In the last sixty years we’ve evolved from radio, to black and white TV, to color TV, to cable TV and the satellite TV universe. Now that opportunity is expanding even further with TV on mobile phones, representing the ability to reach millions of consumers in new ways. Mobile digital broadcast TV combines the two best-selling consumer products in history-TVs and mobile phones. Indeed, TV will be the ingredient that drives demand for the next generation of wireless mobile phones because consumers want both communications and entertainment all in one place. The face of mobile entertainment is rapidly changing with the advent of live digital TV (DTV) services for cellular phones.
Mobile digital TV (DTV) is already becoming a delivery mechanism for TV broadcasts, bringing new interactive content to a new generation of savvy on the go consumers. Mobile DTV is taking many forms from region to region and will vary by carrier on how TV content will be delivered to and received by consumers’ mobile phones. At every level of the mobile DTV value-chain carriers, handset providers, infrastructure owners, content providers, broadcasters and semiconductor suppliers are putting increased efforts behind their mobile DTV plans.
The TV services on mobile phones that consumers are most familiar with today is streaming TV over the cellular network, similar to how you would stream video over the Internet. The consumer experience will be similar to having digital cable or satellite quality programming on a mobile phone using a DTV broadcasting standard over a separate air interface. Users will be able to watch a variety of live television programs, traffic reports, movie clips, music videos, listen to digital music or view a variety of entertainment and content options. Mobile DTV will offer high quality live broadcast TV (20-30 frames per second) paired with full audio for a mobile viewing experience unlike anything available today. In addition, other services will be available such as a menu/guide system and pay per view channels to enhance the viewing experience.