RF Shorts – Dec. 9, 2010

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  • •Apple's iPhone always seems to be in the news. People are already speculating about what features might appear in the iPhone 5. Marin writes on web site Into Mobile Apple iPhone 5 may have pico projector, live TV. He states, "Analyst Brian White with Ticonderoga Securities is not outright saying that the pico projector and live TV will be in the Apple iPhone 5 but he's strongly suggesting that this will be an attractive feature to have."

    White had commented that viewing local television programming via smartphone "could be an attractive option for some consumers."

    Marin wasn't as positive.

    "I don't think it will enable live TV because this could be a major competitor to iTunes," he said. "Additionally, if you're getting TV signals from over-the-air sources like what the Open Mobile Video Coalition is pushing, then you'll need a rather bulky external antenna. I wouldn't hold my breath for that with a new Apple iPhone."

    I should note that in my tests of the new Tivizen receiver, I've had no problem picking up UHF mobile TV stations inside a building with the antenna fully collapsed in the case. Tuners are improving.
  • •Two FCC items to be aware of: Deadlines for narrow-banding private land mobile radio service radios are approaching. Beginning Jan. 1, 2011 the FCC will no longer accept applications for new wideband (25 kHz) radios operating with only one voice path per 25 kHz of spectrum. All Industrial/Business and Public Safety Radio Pool licensees must convert to narrow band systems by Jan. 1, 2013. Note this Public Notice does not apply to Part 74 broadcast auxiliary units.
  • •The FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing changes to the FCC CORES registration system. Some of the changes include allowing entities to identify multiple points of contact, elimination of some of exceptions requiring that entities and individuals to provide their taxpayer identification number at the time of registration, and requiring FRN holders to provide e-mail addresses.
  • •Finally, Korea Times writer Kim Tong-hyung reports Financial success eludes mobile television. The article quotes an official from the Terrestrial DMB Special Committee as stating: "It would be difficult to find a precedent anywhere of a new media service gaining that much acceptance over a five-year span like terrestrial DMB did. But a combined revenue of around 4 billion won per quarter just won't cut it, and finding a reliable business model will be critical for the future of the industry."
Doug Lung
Doug Lung
Contributor

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack. A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.