As part of the "Innovative Multimedia Applications" panel at Connect 2006, Wilson Lo, Executive Director and CTO of Golden Dynamic Enterprises (Hong Kong), presented their Mobile TV application which has been deployed by Hong Kong CSL.
There are many competing approaches for Mobile TV. Most require new spectrum, new infrastructure and new handsets. Golden Dynamic has a solution that works with any 3G handset on any 3G network. What's more, it fast, easy to use and interactive, i.e. provides quick channel switching just as you would expect on your home TV.
They built their solution using an Interactive Voice and Video Response (IVVR) platform, i.e. they are using 3G-324M technology. All 3G handsets support this capability. Hong Kong CSL provides a short code to access the service. The customer then uses keypad interactions to select channels. With the IVVR platform, channel switching is interactive, and fast.
This is one of those cases where simple is better. The service is deployed today, without waiting for new infrastructure and new handsets, allowing the operator to focus on content, business models and subscriber reactions.
Sounds impressive Brough:
Do you knowwhat sort of quality is the video in this instance?
And what bandwidth are the users receiving the video from their handsets (ie, how does the video make it's way from the carrier to the customer handset? ISDN?)
Posted by: Peter | January 08, 2007 at 07:59 PM
Peter,
The video is QCIF (176 x 144 pixels). All handsets support at least H.263 coding, but most support MPEG-4 level 0. There's a ton of additional data here:
http://www.nmscommunications.com/DevPlatforms/OpenAccess/Technologies/3G324MandIPVideo/TechnologyOverview.htm
The video is carried over circuit-switched data, i.e. ISDN, typically at 64 Kbps. This sounds nuts in a world of IP, but it's real and it works with virtually all 3G handsets and all 3G networks. It has the advantage of guaranteed QoS and fast response, so channel changing takes only a second or so.
All and all, it's a highly interactive service, much better than IP-based unicast video or the broadcast mobile TV trials I've read about.
Posted by: brough | January 09, 2007 at 09:10 AM