Samsung, TI Deliver Mobile Digital TV to Korea
May 31, 2005From Texas to Korea, mobile phones are becoming pocket-size mobile entertainment centers on-the-go. Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) announced today that Samsung Electronics has selected TI's OMAP-DM multimedia processor technology for several digital TV mobile phone models for the Korean marketplace. These phones can receive Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) signals from satellites or from a network of terrestrial transmitters.
Digital TV: The future method of broadcasting television signals. Using state-of-the-art digital technology, the new system is extremely flexible, allowing the transmission of perfect pictures in a number of display formats, including high- and standard-definition television, in both conventional and wide-screen versions. The accompanying audio is CD-quality with up to six channels of surround sound. In the standard-definition mode, broadcasters will be able to transmit up to six completely separate programs simultaneously. In addition, broadcasters will be able to send ancillary digital material.
Digital TV is quickly becoming a hot application for mobile phones, with Korean mobile phone users demonstrating a healthy appetite for watching their favorite programming anytime, anywhere. Korea is leading the way in mobile Digital TV, with DMB services already delivering TV programs to the handset, including channels dedicated to sports, comedy, news, games, music and favorite movies. As DMB licenses are awarded in Korea, it is expected that millions of on-the-move Korean consumers will tune in to DMB-enabled mobile phones to watch live broadcast TV or listen to music programs on their mobile phones.
In order to deliver the high-quality TV viewing experience that consumers have come to expect in the digital age, mobile phones need a powerful application processing engine that allows at minimum several hours of battery life. TI's multimedia processors will power these Samsung digital TV mobile phones. These processors feature robust multimedia processing capabilities for crisp, clear resolution in real-time.
"Samsung is committed to digital innovation, including delivering mobile digital TV to consumers," said HunBae Kim, Vice President of Samsung's Research and Development team. "By adopting TI's high-performance multimedia processor technology, Samsung can also ensure it brings crystal clear television to the mobile phone for the best viewing experience possible in the palm of your hand."
"The acceleration of mobile Digital TV adoption is well underway in the technology-savvy Korean market," said Terry Cheng, President of TI Asia. "Clearly, Korea is setting the bar high with technological innovation, and TI is proud to be a part of this growth by combining its strengths with Samsung to deliver a new and better user experience to countless Korean mobile phone consumers."
The first model of these new Samsung digital TV mobile phones is available now to consumers in South Korea.
