| Windows Mobile smartphone shows live TV |
Apr. 05, 2006
 Modeo LLC, a prime mover in the DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld) initiative, is demonstrating a new quad-band GSM/GPRS smartphone at the CTIA conference in Las Vegas this week. Featuring live broadcast TV reception, the handset is designed around Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5.0 and Windows Media platforms.
(Click here for larger view of the Modeo smartphone)
Modeo's new smartphone boasts a sleek, lightweight design, measuring just 4.1 x 2.2 x 0.6 inches and weighing just 4.23 ounces. It is built to Modeo's specifications by Taiwan ODM (original device manufacturer) HTC, which makes about 80 percent of today's Windows-based mobile phones.
Three views of Modeo's new smartphone
DVB-H support
Modeo conducted a pilot program of its DVB-H mobile broadcast network in 2005 in Pittsburgh, PA, where it is headquartered. The company plans to launch the service commercially -- with a "a compelling package of live video channels, audio channels and podcast content" -- during 2006 in select major U.S. markets, including New York City, and it is currently working on a nationwide deployment of its network to the top 30 U.S. markets, with launches targeted throughout 2007.
The DVB-H specification for broadcasting to battery-powered handheld devices, and a related set of specifications for IP datacast (DVB-IPDC), are the "key enabling technologies for mobile television," according to the company. Based on the DVB-T specification for digital terrestrial television, DVB-H adds a number of features designed to accommodate the limited battery life of small handheld devices and the particular environments in which such receivers must operate. In situations where bursts of data are received periodically, for example, a technique called time-slicing is used to allow the receiver to power off when it is inactive, leading to significant power savings.
Core specs
At the core of Modeo's handset is a 200 MHz Texas Instruments OMAP850 applications processor, equipped with 64 MB of SDRAM and 128 MB of flash memory. The mobile TV subsystem includes a DiBcom Proven-Performance DVB-H Demodulator, Microtune Mobile MicroTuner MT2260, and an NVIDIA Go-Force 5500 handheld GPU (graphics processing unit). Its other key hardware features include: - 2.2-inch QVGA (240 x 320 pixel) 64K-color TFT display, operating at up to 30 fps
- stereo headphone jack
- 1.3-megapixel camera with video recorder support
- micro-SD expansion card slot, providing up to 1 GB of memory for storing songs, video clips, games, TV shows, and movies
- Bluetooth and IrDA wireless connectivity
- Mini-USB interface (USB 2.0)
- 1150 mAH lithium-ion battery, providing up to three hours of TV viewing, four hours of talk time, or six days of standby power
Communications, productivity, entertainment apps
Modeo's smartphone comes with a conventional package of productivity and communication applications, using quad-band GSM services (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) to provide international communications capabilities. The handset is expected to support GPRS/EDGE services, enabling high speed data access and file downloads.
It features one-touch connection to live digital TV and music services. It is optimized, according to the company, to receive and playback Modeo's DVB-H mobile broadcasts delivered using Windows Media technologies, including Windows Media Video and Windows Media Digital Rights Management. The handset also uses Windows Media Player 10 Mobile to playback video and music stored in multiple formats, with Windows Media Audio (WMA), MP3, and AAC to be the supported file types.
Additionally, users will be able to take advantage of portable subscription music services to expand their mobile entertainment library through use of Windows Media DRM. The Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone Edition software platform also enables use of popular Windows applications, including mobile versions of Microsoft Office programs such as Internet Explorer Mobile and Outlook Mobile. "Users will be able to surf the Internet and synchronize calendars, contacts and email messages with an office or home computer, all in a real-time mobile environment," Modeo said.
"People are constantly juggling personal interests and professional tasks," said Chad Hodge, group product manager of the Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft Corp. "The Modeo DVB-H integrated handset uses the power of Windows Media technologies and Windows Mobile 5.0 to converge video, voice, data and productivity applications into a single device for familiar, on-the-go productivity and entertainment."
In keeping with Modeo's focus on "providing a fun and easy-to-use mobile TV experience," the new handset features an "intuitive" electronic service guide (ESG), according to the company. Designed by software developer Penthera Technologies, the user interface is modeled after a traditional in-home TV experience. The Penthera Viewer ESG places control of live video and audio broadcasts -- such as national and local news, sports, entertainment and lifestyle content -- in the mobile user's hands. The ESG is designed to provide access to free, subscription, pay-per-view and other protected content with an approach familiar to anyone who has used a cable or satellite TV service.
Availability and pricing
The Modeo handset is expected to become available during the second half of 2006. Pricing has not yet been disclosed.
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