In a followup to my previous posts on the Mobile DTV, I’ve been in several discussions across Twitter and LinkedIn about the hype surrounding TV on mobile. As someone who’s been watching the convergence of consumer electronics, mobility, and the web for several years, you’ll probably agree with me that mobile TV’s been overhyped for quite a while. QUALCOMM made it all the rage at many US conferences, and there were numerous FLO vs. DVB-H panels around the world. Korea, delivering S-DMB and T-DMB, was the poster child for mobile TV because it caught on so fast there. But Korea, and Japan for that matter, are very different environments and cultures.

Three years ago, Europe was headed down the DVB-H route, but today, European telcos are either struggling with their DVB-H roll outs or have halted their implementation plans. Now we know that 3G services did not roll out on schedule, nor have they actually lived up to their overhyped expectations. Mobile TV has gotten mixed into the sea of next generation (3G) services that operators are pushing to increase ARPU. But mobile TV (on any standard) is having a hard time swimming up stream with the rest of the fishes that are trying to gorge themselves on 3G bandwidth (sorry for the fish analogy but we always seem to be swimming upstream in wireless, when we talk about the next generation, and what we really want to do now).

There’s a great post over at Telematics News that goes into what’s going on in Europe, that I encourage you to check out! While BSkyB in the UK has rolled it out on 3G with support for 20 channels, other European operators are unwilling to move forward, and would rather focus on their own infrastructure.  It’s popular in France because of certain bundling activities- which became the crux of my comment post over on the Telematics News site. Which was this:

“Yes, operators will have to bundle it into packages in the way that auto mfgs bundle multiple features into their options packages today- the “sport edition” will have an unlimited data plan, mobile TV, premium location aware services, high speed video conferencing, etc.- all for an extra €8 Euro/$15 per month. Selling Mobile TV, whether it be DVB-H, FLO, or Mobile DTV will not fly by itself as a single service add-on. Operators will need to bundle it in with other services, target it at their highest ARPU subscribers, and maybe, just maybe it will make it…in some, but not all countries. The other problem I have with broadcast is that the consumer landscape has shifted. We are looking at three generations who are now comfortable with time and place shifting of TV content. They want to watch “their TV” not scan a program guide or channel surf. That’s what their “parents” did, and it’s very old school!”

Randy Giusto

comment on Telematicsnews.com on 10/27/09

The National Association of Broadcasters recently held its yearly conference in Las Vegas. This year, the wireless industry was in attendance and exhibiting at the show, but the broadcasters seem to have their own ideas about mobile TV.
A few days ago, I wrote about the Harris/LG partnership for MPH, a technology designed to enable regular TV broadcasters to send out mobile TV signals as well as their standard HDTV signals using the same 6 MHz of spectrum. Now, nine of the largest U.S. broadcasters have joined forces to form what is being called the Open Mobile Video Coalition, a “group dedicated to the acceleration of mobile digital broadcast TV.”
This group of nine, including FOX, Sinclair and NBC, claims it represents more than 280 TV stations covering 95 million households in 49 of the top 50 markets. The NAB is an organization to be reckoned with. Not only has the TV industry held on to most of its spectrum, all of the TV stations in the land were given a second channel free of charge (6 MHz of spectrum) so they could develop HDTV while continuing their analog broadcasts. They are supposed to return one of the channels to the FCC at some point (“supposed to” being the operative phrase).
While first responders and commercial networks ended up with some of the 700-MHz TV spectrum, the TV stations enjoy the free use of the spectrum in spite of the fact that recent surveys show that only 20% of U.S. households receive their TV broadcasts over the air. The balance receives them from cable and satellite feeds. The NAB is truly an influential force in Washington.
A look at the nine players shows that only a few of them actually have content beyond local news. The rest own TV stations that rely on content from others, and they make their money on a percentage of the national advertising for the shows and on the local spots they run during syndicated shows. I wonder what the business model will be for these stations that don’t create content.
Seems everyone wants to be in the mobile TV business and I am, frankly, surprised that it took this long for something to start happening within the NAB. It appears as if it too, missed the fact that we are a mobile population more and more.
So, let’s see what we have now: AT&T and Verizon are going to provide a lot of TV channels and content on both their own networks and via Qualcomm’s MediaFLO―content that is optimized for mobile devices and content that is identical, in many cases, to what is already being shown on regular TV. The DVB-H folks are also building out in the United States and, while they have not announced a network operator, I don’t see any slowdown in their efforts. Samsung announced a chip that will fit inside wireless phones and other mobile devices that will provide access, it says, to existing off-the-air HDTV stations. Sprint, with its partner MobiTV, is delivering mobile TV content over its existing network and, according to Intel and Sprint, the WiMAX systems in the process of being built will be able to provide mobile TV to their subscribers both at home and using mobile devices. And, of course, they are also planning to provide the full Internet experience to mobile devices so IPTV should work on these systems as well.
Boy, are we going to have a lot of mobile TV available to us―on every type of device, for any type of purpose. The number of advertisements we will get to watch is going to be enormous as well, since for anyone make money out of all of this, someone will have to pay. But I guess the world has discovered the third screen for real.
What baffles me is that some of the companies that are already working with the wireless networks to provide content are part of this new NAB alliance. I guess they think they can win in all ways—provide content for others and use their own content for their own mobile products. But as I have said before, unless there is a business model for the network operators, I don’t think you are going to see many phones with off-the-air TV capabilities. Of course, this still leaves a lot of other devices, iPods, perhaps, and other yet-to-be-determined devices, and let’s not forget the screens in a lot of vans, SUVs and cars, many of which are equipped with DVD players and screens to keep the kids in the back occupied.

But with more than 230 million wireless devices in use, I would think that the wireless industry might have a leg up when it comes to distribution, but I do not believe that TV designed for broadcast to roof-mounted antennas is going to play well to mobile devices.
The TV broadcast industry is an interesting group with far more clout in congress than it should have. Some of its members are content providers as well as broadcasters, and some are broadcasters only (except perhaps with local news). There used to be three major networks but now there are a lot more, too many to count if you include cable and satellite systems. And how about content that millions of people want and watch each day that you cannot get over the air? CNN is one example, and I know there are hundreds more. Am I going to settle for local TV-only on my mobile device and go back into the olden days of TV, or am I going to insist that I get the same basic capabilities on my mobile phone as I do on my cable or satellite-connected TV at home?
All I can say is here we go again. Let’s see how many pieces of this pie we can slice, and how thin each slice will be.

It’s been a while since I wrote down my thoughts on the economy. In my last State of the Economy I wrote that I believed in a double dip. I am not so sure anymore. The reality is that home values are not on the rise yet, unemployment is still high, the number of foreclosures and credit card defaults are up, and worst of all consumer sentiment has not improved linearly with the stock market.

We have seen some good results from companies that are now reporting the effects of their first half cost cutting, but I don’t that many can claim that their sales are up. Most analysts believe in a weak rebound, which clear since it will take a long time to fix home equity values and unemployment giving consumers again the comfort to spend. So if sales will only grow marginally and companies can only cut so much, I believe that companies cannot keep meeting investor expectations and we will see a secondary dip. It wont be as bad as the first… more of a reality check than a dip.

