The European Parliament (EP) has recently published a report which looks at the key issues being debated in Europe with respect to mobile television.
The study notes that there is no industry consensus on the type of bearer technology most suited to mobile television: digital audio broadcasting – Internet protocol (DAB-IP), terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasting (T-DMB), digital video broadcast – handheld (DVB-H), forward link only (FLO).
The report also states that, although technically none of the technologies has significant advantages over the others, DVB-H is, at the moment, the most favourable standard. This is because it offers multiple and completely standardised service layers for sharing broadcast content, while leaving room for service differentiation. The study also underlines that DVB, IP data cast (IPDC) and open mobile alliance broadcast (OMA BACST) offer advantages over other technologies.
Looking at future developments, the document forecasts that broadcast and unicast services will co-exist and will be integrated on mobile terminals, with general interest content being offered via broadcast, and content of interest to small groups of consumers being offered on-demand via unicast.
Consult:
- Study on mobile TV, European Parliament, October 2007 https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=535469
Related information on ANACOM's website:
- Digital television https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=2963
