Cartoon Network, CNN, Discovery Channel, Sky Sports News and Sky Travel will be some of the first channels to be a part of a six-month Oxford mobile TV test due to launch in September, said trial organizers NTL Broadcast and O2. BSkyB, Chart Show TV, Discovery Networks Europe, Shorts International and Turner Broadcasting will be among the organisations providing 16 television channels to be received by 350 O2 customers in the Oxford area using the new Nokia 7710 handset.
Designed to test and showcase the television capabilities of the next generation of mobile phones, the trial will look at how people watch television on the move.
The six-month trial will use the DVB-H broadcast transmission standard, specially designed for handheld reception. With its low-battery power consumption and robust reception, DVB-H allows an efficient one-to-many method of delivering TV content in a way that complements the one-to-one video streaming, which is already possible via GPRS and 3G networks. To enable a commercial service to be launched in the UK, Ofcom will need to license spectrum, and the results of the trial are seen as valuable in proving ongoing consumer interest.
NTL Broadcast is building a new broadcast network of eight DVB-H transmitters, using existing structures, to cover about 46sq mi centred on Oxford that will enable the participants to receive digital television on the move. O2 will soon begin the process of recruiting consumers to participate in the test.
For more information, visit www.ntlbroadcast.com.