Read: http://www.cnbc.com/id/32505016

Then again I do not make my living off making stock predictions and analysis corporate financial reports. It could be that the stock markets have anticipated what is to come and the slow rebound is already built in to the numbers. Even if they aren’t we will all be ok is we all believe that they are.

Now I wrote in the spring about the Asia market bubble and how those economies are so dependent on the west for growth that it is logical that they will only rebound in a second wave. Just today I read that the Chine’s economy will grow 8.5% in the third quarter, which is dismal in comparison the the last few wild years, but still good growth.

But read this: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/JubaksJournal/chinas-recovery-is-it-for-real.aspx.

The Chine’s economy is a bit like a Ponzy scheme (bad example, but you get the idea). It requires an ever increasing momentum to sustain the growth. If the western rebound remains weak the momentum wont be there and the economic growth cycle cannot sustain itself.

I still believe that the traditional economic power houses will rebound first (G8). The US rebound has lost focus with the HealthCare debate. Health care is fundamentally an economic issue and must be resolved on the long term, but was 2009 really the year to do it?

I have to admit I am not as well versed on the debate as I should be, but let’s not let the fact stop me from commenting… it doesn’t seem to bother others either. I believe there needs to be a public option, but creating another entitlement that we cannot afford is not fiscally responsible. The public option should cover basic healthcare and leave premium options optional. The public option might not be (read: will not be) on par with the current average policy, but it would be a lot better than nothing at all. I think the public option should be subsidized by a corporate healthcare tax. Assuming that current policies would become cheaper due to the base package being heavily discounted for all policies, companies should be able to pay the delta back as a health care tax without a hit on their operating costs. Through a public option’s shear purchasing power we should be able to source a basic universal package from the private sector in the sense of free market economy (which I personally believe has the potential to be more efficient than a state run system), which subsidized by a corporate health care tax equal to the savings delta should be able to subsidize health care to most of the currently uninsured 8.9% that require subsidies. The health insurance industry would have to get with the program. The pharmaceutical industry already seems to be with the program. Subsidized doesn’t mean free. Also the currently uninsured would have to contribute, but at least there would be a subsidized option that is attainable for all.

The base package should be mandated federally to every policy. The few percent that cannot afford even a subsidized offering need to be funded with an increase in the federal tax percentage (which should be balanced by cutting from somewhere else). Let’s call it a social responsibility tax. Providing basic preventive care to all should reduce overall cost of healthcare to the tax payer and not increase it.

In a relatively short period of time the mobile phone has evolved from being just a phone to offering functions from personalised ringtones to music downloads. Now, mobile TV is just about set to hit South Africa, with both Vodacom and MTN running tests. South Africa is expected to join Nigeria in the roll-out of the DVB-H mobile TV.

Nigeria has beaten South Africa in race for commercial mobile television the DVB-H mobile TV, since MultiChoice Africa’s local business partner in Nigeria has launched Africa’s first commercial mobile broadcast TV service in the city of Abuja.

The launch places Nigeria at the forefront of the development in world digital television technology, and highlights the progressive stance that the country’s National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is taking in the adoption of new modes of technologies.

For us in South Africa, ICASA’s slow progress on mobile television regulations means that MultiChoice may not be able to honour its pledge to FIFA that the 2010 event will be available on mobile phones.

In February this year ICASA unexpectedly withdrew an invitation to apply for mobile TV licences, saying that it wants to finalise the digital migration policy and frequency band plans first.  In July ICASA released a findings document regarding the finalisation of the Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) Regulations, something which should assist the progress of mobile TV licensing.

Easily accessible

DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast – Handheld) is a mobile broadcast technology that allows for the digital terrestrial broadcast of live television channels to a mobile phone. While 3G is a one-to-one transmission, which makes it subject to bandwidth and frequency limitations, DVB-H is one-to-many true broadcast and does not suffer such limitations. The advantage of offering both technologies on one handset is that 3G can accommodate a ‘return path’, allowing a user to request content on demand, and download it for use almost immediately or at a later stage.

Mobile TV signals will be handled by special chips on a mobile phone that sit alongside the chips that process the mobile phone’s calls, music and streaming video clips. The difference between TV and streaming video services is that the TV signals are broadcast to all users at the same time, while streaming video is delivered on demand by mobile operators. Mobile TV images are expected to be of higher quality than mobile video streams.

MultiChoice launched its DVB-H mobile TV trials three years ago, offering users with a DVB-H handset and enabled SIM access to four sports channels, CNN International, Cartoon Network and urban television channel Trace.

The purpose of the trial is to refine the technical transmission of DVB-H. The trial started in November 2005 and is building unique South African mobile broadcast expertise. So hopefully soon most of us will be able to access whatever programming we want, whenever we want.

Two years ago MTN introduced the Samsung P910 handset, South Africa’s first commercially available 3G DVB-H capable cellphone. The Samsung P910 may allow access to MTN’s DStv-Mobile DVB-H trial which makes the DVB-H trial only applicable to users with a Samsung P910 and upgraded Samsung cellphone when used in conjunction with an MTN DVB-H capable USIM, within the Multichoice and M-Net DVB-H Trial Network coverage areas – restricted to selected suburbs in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Soweto, and Pretoria.

2010 frenzy

In 2006, MultiChoice extended its services to mobile devices using DVB-H digital terrestrial broadcasting on a trial basis in preparation for the 2010 World Cup Soccer Tournament, increasing the number of subscribers to 4000.

Site acceptance tests were completed on schedule at the end of May 2006. A successful live capability demonstration ran throughout the 2006 World Cup. The trial has since grown to 4000 trialists in 4 cities around the country. Trial results have been positive, with audience appreciation still on the rise.

It seems that MultiChoice is ready to give South Africa a new and different way of watching TV. The only thing that is standing in the way is ICASA. What’s left is to see whether they make it to the 2010 World Cup. If Nigeria can do it, there should be nothing standing in their way, especially since they seem to be operationally and technically ready to launch a full commercial DVB-H service.

Check out The Next Generation TV Show, where Cath speaks about mobile television in the digital age. On Diginomics Joy also talks about the economics of going mobile.

Related links:

Mobile TV inches forward
Project 2010
DStv Mobile
Movie Magic Comes to the Smallest Screen

While music capability function is growing rapidly on mobile devices, big mobile phone manufacturers are putting their eyes on videos. Now you can enjoy high bandwidth live television on Nokia N97 with the Nokia SU-33W! The Nokia SU-33W which based on Mobile TV’s DVB-H technology, you can:

• receive DVB-H mobile TV broadcasting via Bluetooth on your compatible Nokia mobile device
• watch your favorite mobile TV programs and channels while on the go
• enjoy excellent reception with the integrated antenna
• receive voice calls while watching TV without interrupting what you’re watching

The Nokia Mobile TV Receiver SU-33W is a compact Bluetooth dongle which is capable to picking up Digital TV Broadcasts (DVB-H) and stream it wirelessly over Bluetooth to your compatible Nokia mobile device and bring you TV whenever you need it. So, all you gonna do is just turn on the mobile TV and stay tuned anywhere you have mobile DVB-H coverage.

