DVB-H takes centre-stage at CTIA Wireless

06 April 2006

As expected, mobile TV is the talk of the town in Las Vegas where the Mobile DTV Alliance has announced an expanded membership in support of the acceleration of DVB-H deployment in North America. At the forefront of the drive towards the launch of DVB-H services in the USA is Crown Castle-owned Modeo. The company has unveiled the handset that will be central to the service launches scheduled for the second half of this year. DVB-H can be experienced in person at a range of locations throughout the exhibition halls.

The new Modeo handset (left) will be manufactured by leading Taiwan-based smartphone company HTC and includes technology from a range of companies including Texas Instruments, DiBcom, Microtune, NVIDIA, Penthera Technologies and Microsoft. The Modeo device will be just one of a number of receivers available to consumers when the service launches. CTIA sees receivers on show also from other companies including, amongst others, Motorola, Nokia and Philips.

The Mobile DTV Alliance, which was formed in January of this year with a view to promoting the introduction of DVB-H services in North America, has seen its membership expand to almost double the original size at CTIA. Joining founder members Intel, Modeo, Motorola, Nokia, Texas Instruments and Microsoft, are a range of new Associate and Contributor members including:

ATI Technologies, Axcera, Broadcom, DiBcom, Newport Media, PacketVideo, Penthera Technologies, RfStream, Roundbox, RRD and Terayon Communication Systems.

DVB-H demonstrations by MDTVA members include the following:

ATI Technologies – Booth #1060 – ATI is showcasing a complete DVB-H mobile TV solution and will demonstrate real-time reception on the live Modeo DVB-H network with devices based on ATI’s Imageon WTV100-M front end module. Axcera – Multiple booths – Axcera’s DVB-H transmitter solutions are used in partner demonstrations with Intel, Modeo and Texas Instruments showing transmission of live and local DVB-H transmissions. DiBcom – Multiple booths – DiBcom’s solutions are used in partner demonstrations with Microsoft and Modeo, showing reception of both live and local DVB-H and DVB-T transmissions on ultra-mobile laptops, in-car systems, PDAs and Smartphones. Intel – Booth #3406, 4159 – Intel will feature the InterVideo DVB-H player using DiBcom/Avermedia/Modeo solution for DVB-H, running on Intel XScale® processor-based handsets and handhelds. Microsoft – Booth #1000 – Discover how Microsoft is helping partners and service providers deliver mobile DTV DVB-H solutions by utilizing the Windows Media platform.
Modeo – Multiple booths – Modeo will support live demonstrations on a variety of mobile development platforms in a variety of partner booths, including TI, Philips and ATI. Motorola – Booth #2606 – Motorola showcases end-to-end DVB-H solutions for mobile and demonstrates TV delivery to the automobile, seamlessly streaming content to the backseat screen using DVB-H technology. Newport Media – Private suite – Newport Media will demonstrate its “Sundance H” DVB-H tuner/demodulator technology. Nokia – Booths #9260, 2614 – “Watch new,” as Nokia brings mobile digital television to life with demonstrations of DVB-H solutions featuring the Nokia N92, the first integrated DVB-H mobile device in the Nokia Nseries range. PacketVideo – Booth #1744 and TI’s booth #1039 – PacketVideo will demonstrate pvTV™, a hardware reference design which incorporates TI’s DTV1000 Hollywood™ single-chip solution and OMAP2420 applications processor with PacketVideo’s pvTV client software solution. PacketVideo will feature the Modeo-compliant DVB-H broadcast at 25fps QVGA with WMV and WMA, plus a 30 fps QVGA DVB-H local broadcast CBMS with AVC and AAC. Penthera Technologies – Multiple booths – Penthera will demonstrate its end-to-end mobile broadcast solution by powering Modeo’s DVB-H broadcast and by showing DVB-H client reception and interactivity applications including eCommerce, tele-voting and data acquisition. Roundbox – Meeting Room #45 – Roundbox will demonstrate its Roundbox Broadcast Server and Roundbox Broadcast Client Toolkit products in end-to-end DVB-H network. The system will feature live TV stations integrated with an operator-brandable, consumer friendly Electronic Service Guide and with guidance data provided by Gemstar-TV Guide. Texas Instruments – Booth #1039 – Experience how mobile DTV on the go will fit into your life with TI’s Hollywood™ single-chip solution, delivering a live mobile DTV experience at CTIA with crisp video and surround audio for mobile phones. For more DVB-H information visit: www.dvb-h-online.org