| Do you dream of being able to watch live digital TV on | | | | 2004 and is the one most likely to be adopted as the |
| your mobile phone handset? Thanks to DVB-H, this | | | | industry standard. Digital TV tuners have already been |
| fantasy could soon become a reality.DVB-H (Digital | | | | built into some Samsung mobile phones and are |
| Video Broadcasting - Handheld) delivers much better | | | | available in overseas markets such as Korea.This new |
| video quality on colour handset displays than you are | | | | technology was on show at the 2006 Commonwealth |
| used to with 3G mobile services. The difference is in | | | | Games in Melbourne, Australia, but is not yet |
| the way the content is transmitted to your mobile | | | | commercially available.In February 2006, Italian mobile |
| phone handset. Instead of being streamed as a | | | | service provider 3 Italia announced the launch of the |
| download through the mobile phone network, DVB-H | | | | first commercial DVB-H service in time for the FIFA |
| allows the content to be broadcast just like free to air | | | | Soccer World Cup in June. The Italians are famously |
| TV. The result is a clearer, crisper image. And just as | | | | passionate about their soccer, but imagine it -- |
| there is no limit to the number of TVs that can tune | | | | whatever your sport, be it hockey, football or tennis |
| into a TV station, there is no limit to the number of | | | | and wherever you are, you can not only know the |
| mobile handsets that can tune into the broadcast TV | | | | score but watch every winning point live on your own |
| transmission.The DVB-H technology was developed | | | | phone. The La3service will initially have 15 channels for |
| specifically for handheld devices like PDAs and mobile | | | | subscribers with DVB-H mobile handsets, including |
| phones. It was designed to use less power than | | | | sports, cartoons and shopping. Five more channels are |
| regular digital TV (DVB-T) to make it more suitable for | | | | due to be added to La3 before the end of this |
| battery operated devices.There are currently four | | | | year.The author has been a TV fan since the era of |
| main competing digital mobile TV standards around the | | | | Andy Pandy and The Woodentops. |
| world. The DVB-H standard was formalised in August | | | | |