Digital Video Broadcast – Handheld (DVB-H) is the technology driving mobile TV. A combination of conventional digital video and IP, DVB-H scales for smaller devices a technology that’s already in place in millions of TV sets worldwide.

Here’s the video of the Nokia N97 gets demoed with the Nokia SU-33W on DVB-H functionality.

Japan urges Philippines to adopt its digital TV standard
May 1st, 2009 – 14:46 UTC by Andy Sennitt

Japanese government officials this week urged the Philippine government to adopt its Integrated Services Digital Broadcast (ISDB) technology standard over Europe’s Digital Video Broadcast Handheld or DVB-H platform, Manila’s BusinessMirror reports.Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said it was aware that the technical working group (TWG) formed by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) had twice recommended the DVB-H platform. But the ministry’s Deputy Director for International Relations, Yasushi Furukawa, said at a press briefing that there was more to learn about the Japanese standard.“One reason why our technology platform was not recommended was because there was little information about ISDB. The information was not really disseminated to the Philippines, particularly during the time when the Europeans came to the Philippines to promote their own standard,” he said. “It is only now that we are here to explain what our technology can really do. The Philippine government has allowed us to explain this matter.”Countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) endorsed the DVB-T standard as the common digital TV broadcasting standard during the 9th conference of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information, held in Jakarta in May 2007.

(Source: Asia-Pacific Broadcating Union)

Via SymbianPlanet, il ricevitore esterno DVB-H Nokia Su 33w si riscopre utilizzabile anche con 5800. Per chi non lo sapesse il DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting – Handheld) è lo standard per le trasmissione TV digitale terrestre rivolta ai dispositivi  mobile . Ad oggi il servizio di trasmissione digitale è fornito solo da 3HG, ma è tuttavia sfruttabile anche non essendo clienti 3 per i canali free.

Il Nokia Su 33w è un adattatore per ricevere le trasmissioni della TV mobile in DVB-H tramite tecnologia senza fili Bluetooth sul telefono cellulare Nokia compatibile. Il prezzo è di €93,40 più spese di spedizione sullo shop ufficiale.

Per la visualizzazione della TV sui dispositivi Symbian S60, oltre ad un ricevitore digitale che su N96, ricordo essere integrato, occorre applicazione dedicata, che è preinstallata su N73 con gli ultimi aggiornamenti firmware e scaricabile dall’applicazione download per N85 e N79, ma credo anche E75, dato che questo figura tra i modelli compatibili con il ricevitore.

Un utente di Telefonino.net forum, ha estratto quest’applicazione dal proprio N85 e ne ha fornito il download. Questa possibilità è stata colta da Mauikek si symbianplanet, che l’ha testata in associazione al ricevitore sul proprio 5800. Le immagini parlano chiaro.

L’applicazione va certificata, l’antenna si trova anche a prezzi più bassi in giro per il web, ovviamente controllare la copertura del segnale per la vostra zona è mio consiglio. Consiglio anche la lettura del thread dedicato su telefonino .net

Fonte Spaziocellulare

This is what French mobile operator Orange is offering its customers for 9€ per month. The programme- bouquet consists of more than 60 linear channels (from TF1 to Eurosport and Cartoon Network) plus a video archive of about 3500 downloadable videos. Up to now this is regarded as the most serious business model in Europe in the area of mobile television and is expected to finally open the European market for mobile content. Interestingly, Orange does not implement the DVB-H mobile content transmission standard for this purpose, but live-streaming and thus makes use of the internet as a distribution plattform.

If this decision proves to be successful, the future of DVB-H in Europe could become even more uncertain, with IP content-transmission being more adequate for the needs of the Europeancustomers in the long run.

For further Information: reppublica.it

Yann Desjardins

Nowadays operators and media players are looking for common revenue opportunities. In the last years they have been collaborating through the launch of many new TV services, such as IPTV and mobile TV. In research for higher quality mobile TV experience, a new trend is up with broadcast mobile TV.

Forecasters argue that this market should explode in the next 2 years, but the first services launched in Japan, Korea, USA and western Europe are experiencing difficulties to become profitable. With the knowledge of these first experiences, players involved in the development of upcoming European services need to make key decisions for the future.

A new approach

So far most mobile TV services available are provided through common mobile networks such as 2,5G or 3G. The user gets TV service delivered to its terminal thanks to unicast transmission, which means that a specific link is created everytime the user wants to use the service. Unicast mobile TV should benefit from improved quality thanks to forthcoming mobile network technology called 4G or LTE (Long Term Evolution), providing increased capacity broadband.

Broadcast mobile TV technically differs from ‘traditional’ cellular-based mobile TV as it uses a dedicated broadcast network in a similar way to Digital Video Broadcast networks such as French TNT. The main interest for this technology lies in higher definition experience and improved service continuity.

Broadcast mobile TV as a high potential market competing with next generation cellular networks

According to ScreenDigest, mobile TV (both cellular-based and broadcast) should pull more revenues than mobile music and mobile games industries combined thanks to 4,4 billion euros of revenues on the global market in 2011, and 1 billion euros in Europe The market size should rapidly become substantial as mobile TV could cover half a billion users in the next five years, says Cantab Wireless. ScreenDigest experts also argue that broadcast mobile TV will become the leading solution with 60% market share in 2011, but it might be threatened by forthcoming LTE networks, that should be operational from 2012.

Mobile TV revenues forecasts in billion euros(source: Screen Digest 2007)

Convergence between telcos and the medias

These promising figures are appealing both for telecom and media players. On one hand, TV broadcasters have to deal with a more and more competitive environment and a TV advertising market that reached maturity. For example in France, TV advertising investments fell down by 4,5 % in 2008 (estimation by Hersant Media), leading media groups to diversify their businesses toward new channels. On the other hand mobile operators are developing initiatives to deliver value added services to their customers and create new revenues above ‘traditional’ voice services. The collaboration between French operator SFR and TV broadcaster MTV – including dedicated contract, phone and MTV content – brings us an example of a successful collaborative offer as it reached 1 million subscriptions.

Difficulties to reach cost effective solutions

By contrast with successful cellular-based solutions, broadcast solutions need new spectrum allocation and dedicated infrastructure, which requires big investments. In France the cost for the chosen DVB-H infrastructure is estimated at about 60 million euros a year for the first 10 years to cover 1/3 of the territory. This aspect raises hesitations among operators, media players and infrastructure providers wondering about how to share this investment.

In addition, existing business models do not meet success so far. The fee-based model set up in Italy, Germany and USA relies on stable subscription revenues, but it reaches a narrow audience because of a too high price for a service that differs from consumers’ habits. Besides this the free-to-air model (financed by advertising) adopted in Asia generates audience growth but poor revenue performance. For example in Korea, the service offered by TV Channel T-DMD reached 10.3 million users, but the revenue generated is far too low (6 million USD) compared to operating costs (40 million USD).

Synchronisation and content strategies as key success factors

One key question to make broadcast mobile TV a successful business is how to coordinate players driven by different interests. Operators’ strength lies on knowledge in mobile business models. A fee-based model would give them market leadership through the benefit of contracts subscriptions they provide. TV broadcasters’ strength is rather based on established relationships with content producers. A free-to-air model would give them an opportunity to get direct profits from advertising.

In Austria the regulator KommAutria required players to sign cooperative agreements and elaborated an incentive free offer distributed for 6 months to encourage users’ subscription. Today this ‘cooperative model’ is investigated with scrutiny by players willing to invest the market.

Another key success factor is providing contents that meet customers’ expectations, which raises different positions. In France government representatives advice programs to be different from traditional TV whereas other approaches argue customers expect similar programs whatever the terminal is.

A mid term vision

Broadcast mobile TV should rapidly attract a rising number of users whereas operators, broadcasters as well as content owners may not benefit from significant revenues before 2 or 3 years. However this topic requires quick action from players in order to start building up a customer base which will later become mature enough to move toward a subscription model before LTE (4G) networks become operational. Operators not investing now in this market will soon tackle with the risk of missing potential benefits that could be reached through a business model based on a combination of contracts and advertising profits. Above any technological choice (broadcast vs cellular networks) the future of mobile TV is a matter of business model decision.

For more details:

• IDATE, ‘Mobile TV Solutions – Will open solutions compete with 3G & broadcast ?’ (july 2008)
• IDATE, ‘Mobile 2009′
• IDATE, ‘The Italian Mobile TV Market ‘ (January 2008)
• Cantab Wireless, ‘Mobile TV: Technologies, Country Cases, and Forecasts for 2009-2013′
• Mobile TV: 472m subscribers by 2013
• La télévision mobile personnelle existe !
• Le modèle économique de la TMP sera connu fin avril
• SFR et MTV lancent une offre mobile pour les jeunes

written by Yann Desjardins.

Technikjournalisten zufolge haben der Mobile World Congress in Barcelona und die Cebit in Hannover keine Impulse für die Mobilfunkwelt gebracht. Am Ende bleibe nur Enttäuschung und Ratlosigkeit: Keine spektakulären Ideen, wenig Neuvorstellungen und Inspirationen. „Was in diesem Jahr geboten wurde, war vor allem peinlich. Einer guckt vom anderen ab. Microsoft kommt mit seinem neuen Betriebssystem 7 für Taschencomputer nicht in die Puschen. Was macht der Konzern? Er präsentiert ein Interims-Release, Windows Mobile 6.5, und die wichtigste Neuerung ist die Möglichkeit, die Geräte nun besser mit dem Finger zu steuern. Abgeschaut bei HTC und seinem Touch Flo-System und natürlich bei Apples iPhone“, schreibt FAZ-Redakteur Michael Spehr. Auch der vom Handy aus erreichbare Marktplatz für Software stamme ursprünglich von Apple. Microsoft mit dem Windows Marketplace und Nokia mit dem Ovi Store würden nur nachahmen. „Wenn Apple neuerdings den Handy-Speicher mit seinem ‚Mobile Me’ ins Internet hinein erweitert, auf dass man mit iPhone und PC auf ein und denselben Datenbestand zugreife, heißt das Plagiat von Microsoft ‚My Phone’ und bei Nokia abermals ‚Ovi’. Die Zielrichtung der großen drei ist damit klar: Wer sich für eines dieser Konvergenzprodukte entscheidet, bindet sich fest an den betreffenden Anbieter, denn natürlich ist nichts untereinander kompatibel“, so Spehr. Insgesamt sei der Auftakt des Mobilfunkjahres 2009 ein Debakel.

„Diese Einschätzung kann ich nicht teilen. Man sollte sein Augenmerk auch nicht nur auf neue Handys oder Smartphones setzen oder welche Apple Store-Kopien sich durchsetzen werden. Vielmehr zeigte der Kongress in Barcelona dem geneigten Fachbesucher zum Beispiel eines: Die neue Technologie Long Term Evolution (LTE) oder 4G, also die vierte Mobilfunk-Generation kommt ins Laufen. Das konnte man zum Beispiel an der Ankündigung von Verizon ablesen, dem größten US-Mobilfunkanbieter, sein Netzwerk in den nächsten Jahren auf LTE umzustellen. Dabei haben Alcatel-Lucent und Ericsson den Zuschlag bekommen. Wie ich finde, eine gute Nachricht für die europäische Telekom-Branche. Nicht zu übersehen war auch die fulminante Präsenz von Ausrüstern aus Asien, allen voran China mit Huawei und ZTE, die eine zunehmende Konkurrenz für die europäischen und amerikanischen Platzhirsche darstellen. Die haben den Ernst der Lage jedoch erkannt“, erläutert Mobilfunk-Experte Dirk Zetzsche von Nash Technologies in Nürnberg. Er geht davon aus, dass vor allen Dingen die Länder der westlichen Hemisphäre auf die LTE-Technologie setzen werden. Sein Unternehmen betreibe in Nürnberg bereits ein eigenes Netz für Feldtests der Netzbetreiber.

So habe der Nokio-Chef Olli Pekka Kallasvuo eine Partnerschaft mit dem Erzrivalen Qualcomm angekündigt, um neue Handys zu bauen, basierend auf den Chipsätzen von Qaulcomm und Nokias S60 Plattform. „Alles in allem kein schlechter Auftakt in das Mobilfunkjahr 2009, auch wenn das kaffeekochende Smartphone und der einzigartige Superstore nicht gezeigt wurden“, meint Zetzsche im Gespräch mit NeueNachricht.

Allerdings klaffen zwischen den Funktionen der neuen Endgeräte und den angebotenen Diensten der Netzbetreiber noch Lücken, betont Aastra-Deutschlandchef Andrea Latzel. „Ob die eingebaute Kamera sechs, acht oder zwölf Megapixel Auflösung hat, spielt im Grunde keine Rolle, genauso wenig, ob das Betriebsystem des Smartphones Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Symbian oder Android heißt. Insofern variieren die gezeigten Geräte den zur Verfügung stehenden Pool an Leistungsmerkmalen in beliebiger Kombination. Was aber auch nicht wundert, da die den technischen Plattformen der Handys zugrunde liegenden Prozessoren und Chips ziemlich gleich sind“, sagt Latzel. Die Rückkopplung der Leistungsmerkmale auf die angebotenen Dienste der Netzbetreiber entscheidet, ob Geräte in die Subventionierung über Mobilfunkverträge gehen oder nicht. „Und damit entscheidet sich, ob ein Gerät ein Massenmodell wird oder ein Nischenmodell in geringer Stückzahl bleibt. Die Situation um mobiles Fernsehen in Deutschland und das Mobile 3.0 Konsortium hat deutlich gezeigt, dass Technologie und Inhalte keine kommerzielle Chance haben, wenn die Netzbetreiber nicht in die Geschäftsmodelle involviert sind. Mit der Broadcast-Übertragung über DVB-H und der Lizenz im Besitz eines Konsortiums ohne Teilnahme der Mobilfunknetzbetreiber war im Grunde das Scheitern dieses Dienstes vorprogrammiert“, kritisiert Latzel.

