Mobile TV refers to the delivery of streaming video and live television content to handheld devices such as mobile phones and PDAs. This technology allows consumers to watch a variety of content, including news, sports events, live TV shows, and more, while on the move.
There are several key aspects to mobile TV:
- Video Streaming: Mobile TV services can deliver content as video streams, similar to how streaming video is provided over the internet. However, this approach can be bandwidth-intensive, as each user receives their own individual stream. This can impact the overall network capacity for voice and data services.
- Broadcast Methodologies: To efficiently deliver live television programs to large groups of users, broadcast methodologies are often employed. These methods include delivering broadcast streams through a mobile network, terrestrial broadcasting networks, or satellite networks.
- Mobile Network Broadcasting: Standards like Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Service (MBMS) in UMTS networks and Enhanced BroadCast MultiCast Services (EBCMCS) in CDMA2000 networks enable efficient broadcasting to mobile users. These technologies can deliver streams at varying bitrates and can use a portion of the network’s capacity for broadcasting.
- Terrestrial Mobile Broadcasting: Various terrestrial broadcasting technologies are used to deliver video and television content to mobile devices. Examples include:
- DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting): An extension of the DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) system, DMB enables multimedia delivery, including video, over DAB networks. It is mainly used in Europe and Korea.
- DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting – Handheld): An extension of the DVB-T standard, DVB-H is optimized for delivering video to mobile handheld devices. It is used in Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region.
- MediaFLO (Media Forward Link Only): Developed by Qualcomm, MediaFLO is a proprietary standard for multicasting real-time streaming media and non-real-time content. It uses high-power transmission towers and OFDM technology. It operates in the 700 MHz band in the U.S.
- ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting – Terrestrial): Used in Japan for delivering digital TV services to homes, ISDB-T can also be used for mobile TV.
- Mobile Satellite Broadcasting: Several satellite broadcasting systems are designed for delivering television programs to mobile devices. Examples include:
- S-DAB (Satellite – Digital Audio Broadcasting): An adaptation of terrestrial DAB for multimedia content delivery, including video.
- S-DMB (Satellite – Digital Multimedia Broadcast): S-DMB is a broadcasting overlay network for UMTS, using IMT-2000 satellite bands.
- MBSAT (Mobile Broadcast Satellite): A Japanese digital satellite broadcasting system for delivering audio, video, and data services to vehicles and mobile terminals.
Mobile TV enables users to access multimedia content while on the go, making it a popular feature for mobile devices. The choice of technology and standards for mobile TV may vary by region and service provider.