Probably a Dumb Question

[Trusted Writer]

I spent this afternoon at a nearby College campus where my only access to the Internet was a friend's smartphone with TV reception. I don't understand exactly how it works but looks like it's an additional subscription service provided by the carrier.

However my question is related to the quality of TV shows broadcast to cell phones over 3G and other high speed wireless connections, is this already a digital signal?

 

[Jason Fritz]

Wow, I've heard about this, though I haven't done much reading on it.

According to Wikipedia:

Technically, there are currently two main ways of delivering mobile TV. The first is via a two-way cellular network and the second is through a one-way dedicated broadcast network. These include digital video broadcasting-handheld (DVB-H), digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB), TDtv (based on TD-CDMA technology from [IPWireless]), 1seg (based on Japan's ISDB-T), DAB and MediaFLO.

So it looks like technically you can call it digital television, though the resolution/picture quality is unlike what you would receive on a typical television set.

Found a news article on google and it looks like higher quality resolution displays on cell phones starting to become available though.

And I thought my blackberry was cool.

 

[myopicmatt]

it'll probably be on your Blackberry soon

 

[Samantha82]

it'll probably be on your Blackberry soon

I'm just waiting for Verizon to make my phone work without any problems??? I seriously can't go a week without having atleast one dropped call.

 

[dreamr802]

That's really cool, I haven't heard of that before. I would think that would still be considered digital tv because it's not coming through analogue with atenae.

 

[Taki]

If you consider watching TV on a screen that is 2-3 inches in size then your quite welcome to it. I want nothing to do with mobile TV like that. I don't usually carry a magnifier with me wherever I go.

 

[jack]

When it comes to receiving TV signals, you're dealing with a TV tuner, which is a type of radio receiver. There are both analog and digital tuners, and it's the same technology that's in a stationary TV set.

 

[celestriya]

Hehe... Hope this feature comes with cellphones too soon.

 

[jerseygirl]

Sorry, but why does somebody want to see a movie on a 3" screen?

If we are on the road here in Germany with our Winnebago, we get a digital signal by this DVB-T receiver here and have a LCD screen to see the movies.

I see no need in having TV on a mobile.

 

[salbelina]

Well... I have to agree with the above, I must say. Oh well, maybe its just for style anyway so I guess that's okay still. If I need a tv I'd buy a tv or a phone if I need a phone.

 

[stevezachtech]

This is something that is somewhat a part of history already in some parts of Asia. People want to get a hold of this for portability and IN CASE you get stuck somewhere and want company - in this case, your mobile TV.

 

[shumwerder]

Yeah, In fact I want to have one too right now.