Archos has announced it will be bringing DVB-SH capabilities (Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite services to Handhelds) to its latest range of Internet Media Tablets.
In a collaboration with Alcatel-Lucent and ICO to demonstrate mobile digital television, the French PMP makers have demonstrated the technology working in real life situations, allowing anywhere, anytime mobile digital TV.
The DVB-SH standard is specifically designed for handheld reception, offering more clarity over the traditional DVB-T standard currently used in the UK to broadcast digital transmissions.
Via an accessory and a software plug in (purchased separately), the latest range, which includes the Archos 5, 7 and new Archos 10 Mini-laptop, will be compatible with the service.
Mobile TV - will it survive?
"This demonstration was to give people a taste of what could be in the very near future, a real mobile television experience which has, due to its size and resolution, the same television quality as that of the living room.
"The capability to reduce the qualitative divide between portable and stationary television will be the determining factor for the success of mobile TV," explained Henri Crohas, CEO and founder of Archos.
For Europe, the telecom company Solaris Mobile, a joint venture between EUTELSAT and SES Astra has committed to putting in place a satellite which will offer a wide range of television channels using the S-band of the DVB-SH standard.
The satellite launch is currently planned for the beginning of spring 2009. The first mobile TV services will then be available near the end of 2009.
