Qualcomm says that it has successfully demonstrated the capability to support the MediaFLO and International Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (International ISDB-T) mobile TV standards on a single multi-mode handset.
Powered by Qualcomm's Universal Broadcast Modem chipset, the technology demonstration illustrates that MediaFLO technology can complement the free-to-air ISDB-T One-Seg standard used in Japan and the ISDB-TB standard used in Brazil to enable a mix of free and paid mobile broadcast content and services to drive consumer adoption and revenue.
Qualcomm says that by employing both technologies in a combined service offering, broadcasters and operators can offer free-to-air content using International ISDB-T, while providing a large number of pay TV channels and enhanced services over the MediaFLO platform to generate subscription revenue. As Qualcomm supports both mobile TV technologies on a single chip, handset OEMs can achieve economies of scale in producing multi-mode, TV-enabled phones without incurring a significant increase to their bill of material costs.
"To date, the mobile broadcast deployments in Asia have been successful in driving handset adoption, but so far have not generated a strong return on investment for the mobile TV service providers," said Neville Meijers, senior vice president and general manager of Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies. "Demonstrating MediaFLO and International ISDB-T standards on a single, multi-mode handset illustrates a clear path for monetizing mobile TV services through a hybrid free / pay TV service offering that leverages the popularity of free TV with the revenue potential of subscription-based content and value added services."
"As mobile TV is poised to grow exponentially, products such as Qualcomm's Universal Broadcast Modem deliver a unique advantage to device manufacturers by supporting three of the industry's leading standards in one chip," said Mike Concannon, senior vice president of product management for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. "This milestone marks significant progress in bringing compelling mobile TV content to handsets around the world."
Posted to the site on 12th May 2008
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/31094.php