Overlooked by many at Vegas was the news that ComVu had demonstrated the first live video broadcasting from a 3G camera phone direct to the DVB-H network.
The NAB demonstrations used Windows Mobile 5.0 powered camera phones, equipped with ComVu’s PocketCaster software to broadcast live video to Modeo-enabled devices. The live broadcasts were delivered using a combination of Windows Media Video and Windows Media Audio (WMA).
“It’s an exciting time for the broadcast industry when millions of mobile consumers can view high quality television on Modeo integrated DVB-H smartphones with Windows Media technologies,” said William Mutual, CEO of ComVu. “ComVu currently offers mobile newscasters an efficient way to broadcast live to a few thousand simultaneous viewers. However, with DVB-H, ComVu will enable the ultimate distribution solution for citizen powered journalism and user generated content with immediate reach by next year to an audience in the tens of millions worldwide.”
“The combination of Windows Mobile 5.0 powered devices and the Windows Media platform is creating exciting new mobile media opportunities,” said Chad Hodge director of Windows Digital Media at Microsoft Corp. “By leveraging the ComVu PocketCaster application, the same Windows Media technologies that are used to deliver professional content to mobile viewers over Modeo’s network can be used for consumers to gain access to a global audience.”
Research group Informa Telecoms & Media believes that there will be 74 million DVB-H subscribers by 2010, more than 50% of all mobile TV handset sales. Modeo meanwhile has announced plans to officially launch its DVB-H mobile broadcast network and its commercial-grade multicast mobile broadcast centre during 2006 in select major US markets, including New York City.
