixed reality

5G is expected to accelerate the creation of new content experiences such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Although both types of media exist mostly in gaming, 5G will see the rise of VR and AR that has the potential to be indistinguishable from real life.

VR is one medium wherein 5Gs low latency improvements will be most essential. Because processing times will be faster and latency will be reduced through a combination of 5G and edge computing, this could minimize the issue of nausea that some viewers currently experience while watching AR or VR content.

AR will create a new way for people to interact with media through virtual people and objects and augmented informative contexts. 5G's ability to support massive amounts of data from multiple sources creates endless possibilities for enhancing the delivery of entertainment content.

Beyond VR glasses, 5G will increase the possibility of ''responsive haptic clothing''—or accessories that add a realistic touch component to the VR experience.

Some cinemas today already have their seats synchronized with the action on the screen, but 5G can bring new senses to media: touch and feel. Instead of just wearing 3D eyeglasses, viewers will be equipped with virtual reality headsets and find themselves as characters in the movie.

Lastly, in a 5G connected world, those who just watched the movie can access movie extras and exclusive content via their in-car entertainment system. As self-driving cars become possible with 5G, this will free up drivers and passengers to safely consume more media while traveling.

Leader in 5G

At the forefront of the 5G Revolution is mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc.

Smart's 5G rollout complements the mobile services provider's extensive 4G/LTE network in the country with an increasing number of 5G sites now up in Metro Manila, as well as key cities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

In Luzon, you can experience 5G speeds at the Makati Central Business District (CBD), Bonifacio Global City CBD, Araneta City, Mall of Asia Bay Area, North Avenue in Quezon City, Taft Avenue in Manila, Ortigas CBD, EDSA, New Clark City in Pampanga, and in strategic locations in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and the cities of Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Taguig, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Parañaque, Valenzuela, Caloocan, Navotas, San Juan, and Pasay. In Visayas, 5G sites are up in Boracay, Cebu, Iloilo and Davao in Mindanao.

The power of 5G is poised to revolutionize the media and entertainment industries by allowing filmmakers and even content creators to experiment and create new types of content. This new technology could also give smaller independent studios the chance to produce innovative materials at lower production costs, opening existing markets to enterprising new players.

The possibilities are endless and new content can only get better from here.

For more details about Smart 5G visit its website and follow Smart's official accounts on Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram.