Sony Launches Waterproof Portable DTV

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Sony Bravia XDV-W600 Sony has introduced a new handheld digital TV, the Bravia XDV-W600, featuring a 4-inch LCD screen and waterproofed for use at the beach or even in the bath.

The tuner picks up ISDB-T 1-seg DTV broadcasts as well as analog FM radio signals. Battery life is impressive for a portable DTV—Sony claims it will last 23 hours using an internal rechargeable battery or AA primary batteries.

The portable DTV will be available in Japan in October for approximately $368. If it succeeds in Japan, perhaps Sony can be persuaded to launch an ATSC M/H version in the United States in late 2009 or early 2010.

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.