The report charts the history of mobile television from the 1980s Sony Watchman through to the commercial launch of MDTV services in 2005. It provides a tour of the history, underpinning technologies, economics, regulatory and competition policy aspects. Guided by a thorough strategic analysis of developments in different global markets it provides realistic projections for sales volumes of handheld terminals. There are many uncertainties surrounding MDTV market development created by competition between rival standards, the absence of regulatory frameworks and particularly in Europe by the absence of a clear-cut commercially viable continent wide spectrum allocation.
A detailed examination is made of business models and ownership structures, consumer, economics, rights and regulatory issues. The report looks at likely winners and losers in emerging MDTV markets and concludes with a strategic analysis of future prospects for the competing platforms and standards. Potential regulatory roadblocks to rollout of hybrid MDTV services in Europe and the United States are highlighted as these may delay deployments and hinder MDTV service takeup.
Main findings
- Commercial MDTV services are expected to begin in North America and some Asian countries in 2006, with launches in Europe 2007.
- Graphics rendition and presentation of live video services has to be completely reinvented for the MDTV screen.
- Service propositions have to be live, short-form, localized, personalized and specifically pitched to the mobile screen.
- Viable genres include mass-market channels, news, live sports, business, comedy, childrens', 'mobisodes' (MDTV tailored episodes) and adult services
Report coverage
- Operational mobile TV services - case studies
- Handheld mobile digital TV systems
- DVB-H: A commercial handheld mobile TV standard
- Mobile TV role-out scenarios
- Consumer, economic, rights and regulatory issues
- Future winners and losers
- Future prospects
Table of contents
Executive summary
Technology
MDTV Network Requirements
Handset Issues
MDTV Service Propositions
Rollout Scenarios and Projected
Handset Shipments
Business Models and Ownership
Structures
Consumer, Economics, Rights and
Regulatory Issues
Future Prospects
Introduction: What is mobile television?
The beginning
The passing of the Fixed Reception era (1936-1998)
Television reception modes
A definition of Mobile Television Service
A short history of mobile television
Introduction
Why analogue mobile television never worked
Shortcomings of analogue television on the move (Mobile)
Shortcomings of analogue television at rest (Portable)
Receiver developments
Digital terrestrial television systems
Introduction
United States - The ATSC single carrier system
Europe and Japan: COFDM multicarrier systems
At-a-glance comparison of ATSC, DVB-T and ISDB-T
Different requirements for fixed portable and mobile reception
Introduction
Fixed reception mode
Portable reception mode (indoor)
Portable reception mode (outdoor)
Coverage definitions
Illustrative examples
Summary of commercial implications for mobile television services
Early experiments with mobile TV systems
Introduction
Field strength is a key requirement for reliable mobile reception
Other key MOTIVATE findings
Quality of Service definitions
Mobile channel profiles defined
Receiver implementations were critical to mobile service
Early experiments in Japan
Summary
DVB-T and ISDB-T
Introduction
Hierarchical mobile television transmissions
Diversity reception
From experiments to commercial services
Introduction
Mobile television : A unique selling point over wireline services
Operational mobile TV services:
Three case studies
Introduction
Singapore
Taiwan
Germany
Summary
Industrial solutions for mobile TV via current DTT systems
Introduction
Consumer drivers
Market entry of diversity receivers
Handheld mobile digital TV
(MDTV) systems
Introduction
MDTV requirements
Battery life
Quality of service levels for location and time availability
Device power consumption for simultaneous TV, communications and processing
Choice of transmission mode parameters
Seamless handovers when the receiver crosses transmitter/cell boundaries
Integration of TV and communications services
Robust reception via simple stub/embedded antennas
Service security
DVB-H: A commercial handheld mobile TV standard
Introduction
Critical components of DVB-H
Broadband data rate: 15Mbit/s on the move
Power consumption fix: Via 'timeslicing' of services
Seamless service handover: Via 'timeslicing'
High-speed wide area networking topologies
Improved immunity to impulsive interference
Robust reliable reception on the move
Coexistence with DVB-T
DVB-H network configurations
Differences between DVB-T and DVB-H: MPEG2 vs IP
Summary
Mobile TV roll out scenarios
Introduction
MDTV is for industrialised countries
North America
Europe
Asia
South America
Projected handset sales volumes
Introduction
Free-to-air
Emerging business models
Subscription
Pay-as you go (PAYG) subscription
Equity ownership structures
Competitive relationship with
other portable media services
Introduction
Leveraging adjoining market segments
via hybrid MDTV services
Complementary relationship with
other portable media devices
Consumer, economic, rights and regulatory issues
Introduction
Consumer issues
Economic issues
Rights issues
Regulatory issues
Winners and losers
Introduction
Short-term winners
Short-term losers
Potential MDTV standards casualties
Winners and losers in the hybrid
MDTV network era
Future prospects
Introduction
In-band MDTV
ISDB-T
T/S DMB
DVB-H
MediaFlo
Regulatory uncertainties may delay deployments
List of tables and charts
Introduction: What is mobile television?
Figure 1: Fixed vs portable vs mobile comparison
A short history of mobile television
Figure 2: Chronology of Mobile Television development
Digital terrestrial television systems
Figure 3: System Comparison
Different requirements for fixed portable and mobile reception
Figure 4: Fixed reception modes comparison (min. median field strengths needed)
Figure 5: Portable and mobile reception modes comparison (Min. median field strengths needed)
Early experiments with mobile TV systems
Figure 7: ISDB-T minimum field
strengths for mobile service (dBuV/m)
Mobile TV roll out scenarios
Figure 8: Total MDTV handsets shipped worldwide (2005-2012)
Television Intelligence
Germany,
Spain,
Finland,
France,
UK,