Was derzeit weiter fehle, seien interessante und gleichzeitig für den Betreiber profitable Anwendungen. Apple habe das mit dem iPhone und iTunes exemplarisch vorexerziert, und damit auch die Netzbetreiber eingefangen. Wobei die Mobilfunknetzbetreiber nur als Vertriebsvehikel und Bitpipe für Apple dienen würden. Richtig Spaß wird der Mobilfunk erst machen, wenn man sich als Anwender über die kryptischen Abkürzungen wie GMS, GPRS, HSDPA, EDGE, Bluetooth, UMTS, WLAN oder LTE keine Gedanken mehr machen muss. Abhilfe könnte der so genannte „kognitive Funk“ schaffen: „Das Telefon der Zukunft sucht sich die schnellste oder billigste Verbindung automatisch aus – der Nutzer muss sich um lästige Details nicht mehr kümmern. Kommt man unterwegs zum Beispiel an einem offenen WLAN vorbei, schaltet das Handy nahtlos von der teuren UMTS-Verbindung auf WLAN um – und verbindet sich beim Verlassen des Netzes ohne Unterbrechung wieder mit UMTS“, berichtet die Zeitschrift „Technology Review“.

Bereits in drei Jahren könnte es nach Prognosen von Intel-Forscher Krishnamurthy Soumyanath erste Chips geben, in denen Ansätze von kognitiver Funktechnik enthalten sind. Das größte Problem sei nicht technischer, sondern wirtschaftlicher Natur. Man brauche völlig neue Vertragsmodelle, Bezahlsysteme und gegenseitige Vereinbarungen der Netzbetreiber.

Slowly handsets which support mobile TV services are appearing in the market. Nowadays, however, there are a lot of competing technologies. We have broadcast TV for mobile: DVB-H in Europe. This allows only for watching live TV programs. On demand TV is not possible. Also many handsets nowadays have WiFi access. This allows for watching both live TV programs as well as on demand TV by streaming (YouTube and many other video sharing communities are prime examples of on demand TV). A major disadvantage for streaming is the hosting and storage requirements. They are much higher for streaming TV as for broadcast TV.

DVB-H has a feedback channel which allows for interactivity between the TV watcher and the TV program. Electronic Programme Guides (EPG) are delivered through this feedback channel.

The new ways of delivery of TV into the home is often referred to as IPTV or Internet TV. Where Internet TV would be the correct terminology for TV delivered through the public internet (like YouTube) IPTV uses a closed network infrastructure, i.e. a cable company has its own cable network and can use IPTV to deliver both live TV and on demand TV into the home.

IPTV and Internet TV uses protocols like RTP/RTCP. The signalling for pause, slow motion, wind/rewind is assured by RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol).

Stillstand ist der Tod: Die Regiocast-Gruppe hat genug vom Formatestreit um die digitale Zukunft des Radios und setzt statt auf DAB, DAB Plus, DMB oder DVB-H nun konsequent aufs Internet. Zusammen mit dem Engeräte-Hersteller Terratec bringt Regiocasts Fußball-Sender 90elf deshalb ein eigenes W-Lan-Radiogerät auf den Markt, um auch in Wohnzimmer, Küche und Bad volles Hörvergnügen zu ermöglichen. Das “Noxon 90elf” kommt im Design des Senders daher, wird deutschlandweit in allen Media Märkten sowie online über Amazon.de verkauft und 90elf ist als Lieblingssender voreingestellt. Eine “Hochzeit von Content und Technik”, jubelt 90elf-Boss Florian Fritsche. Auch der 90elf-Konkurrenz öffnet das Noxon neue Verbreitungswege: Wer das Gerät ein bisschen konfiguriert, kann laut Sender über 10.000 Stationen aus aller Welt hören, ohne vorm PC zu sitzen.

Gefunden bei hier.

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Comedy –  Nachrichten – Moderation – Professionelle Radioworkshops bei http://www.kreuzblende.de/

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Mobile Entertainment Service Market to Increase threefold to $64bn by 2012 . Music, games and mobile TV will be the major contributors to the global mobile entertainment market which will rise   to more than $64 billion by 2012.  Other mobile entertainment sectors include User-generated Content, Gambling, Adult and Infotainment.

By : Antonis Hontzeas M.B.A.

 Mobile music will remain the largest single sector of the mobile entertainment industry over the next five years. Revenues from music will   to $17.5 billion in 2012, bolstered by the increasing availability of full-track download and streamed services, the former in both paid-for and rental formats.

Likewise, mobile games will retain its second-ranking in terms of end-user generated revenues: boosted by rapid growth in mass market “casual” gaming, revenues are expected to rise   to nearly $16 billion in 2012.

Among next generation technologies, mobile TV will gain more and more momentum, as mobile users get lots of useful content including information, films and other entertainment related content on their mobiles. Many mobile network operators worldwide have rolled out commercial mobile TV services already, and consumers are becoming more discerning in their demand. The number of mobile TV users in the Asia Pacific region is expected to be around 25 m by the beginning of 2009. While India has already emerged as the fastest growing telecom market in the world,   mobile TV will generate additional revenue stream for service providers and content providers. Though the number of triple-play services users will be less than simple voice and data users, the revenue generated by mobile TV will be very high as mobile TV services will be costlier than the simple services. Various stakeholders, including service providers, content providers, and advertisers benefit from service fees, content fees, advertising and paid interactions such as games, videos, and seasonal greetings. Mobile TV   should see the market rise  to $11.9 billion in 2012

According to  Dr Windsor Holden, “With revenues from voice services declining and messaging revenues flat lining, last year finally saw a number of more sophisticated entertainment services begin to fulfill their potential and redress the balance. With more widespread penetration of 3G handsets – or entertainment-focused 2.5G handsets like the iPhone – there is likely to be a much greater surge in both the adoption and overall usage in rich media services.”

Other findings   include:
• Regulations and prohibitions will limit opportunities in the adult and gambling sectors, although   restrictions on gambling services   will ease in the medium term
• China and the Far East will remain the largest regional market for mobile entertainment throughout the period  , with revenues rising   to nearly $21.3bn by 2012
• Entertainment service adoption remains constrained by difficulties with the user interface, network speed and coverage and the excessive cost of data services

On the other hand, The world’s first Mobile TV, SDMB, was launched in 2004 followed by TDMB in 2005 with the hope of rapid change of user habits to so that broadcasting on a mobile device would become a popular affair.

The initial results in Korea (as they were in Europe in the 2006 – 2007 timeframe) were not very encouraging.

In the Korean Case, even though DMB viewers are projected to be more than 30 m by 2012, the related operators are still operating the DMB service at a loss.

The unsatisfactory business performance can be traced to :

1. Weak revenue model
TDMB is solely based on Advertising revenue (ie. A clear television business model) but because of the limited viewer base is unattractive as a marketing medium for advertisers.  

2. Poor contents
Mobile TV is a personal media, for which viewers watch only in specific situations such as in the subway etc. But the TDMB players are mostly terrestrial broadcasters retransmitting unoriginal or syndicated content. Attempts to produce original material suited or targeted for mobile media failed to produce the required economies of scale which in turn attracted less viewers and entered a negative spiral (or a catch 22).  

