Digital TV in Cellphones Is Soon a Reality

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6768' target='_blank'>http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6768</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Snowy pictures and hissy sound have been the hallmark of pocket TVs since they were launched more than 15 years ago. But the quality of TV picture available to people on the move is in for a sea change. From 2006, mobile phones will be offering crisp, clear TV pictures. But the pictures will not be coming over the cellphone network - they will be sent from transmitters already used for TV broadcasts. And this means a completely new breed of phones will be necessary to pick them up."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Temporale-20041217-dvblogo.png" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />Although the lure of watching live TV on my mobile phone is interesting, I have to admit that I am more interested in watching shows that I have previously recorded with a PVR on my mobile phone. There still is the odd time that I would like to watch something live, but those are so few and far between, that I don't worry about them. :)

[jfreiman]

Hear, hear!

Yea, could you imagine people altering their commute or travel plans to coincide with a television program.

I've been using a ReplayTV (I have multiple) for gosh, 3 (or 4?) years now. I could not imagine making an "appointment" to watch a show at home let alone on the go.

I agree whole heartedly with Mike, recorded programs is the way to go. I currently use my SMT5600 to display programs I've recorded and converted to mp4. Without commercials I can watch a "30 minute show" in 22 minutes or about 42 mintues for one twice that long.

[Bacco]

Yeah, but guys...think of the effortlessness of it. No work at all to convert video and transfer it to the phone.

I mean, my commute home could be spent watching a cool movie on the movie channel, or a good game (preferably real football, soccer that is) on a sports channel.

Right now I listen to music over the air. Why not do the same with TV programming?

[jfreiman]

Yeah, but guys...think of the effortless of it. No work at all to convert video and transfer it to the phone.

I mean, my commute home could be spent watching a cool movie on the movie channel, or a good game (preferribly real football, soccer that is) on a sports channel.

Right now I listen to music over the air. Why not do the same with TV programming?

Because, unlike radio, if you miss some of the programming you don't loose the understanding of a television show or a movie. Do you think the movie will make sense if you begin 20 minutes after it's started? Or how about leaving 30 minutes before the movie ends - do you think you'ld feel satisfied?

Radio is designed, programmed, so that people can start and end at any minute during a "program."

I don't ecepect television to do the same thing - unless the "variety show" becomes popular again. ;)

No, for DVB to take off, it's got to formulate itself more like radio programs where people can come and go as they or their schedule pleases.

[Bacco]

Well, I'm assuming it will be a pay service...as such, I should be able to schedule when a show, movie or whatever would begin. With that, I would be able to watch what I want when I want.

[kyrkesmith]

But we still don't have a Smartphone with an FM radio in it!