Arqiva To Demonstrate Mobile Video Standard

Broadcast infrastructure operator Arqiva will tomorrow give the first European demonstration of mobile video broadcasting using the DVB-H standard, ushering in a new age of portable TV using devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and laptop PCs.

The demonstration, which will form part of the Royal Television Society’s Cambridge Convention, will demonstrate reception of two broadcast channels as well as a third video stream with enhanced picture quality using Microsoft’s Windows Media Video 9 and Windows Media Digital Rights Management technology.

A number of devices will be shown receiving the signals, including Windows Mobile-based devices, PDAs and Windows XP-based Tablet PCs, with Arqiva’s established test transmitter at Milton, north of Cambridge, being used to provide the video feed.

Simon Mason, head of new product development at Arqiva, explained the purpose of the demonstration, which is intended to illustrate the capabilities of advanced video compression. He said: “Windows Media not only improves picture quality but also protects that valuable content, independent of the platform or device on which it is received. We continue to grow our understanding of the technical and commercial issues in deploying mobile broadcast services and this bodes well for datacasting and mobile TV services in the future.”

Mobile video broadcasting is expected to grow quickly over coming months, with several operators in Britain already running trials of various technologies. Earlier this year saw Virgin Mobile announce their first steps towards providing TV content to customers’ handsets, signing up for a trial with BT in June to begin a four-month test of the technology within London (see Virgin Prepares For Mobile TV Trial).

Arqiva: 01962 823434 www.arqiva.com