3. An unbundled bundled mess
Attempts were made to publish bundled services (such as navigation) with the core offering (broadcast content). But inconsistent strategies non coherent diverging strategies by the parties involved resulted in an ineffective incoherent strategy which led nowhere.

The European Commission’s approach:

Mobile TV is a new service platform for transmitting audiovisual content – and associated interactive services, in particular in association with 3G services – to a mobile device. The 2007 Communication indicated the main elements of a European strategy for mobile TV with a view to facilitating the

click to download free LTE ebook

 take-up of these innovative services across the Union. One of the key elements is the regulatory environment. Legal certainty is paramount for operators to take investment decisions, especially with respect to new, innovative technologies such as mobile TV; early investors in particular need to be reassured that they will not be subject to unforeseen constraints at a later stage. Other elements of the EU strategy include the recognition that DVB-H will be the standard for terrestrial mobile TV in Europe (DVB-H was added to the list of official standards of the European Union on 17 March 20083), and the call for frequencies to be granted to mobile TV services in the UHF band, notably on the occasion of the refarming of this band in the context of the digital dividend. On the other hand, interoperability concerns still need to be tackled by industry and the Commission’s services will monitor developments closely and assess the need for a policy initiative.

Mobile TV lies at the heart of convergence. This means that at EU level, mobile TV is subject to two sets of rules, governing transmission and content: the e-communications framework, including aspects related to spectrum policy, and the new Audiovisual Media Services Directive. This Communication addresses authorisation models at national level only with reference to the e-communications aspects of national regulatory regimes, and does not touch upon content licences. It summarises the main results of the fact-finding exercise and indicates best practice examples with regard to the main elements of the authorisation regimes for mobile TV. This is intended to serve as a basis for further discussion and exchange of best practice among national authorities.

Legal Framework for Mobile TV Networks and Services:

(from the commission report)

3.4. Specific aspects

At this early stage of development of the market, it would appear desirable that any specific conditions attached to authorisations are appropriate and avoid imposing unnecessary burdens on operators.

3.4.1. “Must-carry” rules

In accordance with European legislation, “must-carry” obligations can only be imposed if a significant number of end-users of a network use it as their principal means to receive radio and television broadcasts. At present, mobile TV is still in its start-up phase; “must-carry” rules may not be imposed on mobile TV at this stage. At any rate, channels benefiting from must-carry are also often “must-have” channels, which actually increase the commercial value for the distribution services and are likely to be included in any main mobile TV bouquet.

Communication, national regulatory authorities could usefully envisage “must offer” rules for mobile TV as a nascent service needing attractive content.

3.4.2. Network Infrastructure Sharing

Network infrastructure sharing is an important element to minimise roll out costs and increase coverage and transmission capacity. As stated in the 2007 Communication, Member States may consider permitting network infrastructure sharing and encouraging co-location when this is needed to facilitate network deployment. Co-location may also be imposed where necessary to address possible environmental concerns.

3.4.3. Interoperability and roaming

The objective of full interoperability across networks and devices remains important in order to make possible EU-wide roaming where appropriate, and interoperable solutions should be favoured. Developments in the market have shown that interoperability can be achieved when stakeholders act together with a common aim of implementing a technical standard such as DVB-H. Efforts are currently being made in this respect in industrial and standardisation fora, notably focusing on the services and applications layers.

Furthermore, the wireless nature of mobile TV means that consumers will legitimately expect devices to work across borders, as is the case with “roaming” mobile telephony. EU-wide mobile TV roaming is likely to gain importance as the take-up of services grows across Europe. It should also be recalled that some cross-border or pan-European channels are already available today and can provide an important test-bed for future pan-European services. The launch of DVB-SH based mobile satellite TV services is expected for next year in Europe.

The   Technologies

 MBMS (Mobile Broadcast MultiCast Service)

At present, mobile TV content is streamed to mobile terminals/handsets in a point-to-point connection, which is not cost-effective. A point-to-multipoint communication can broadcast the same content to a large number of viewers. This is where MBMS or Mobile Broadcast Multicast Service steps in to help the network operators. MBMS is standardized by 3GPP as part of the WCDMA evolution and will be available for both GSM/EDGE and WCDMA connections. In MBMS, with point-to-multipoint (PTM) paradigm, ideal for mobile TV, data packets are simultaneously transmitted from a single source to multiple destinations. Unlike in the unicast paradigm, where data packets are transmitted from a single source to a single person. The MBMS technology allows a group of people interested in a particular program, in a particular area, to watch the same program simultaneously, via both existing GSM as well as UMTS networks. The MBMS technology supports HSPA in a situation where higher loads have to be transmitted in dense areas, saving significant network capacity and enabling a more efficient use of network resources, which ultimately results in cost saving for network operators. MBMS is also included as a supported technology in Long Term Evolution.Today, most mobile TV services worldwide are based on two-way point-to-point data transmission using unicast. Once MBMS is introduced commercially, which is expected in this year, the same content can be delivered to a mass number of terminals in a single transmission via multicast. But it doesn’t mean that the introduction of MBMS will invalidate unicast. While MBMS can be used for the most popular programs for a registered multicast group, unicast can be used to deliver on-demand videos to the same group in a cost-effective way. This unique unicast-MBMS model will help achive personalization as well as delivering content to a mass market. As MBMS requires only minor changes to the existing radio and core network protocols, it reduces the implementation cost of infrastructures like terminals and networks. With its capacity-boosting features, MBMS aims at stimulating the development of new and mobile mass-media services, generating revenue opportunity for network operators and content providers. It will enable service providers to offer cost-effective triple-play services for mobile handheld devices over a common service and network infrastructure. Before MBMS is introduced in the market, device manufacturers also have to come up with low-power consuming cell phone batteries, essential to support data intensive applications, and handsets for high memory capacity to support the high buffer requirements of mobile TV.

DVB-H

When DVB-T was first published in 1997, it wasn’t designed to target mobile receivers. However, following very positive experimental results, DVB-T mobile services were launched in Singapore and Germany, with extensive commercial trials elsewhere. Indeed, with the advent of diversity antenna receivers, services which target fixed reception can now largely be received on the move as well. So why DVB-H? Battery life! Despite the success of mobile DVB-T reception, the major concern with any handheld device is that of battery life. Power consumption of DVB-T front ends is too high to support handheld receivers that are expected to last from one to several days on a single charge. The other major requirements for DVB-H is the ability to receive 15Mbit/s in an 8MHz channel and in a wide area single frequency network (SFN) at high speed. These requirements were drawn up after much debate and with an eye on emerging convergence devices providing video services and other broadcast data services to 2.5G, 3G and future handheld devices. Furthermore, all this should be possible while maintaining maximum compatibility with existing DVB-T networks and systems.   In order to meet the above requirements, the DVB-H specification includes: Time-Slicing Rather than continuous data transmission as in DVB-T, DVB-H employs a mechanism where bursts of data are received at a time – a so-called IP datacast carousel. This means that the receiver is inactive for much of the time, and can thus, by means of clever control signalling, be “switched off”. The result is a power saving of some 90% and more in some cases.

