(ACT) NYTimes descobre o DMB da Coreia

«South Koreans have become the first to be able to watch — free — mobile TV around the clock. While Americans and Japanese consumers can also watch TV on their cellphones, the images are not as clear. So far, the first consumer reviews in Seoul suggest that the images are free of jerky motion. "I can see the movements of the individual skaters clearly, even though they are only half a centimeter tall," said Ko Pyeong Cheon, 24, who watched the short-track skating competition in Turin on his cellphone. "But I am not sure if I will feel the same when I watch the upcoming World Cup soccer games." Experts say that the screen technology makes the images actually look sharper on screens that are smaller than seven inches. "It’s just like watching regular TV," said Lee Jin Kook, 25. There are still drawbacks. Images disappear when the reception is bad, for instance. Digital Multimedia Broadcasting takes current satellite radio technology and adds a technology to deliver video and data content, like news about the weather. While a paid satellite-based D.M.B. service has been available nationwide since last May, the new free land-based version is currently available only in the Seoul area. (...) So far since January, there are only 40,000 land-based phone users, but since May, about 440,000 subscribers have signed up for satellite-based D.M.B. phone service. D.M.B. phones are slightly more expensive than ordinary cellphones. Users can rotate the liquid-crystal display screen horizontally so that it looks more like a television set.»

fonte: New York TImes, «South Koreans Clearly See Mobile TV» By SU HYUN LEE, March 16, 2006

ACT a 23/3/06: a partir de um relatório da Datamonitor: «World domination battle: DMB Vs DVB-H Vs MediaFLO. There are essentially three different technologies fighting it out to be the standard for mobile TV broadcast technology – DVB-H, DMB and MediaFLO – with a fourth, ISDB-T, unlikely to gain any traction outside of Japan. DMB is the only technology currently being used in commercial services (in South Korea). Commercial services from DVB-H and MediaFLO are expected to launch by the second half of 2006. Each technology has its own pros and cons, but in global market share terms Datamonitor expects DVB-H to be the long-term leader.»