Confusing signals on mobile TV

LG has released a new mobile TV smartphone in Germany that contravenes European Union guidelines on the common mobile TV standard.

The KB770 handset incorporates a DVB-T mobile TV tuner, whilst the European Union has requested that DVB-H be adopted as the common standard across the continent.

TV on mobile phones has yet to gain widespread popularity, and conflict over preferred standards is unlikely to help the adoption rate.

Mobile TV chip makers Telegent Systems believe the key to increasing adoption is for telecoms companies to release free-to-air mobile TV with content that users are familiar with.

When mobile users watch TV on the go, they want to catch up with their favourite soap opera and not be charged for it, rather than being charged to watch a random episode of a foreign show they’ve never heard of.

According to Telegent, mobile TV take up has so far been underwhelming because telecoms companies charge customers to watch TV, and only offer unfamiliar content.

Telegent’s analysis is that once a mobile TV audience is developed through free-to-air broadcasting, companies will then be able to charge customers for premium content.