4K-mode With the addition of a 4K mode with some 3409 active carriers, DVB-H benefits from the compromise between the high-speed small-area SFN capability of 2K DVB-T and the lower speed but larger area SFN of 8K DVB-T. In addition, with the aid of enhanced in-depth interleavers in the 2K and 4K modes, DVB-H has even better immunity to ignition interference.

MPE-FEC The addition of an optional, multiplexer level, forward error correction scheme means that DVB-H transmissions can be even more robust. This is advantageous when considering the hostile environments and poor but sexy antenna designs typical of handheld receivers.  Like DVB-T, DVB-H can be used in 6, 7 and 8 MHz channel environments. However, a 5MHz option is also specified for use in non-broadcast environments. A key initial requirement, and a significant feature of DVB-H, is that it can co-exist with DVB-T in the same multiplex. Thus, an operator can choose to have 2 DVB-T services and one DVB-H service in the same overall DVB-T multiplex.       DVB-H today encompasses a powerful tool to address new markets for DVB services.

WiMax Based

The evolution from 3G to 4G (non LTE) is set to be stimulated by services that offer enhanced quality. Quality indicators span increased bandwidth, elevated sophistication in terms of large-scale information provision, and improved customization capabilities. The maturity of key 4G technologies such as OFDMA, MIMO, and optimized MAC scheduling algorithms realize a range of desirable features. These include enhanced handover and mobility, major infrastructure design requirements that promote a rapid response, elevated session rates, increased capacity, reduced user charges, swift return on investment (ROI) for operators, and simplified autonomous terminals. WiMAX, in this context, describes an interesting choice for pre-4G technology. Its rapid time to market provides an ALL IP flat network solution that can complement existing 2G/3G networks so as to deliver mobile TV and video services with a guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS). Based on the mobile access methods mentioned above, there exist a variety of competing technologies that are available for mobile TV service provision. The three main categories cover mobile and broadcast networks and DVB-SH for satellite. The availability of multiple broadcasting technologies offers operators more options to choose from, and vendors richer experiences in mobile TV solutions. Additionally, the competition between different technologies is necessary to promote the development of mobile TV. Given that 3G networks are currently under utilized, some mobile operators are offering streamed TV and video content at highly attractive prices to encourage consumers to adopt and use their services.    WiMAX TDD, which operates under a duplexing mode, is best suited for data applications and advanced antenna technologies. The rapid scheduling of uplinks and downlinks realizes bandwidth requirements for different applications. Flexible and diversified mobile TV and video service business models are facilitated, which results in maximized profit margins for operators. 

The WiMAX Forum MCBCS sub team has been aggressively pursuing related standard development.   In terms of network deployment, operators are broadly concerned with economic development, rapid ROI coupled with a long-term evolution potential that protects investment, device availability, appropriate pricing, and smooth upgrade capabilities can accommodate nascent applications. WiMAX is based upon a 2-layer ALL IP network architecture and is widely regarded as a cost-effective means to provide VoIP and data services. The WiMAX Forum is committed to enabling MCBCS with minimal changes to existing networks in order to support mobile TV & video. Mobile WiMAX claims a long-term and smooth transition route towards 802.16m, which allows a network to support peak data rates with at least 6.5bps/Hz for downlinks, and 2.8bps/Hz for uplinks. Particularly with 802.16m, a dedicated carrier will be allocated for MCBCS. Optimized switching between broadcast and unicast services can be achieved, and the maximum MCBCS channel reselection interruption time is 1 second for intra frequency and 1.5 seconds for inter frequency.   The above analysis underpins the belief that 3G-based enterprises should boost ARPU by taking advantage of the unused capacity and availability that can be found in multicast broadcast technology. This can fulfill the needs of mobile TV & video service users who form a third of the mobile Internet market. However,   both unicast and multicast based on a non MBMS 3G network may be prohibitive in a mass market context. High levels of investment are necessary for the deployment of proprietary mobile TV technologies based on satellite networks.   Satellite, therefore, is only a temporary or complementary choice to broadcast architectures. WiMAX MCBCS, claims to render multicast cost-competitive with broadcast technology, and it is scalable to serve the mass market. Thus, it forms a long term solution for the mass consumption of mobile TV & video applications.

 On the access network side, there are base stations (BSs) and a gateway. In the core network, a MBS Controller (MBSC) is connected to the content server that can operate under the control of an operator or a third party. AAA is employed to perform authentication and authorization with appropriate user profile information, collect billing information, and then send it to the Business Operation Support System (BOSS).   The two ways to provide mobile TV are through unicast and broadcast, and they differ in three basic aspects: channels (dedicated or common), requirements (individual or general), and tariffs (high or low). Mobile TV services usually embody a basic service need in the form of programs with mass appeal. Examples include live sporting events and real-time news. Payto- view prime time programs target a given user group with specific interests, and these are not necessarily live programs. Therefore, Wimax deployment (as in the case of MBMS) suggests using broadcast for basic services and unicast for targeted services.  

Social Powered Audio Visual Architecture:

From the mobile TV multi media technologies stated above, MBMS seems to be the closest to allowing enhanced user/crowd controlled interaction. Indeed MBMS (if at some point suppliers abandon their walled garden approach and “open” there tcp stack towards other internet applications) is the technology that can most easily be adapted to the prevailing web 2.0 requirements which are :

• Participation: social networks, recommendations, blogging, user generated content, collaborative filtering, profile correlation, ranking, folksonomies, tag clouds
• Standards: standards for application and service interaction similar to web services, XML, or common AJAX principles
• Decentralization: power and flexibility from distribution, computing, and support of assets and applications over many computers and systems rather than centralized maintenance
• Openness: creating critical mass and shortening innovation cycles through open and transparent access to assets and applications
• Modularity: flexible combination of modules creates value that is greater than the sum of its parts
• Reusability: recycling, deconstruction, and reconstruction of assets and applications for new services, functions, and assets
• User Control: give users control to participate, but also control about their the assets and applications they create, their activities, and their identities
• Identity: allow control and application of different identities for different purposes

The user participation, openness, and decentralization should not be mistaken for loss of control over access or usage of assets and applications. Mobile TV defines one more enabler of digital entertainment. As such, its positioning has to support the control of a strategic business alignment of technologies, markets, and content.

While DVB-H is a pure broadcast technology, with an established business model and a strong marketing research reference (ie. 50 + years of television) MBMS (and even more so WiMAx mobile tv offerings) is caught in a crossfire. On the one hand MBMS is an interactive technology (like IPTV) but on the other hand, the strategy (position and evolutionary) followed by telecom suppliers (they are after all telecom suppliers) is that of a broadcast technology. The result of this  strategy is that   MBMS ends up as a hotel video on demand service on a handheld when clearly users have indicated other preferences and usage habits for mobile (handheld) multimedia (example : citizen journalism) as opposed to fixed (IPTV) multi media. This may dangerously push MBMS towards oblivion if steps are not take to re-examine, rethink and realign the positioning of this excellent technology.

