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CES Mobile DTV TechZone highlights new players, devices

Jan 19, 2010 4:09 PM, By Carolyn Schuk

             

At the Open Mobile Video Coalition's (OMVC) Mobile DTV TechZone at CES 2010, it was pretty much one-shop shopping for the latest developments in ATSC-M/H-compatible devices. The display featured everything from netbooks equipped with mobile TV tuners and mobile TV chipsets and modules to test equipment. Featuring a wide range of vendors, the Mobile DTV TechZone offered an opportunity to see innovative devices from new players as well as veterans.

IMovee's mobile TV "enabler" streams broadcast TV signals to multiple mobile phones via WiFi.]

IMovee takes entertainment wherever you are

Silicon Valley-based iMovee burst onto the mobile TV scene last year with its Touch Telly mobile TV player. At CES 2010, iMovee introduced its ATSC-M/H-compatible product suite, which includes chipsets, modules, phones, computer and in-vehicle accessories and media players. The technology arm of Middle East/North Africa mobile TV operator S2M group, iMovee covers the geographic bases with support for CMMB, DMB, ISDB-T and DVB-T/H and offers both branded and white-labeled versions of its products.

One of the company's devices is its mobile TV "enabler," which receives mobile TV broadcast signals and streams them to multiple mobile phones via WiFi. The device also works with the iPod iTouch, PCs, netbooks and MID and MAC as a plug-in mobile TV.

Valups' Tivit mobile TV accessory supports iPhone and iTouch OS 3.0 and up, Blackberry OS 4.6 and above, and Symbian operating systems.]

IMovee is one of the first companies to go to market with a full suite of mobile TV devices, according to iMovee director of North American sales Frank Gaccione. "We've received an incredible amount of interest," he said, and deals with several major retailers, cable companies and OEMs are in the works.

This interest from resellers, for Gaccione, is the ultimate proof of mobile TV's viability. "They see the opportunity. The answer to nay-sayers is in their [resellers'] abundant interest."

Valups' Tivit lets iPhone users tune in

Valups' Tivit iPhone accessory got lots of attention at CES — possibly because it gave the tech pundits something to do with their dysfunctional iPhones. Although the device will work with PCs and other smartphones, it's the iPhone that gave the Tivit its opportunity. In Japan, the iPhone didn't sell, said Valups director of strategic marketing Sonny Kim, because it doesn't have mobile TV. Valups introduced an ISDB-T-compatible Tivit in 2009 and has since shipped 100,000 of them. In addition to the ATSC-M/H version shown at CES, Valups also offers a DVB-H Tivit.

DTVinteractive jumps into consumer marketplace with ATSC-M/H laptop dongle

In addition to introducing its ATX2000 all-in-one ATSC-M/H multiplex signal generator — jointly developed with partner Sencore — mobile TV test systems company DTVinteractive introduced its first consumer product at CES: the Storm Series ATSC-M/H USB dongle. The accessory comes in two flavors: an ATSC-M/H-compatible version for Windows 7, XP and Vista and Macintosh PCs; and a combo ATSC HD and M/H USB dongle for the Macintosh.

The Korean company is only targeting North America with its mobile TV accessories, according to DTVinteractive strategy business development team director Kenny Lee. "As a test and measurement company for mobile TV, we know how standards proceed and are adopted. We thought in this market, there's a very attractive short-term opportunity.

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