Mobile TV: Italy Launches Anytime, Anywhwere Television Channel

Called "La3" (The Three), the new all-Italian television channel broadcasts by utilizing DVB-H technology which allows direct reception from a new generation of new mobile videophones already available on the market.

Wireless World 30 Billion In TV Phones

The content isn't quite up to the level of Kiefer Sutherland's anti-terrorist, noir drama "24" just yet, but mobile TV enabled telephones are nonetheless poised for massive market growth, and experts tell United Press International's Wireless World that the sales could reach $30 billion in the coming years.
A report released this week by Boston-based Strategy Analytics, called "TV Phones: Integration and Power Improvements Needed to Reach 100 Million Sales," predicts that TV phone sales revenue will soar from $5 billion in this year to more than $30 billion by 2010.
Enabling technology vendors, including Qualcomm, TI, ATI, Philips and STM Microelectronics are working with handset vendors, as they struggle with an array of issues, including the size, design, power, integration and price of the new products.
Just as during the first big era of consumer electronics, back in the 1980s and early 1990s, foreign firms may dominate the initial development of the American market.
"Japan and Korea dominate market volumes today, accounting for over 80 percent of TV phones sold in 2006," said Neil Mawston, associate director of the global wireless practice at Strategy Analytics said. "However, Western Europe and North America, as well as China, will be the hot spots for global volume growth over the next few years. We expect Western Europe to ramp up to over one million units sold this year, with North America and China coming online in 2007."
The share of TV phone volume held by Japan and Korea will drop precipitously to less than 50 percent by 2008, and under one-third by 2010, he added.
Why will that happen? Experts see component integration and improvement in the power-performance driving form factors and total product weight below the "sweet spot" 100-gram level, said Chris Ambrosio, director of wireless device research at Strategy Analytics. "The feeding frenzy around TV phones however, is a tremendous positive for component vendors such as ATI, as well as memory vendors like Sandisk and display vendors who will see that over two-thirds of mobile phones sold will have displays larger than 2.5 inches," said Ambrosio.

Samsung slims down TV phone even further

Samsung has taken the wraps off a super-slim satellite DMB phone. The SCH-B340 is a mere 17.3 millimeters thick, a full 4.2 millimeters slimmer than the company's previous "thin" offering for the mobile TV market.Along with the TV functions, the phone has more standard functions like an MP3 player and a 2-megapixel camera. The phone's LCD screen resolution is 240 x 320. One unique feature is the built-in motion sensor, which allows you to access the function menu by shaking it.Initially previewed at the 3GSM World Congress, the SCH-B3340 is available now. Initial price figures put the phone at US$725.

UK Mobile Phones Need TV Licenses

Owners of mobile phones which can show TV shows in the UK will still be required to buy a TV License, or could face a US$1,700 fine. In the UK, all people who own a television, or watch internet broadcasts of television shows are required to purchase an annual license which is used to fund the state broadcaster, the BBC. Using a TV or any other device to receive or record TV programmes (for example, a VCR, set-top box, DVD recorder or PC with a broadcast card) without a valid TV Licence is against the law.
The TV Licensing Authority is now busy working to ensure that broadcasts to mobile phones are also covered by the same legal requirements.
An exemption may exist for students however - as televisions powered by internal batteries used by students living away from home are covered by the TV License held by their parents. The clause was originally introduced for black & white televisions which were powered by batteries, but could now offer an opening for mobile phones and their colour screens.
Vodafone and Three have already signed up to offer sports and news over 3G networks while O2 has trialled DVB-H mobile TV broadcasting.

Mobile TV to be "as natural as watching TV in the living room"

Mobile TV may not be a huge thing here in North America yet, but it is certainly making headway. According to Virgin Mobile founder Sir Richard Brandson, "Mobile TV is a signal of a new era of mobile business. As everyone enjoys watching TV, seeing one’s favorite TV programs on mobile phones will be as natural as watching TV in the living room."Even software giant Microsoft is making substantial steps into this market, with demonstrations at 3GSM thanks to partnerships with Virgin Mobile and BT Movio. They say that mobile TV will be a driving force behind growing the mobile phone industry, making cell phones even more “necessary” than they are today.The battle between GSM and CDMA technologies might be a preview of what will happen, or is already happening in the realm of mobile TV. There are a handful of major standards currently available, all vying for supremacy. Korea seems to be heading toward the T-DMB and S-DMB road, whereas the United States seems to prefer MediaFLO. However, Europe’s DVB-H appears to be the most popular, according to Telecoms Korea.