TV On Mobile is a new concept which has spread like fire amongst the population with interest in technology and gadgets. TV and mobile are two of the most common gadgets in India. In fact, India has almost 120 million TV sets and 235 million mobile phone connections. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has also approved the idea of accessing TV on mobile. With India’s apparent passion in these two medium of entertainment, the prospects are really bright. According to one estimate 5 to 8 million people would be availing this feature in coming times.

To go slightly deep into this new technology, Mobile TV refers to Live TV transmitted through digital broadcasting technologies. DMB and DVB-H (digital video broadcasting-handheld) can be considered as example. Another interesting fact is Mobile TV does not require 3G. Taking the lead, market leader Nokia has already launched N92 and N77 which are DVB-H enabled. Delhi users can watch eight channels of Doordarshan. Rest of the India will wait for this service as the launching process by Nokia is in process.

Many companies have already started their preparation for this new thing by collaborating with other technology giants. For example Vodafone and MTV has joined hands to launch several animated music videos. Similarly Star Mobile Entertainment has tied up with Sony Ericsson and together they will offer many programs on Sony’s handsets in Walkman and Cyber-shot category. Reliance and Idea have also started to offer this service where one can watch his desired programs by paying certain amount. As of now the future of TV on Mobile seems very bright with many new players waiting to launch their services n this potentially huge segment.

Foto: Dawn Ashley

Jetzt konnte man schon länger von dem kommenden Red Bull Handy lesen. Der Dosenriese will also auch auf dem heiß umkämpften österreichischen Handymarkt mitmischen. Und wenn man hier Erfolg hat, sollen auch noch weitere Märkte im Ausland erschlossen werden.

Zuerst war zu lesen, dass Red Bull ein PrePaid-Wertkarten-Handy herausbringt. In das Handy sollte ein DVB-T-Empfänger integriert sein. Möglich, dass mit dieser Variante noch immer zu rechnen ist. Heute gibts aber News, die in eine ganz andere Richtung deuten.

Auf derstandard.at stehen jetzt schon ganz konkrete Informationen zum Produktlaunch. Ab 1. Oktober gehts los. Der (erste) Tarif ist eher das Gegenteil von einem günstigen Wertkartenangebot.

Bei Red Bull Mobile Monthly sind um 39 Euro pro Monat etwa 1.000 Minuten zu Red Bull Mobile/Box/A1/B.Free ebenso inkludiert wie jeweils 1.000 Minuten ins Festnetz, in andere Mobilfunknetze und Videotelefonie zu Red Bull Mobile/A1/B.Free. Die Zahl 1.000 gilt ebenso für SMS im Inland und MMS zu Red Bull Mobile/A1/B.Free – zusätzlich sind 1.000 MB Datenvolumen enthalten.

Den gesamten Datenverkehr zum Red Bull Mobile Portal gibts noch frei dazu. Dort kann man Klingeltöne und Bilder runterladen, außerdem gibts News und weitere Gimmicks. Außerdem in den Tarif inkludiert ist Handy-TV via UMTS-Streaming oder DVB-H.

Ein Billigtarif ist das also nicht, auch wenn viel in dem Angebot verpackt ist.  Trotzdem, 39€ sind für die meisten schon ein großer Happen fürs Telefonieren. Vor allem, wenn die Zielgruppe 15-30 Jährige sind. Wieviele Multimedia-Freaks da zuschlagen werden, steht wohl in den Sternen ^^.

Amsterdam. Actualmente, exiten muchos sistemas de televisión en movilidad en el mundo; estándares aprobados que van abriendose hueco, adquiriendo, poco a poco, adeptos y clientes, luchando entre ellos y destacando los más fuertes.

De una parte, está el servicio, que ya se ofrece actualemente en España, a través de la red 3G de los operadores y que requiere terminales de tercera generación y conectarse a la red de datos (las tarifas son ya muy asequibles). De otra, están los servicios tradicionales, concebidos de la misma forma que entendemos hoy la televisión residencial, pero que en España aún no tiene frecuencia ni está regulada.

ISDB-T, DVB-H, DMB, DVB-SH y MediaFlo parecen ser los sistemas que imperan y se posicionan en diferentes partes del mundo. Todos ellos son sistemas de televisión digital para disfrutarse en movilidad, la diferencia radica en los medios de emisión y recepción: terrestre, satelital, o una combinación de ambas y en el dispositivo, con antena integrada, con antena externa o con el sistema de recepción integrado en el chip.

Las diferencias entre unas y otras, reside, principalmente, en el número de cadenas que pueden ofrecer  y en la calidad de la emisión; pero todas necesitan un despliegue de infraestructuras (antenas) fijas.

MediaFlo es la apuesta americana. Está desarrollada por la californiana Qualcomm y es la única que se integra en el chip; es decir, está desarrollada para los móviles desde la primera capa. Ha iniciado ya sus emisiones y lo hace a través de Verizon Wireless y de AT&T. Su apuesta es una combinación entre programación gratuita y de pago; pero, aún no se tienen cifras de audiencia.

ISBD-T tiene su reino en Japón donde cuenta con 31 millones de espectadores y es gratuita. Es un sistema de televisión digital terrestre (TDT) adaptado a los móviles.

DVB-H es la apuesta europea, empujada, básicamente, por Nokia y recomendada por la comisaria europea del ramo, Vivian Reading, quien, lógicamente, apoya la tecnología regional. Es también un sistema de televisión digital terrestre (TDT) adaptada a los móviles y ya se comercializa en algunos países europeos.

DMB impera en Corea donde también tiene millones de espectadores: casi 20 en su versión terrestre, que es gratuita y esperan superar los dos millones a finales de este año en la versión satelital que es de pago.

DVB-SH es la última apuesta de un consorcio entre los que se encuentra Alcatel-Lucent, Sagem y DIBcom, entre otros. Se trata de un estándar híbrido (satélite/terrestre) derivado de DVB-H y ETSI SDR (Radio Digital por Satélite). Incorporar un satélite geoestacionario de la alta potencia para la cobertura en exteriores, integrado con una red terrestre del repetidores para cobertura indoor en áreas urbanas.
Su ventaja es que posibilita a los operadores móviles de UMTS un despliegue de red más eficiente, al reutilizar emplazamientos y antenas de la red 3G .

Amsterdam. Otro nuevo sistema en lo que a televisión en movilidad se refiere es la incorporación de las antenas-llave USB; unas barras (dongle) que llevan una pequeña antena y que actúan de receptor; de forma que podemos recibir la señal codificada y disfrutar de ella en las pantallas de nuestros ordenadores fijos, portátiles, MIDs, etc. Como es habitual, son Plug & Play (basta con enchufarlas al puerto USB).

Al igual que los receptores WiFi, exiten ya en tecnología MediaFlo (Qualcomm), BVB-H o DVB-SH (DIBcom) en cuanto a tecnologías móviles y también para recibir la señal de la TDT. Estarán a la venta el año que viene.

Una versión similar a ésta se comercializará como accesorio de los móviles y se conectará a los puertos de los mismos.