TinyTV: DVB-H Gets A Vote Of Confidence TelecomWeb The Digital Video Broadcasting: Handhelds (DVB-H) rollout in North America got a PR boost, if not a tangible advance, last week when the Telecommunications Industry Association approved the specification for the standard in this region.
"This approval is not a prerequisite for deploying this standard. However, that approval is a recognition of the standard, and its future in this marketplace now has the blessing of the pre-eminent standards body," says William Plummer, vice president of external affairs at Nokia and a member of the Mobile Digital TV Alliance, in a recent interview with TelecomWeb's sister publication Wireless Business Forecast. There are 270 broadcasters globally committed to the standard. Trials have concluded in several world regions, including Africa, Finland and Germany. Plummer concedes that "we can anticipate that the competing standard will be approved by TIA as well." Thus, DVB-H and Qualcomm's MediaFlo will be competing in the U.S. market with similar imprimaturs from the major standards body. Plummer argues that, unlike Qualcomm's proprietary solution, DVB-H benefits from open standards that encourage competition. "There are already handsets in the market that will work. The service can use spectrum and infrastructure available today," he says. "And the scalability of an open solution eclipses the solution without openness and global reach." Unlike current streaming and on-demand systems, DVB-H will deliver truly interactive TV, in that the broadcast fat pipe will deliver video while a simultaneous data channel lets users send back messages or order goods. Likewise, the evolution of open standards and mass adoption will bring prices down to more manageable levels. "Because of the scale and scope DVN-H delivers, you will see alternative business models and offerings that make this a mainstream solution for consumers at an affordable rate," Plummer adds. According to WBF, dual standards in the mobile-TV arena have simply confused and retarded the market, preventing consumers from buying in and holding back content partnerships while media companies sit back and wait for a winner or leader to emerge. Technological arguments rarely work in consumer markets, which is why VHS beat beta, why we aren't all using Apple Macs and why Americans are still trying to figure out why they really need that HDTV. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Duane Whittingham (N9SSN) - Producer Tom and Darryl Radio Shows & Saturday Morning Confusion Heard on C-Band Analog Satellite (W0KIE) - Telstar 6 Ch 1 - 6.2/6.8 WTND-LP Macomb 106.3, WQNA FM, WBCQ 7415 kHz & the Internet. Heard Fridays 9pm ET, Sundays 12am ET and Tuesdays 2am ET (Folk) An Independent Freeform Eclectic Radio Show. http://www.tomanddarryl.org http://www.wtnd.us Reply with a "Thank you" if you liked this post. _____________________________ MEDIANEWS mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
