Shanghai will become the first trial city to begin commercial operation of the China Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting (CMMB) network in March, reports Sina quoting an unnamed insider. The commercial service is expected to offer seven programs for RMB 20(3USD) per month, said the insider. China Mobile (NYSE:CHL, 941.HK) currently charges RMB 10 per month for its mobile TV service.
source:jlmpacificepoch.com
Showing posts with label CMMB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CMMB. Show all posts
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
TVB Starts CMMB Trial in Hong Kong
Hong Kong television station TVB has launched CMMB technology tests in Hong Kong, in cooperation with the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television's (SARFT) Academy of Broadcasting Planning and Beijing-based CMMB equipment manufacturer Wiflare Technology. Wiflare is responsible for constructing the CMMB system, with broadcasts from Temple Hill to cover Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and Shatin. Five channels will be broadcast, three from TVB – the J2 paid channel, and the Jade and news channels.
Signal tests were carried out on an outdoor, shallow and deep in-door, and in-vehicle basis. Mobile phones, MP4 players, GPS devices and USB TV receivers were tested. The results found that clear and reliable signals could be received in all test areas.
source:marbridgeconsulting.com
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
SARFT Buys 1M CMMB Terminals
The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) announced its purchase of 1 million CMMB terminals -- including handsets, media players, positioning devices, USB keys and other products -- on December 23, reports 163.com. Lenovo (992.HK), ZTE (763.HK, 000063.SZ), Beijing Tianyu Communication Equipment, UTStarcom (Nasdaq: UTSI), Digital China (861.HK), Samsung and Datang Telecom (600198.SH) were among the companies winning government contracts. Around 120 terminal manufacturers entered 400 terminals in the bidding; thirty-three handset makers were awarded contracts.
source:jlmpacificepoch.com
source:jlmpacificepoch.com
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
102 Handset Manufacturers Participate in CMMB Bids
CMMB operator China Satellite Mobile Broadcasting Corporation (CSMBC) is holding on-site bidding for the procurement of approximately 1 mln CMMB handsets, with 102 handset manufacturers participating. The average cost per set is RMB 800.
Previously CSMBC branch companies had already begun accepting tenders from local manufacturers, however this is the first time that the parent company has publicly called for CMMB handset tenders. A source participating in the handset bidding stated that the first orders from CSMBC would not be particularly large, suggesting that the current bidding should be considered a trial for future procurements.
source:marbridgeconsulting.com
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Telegent bucks the digital trend in mobile TV
Shanghai. December 5. INTERFAX-CHINA - Mobile companies are rushing towards 3G in China, and scrambling to offer more services to secure more customers. However, could they be losing sight of that central business tenet: know thy customer?
Cathy He, business development director of Telegent Systems Co. Ltd., is someone who believes so. She spoke to Interfax recently about the business opportunities offered by the analog TV chips her company makes - a technology that may be deemed "out-of-date" by those rushing to embrace its digital counterpart.
Telegent has developed its business worldwide, shipping over 20 million mobile TV chips in the last two years.
According to He, just 5 percent of the world's population is covered by digital TV signals. "When other companies are fighting for the 5 percent of digital mobile TV users, our company focuses on the remaining analog users," He said. "We are the first and probably the only company in the world that focuses on analog mobile TV chips."
He, who holds an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology and is a company management tutor with years of experience in handset sales, believes the first thing for a business is to know its target users and how to influence them.
"In China, many digital mobile TV chip manufacturers think of their consumers as high earners. However, our research shows that 80 percent of mobile TV users are migrant workers," He said.
"Many companies are working on digital mobile TV services, thinking that white collar people should be given the most advanced technology, such as digital mobile TV. However, the most advanced technology isn't necessarily the most profitable technology. These digital mobile TV companies found that, while their adverts were put in high-end magazines, their chips were often used in Shanzhai handsets [low price handsets that ape famous brands and models]."
The reason for this, according to He, is that white collar workers are the wrong group to be targeting.
"White collar workers have TVs, they have Internet access, so they don't have to watch TV on such a small screen. On the other hand, after visiting hundreds of factories in China and talking to migrant workers, Telegent found that migrant workers like mobile TV because they have no other way to watch TV. It does not matter if it is analog or digital - the main users are always migrant workers. They don't care whether the technology is advanced or how clear the image is; they will be satisfied as long as they can watch TV easily and hopefully free of charge, as these workers may only earn several hundreds of Renminbi [RMB 100 = $14.53] per month."
He gave her assessment of the three methods of delivering mobile TV - analog TV, digital TV and mobile Internet streaming TV.
"The disadvantage of mobile Internet streaming is that availability is limited when too many people use a service at once. What's more, data fees are expensive," He said.
"As for mobile digital TV, which in China means using the CMMB standard, deployment has not been very fast. The plan is to expand CMMB TV services to 300 cities by the end of 2009, which means that it will take five to seven years for the service to reach all of China's 2,000 cities. What mobile TV option is there for people in cities with no access to CMMB mobile TV over this period?"
For He, analog mobile TV is currently the best method of delivery for reaching a wide audience at minimal cost. With the widespread coverage of analog TV signals across most countries, handsets with the ability to receive analog TV signals can be used in most parts of the world.
According to customer research conducted by Telegent, after three months of trial use of the analog TV handsets, 85 percent of customers classified analog TV as "very practical". The company also found that those surveyed used the analog TV function of their handsets an average of three times per week, while the frequency of using the MP3 and camera functions was less than once a week.
Telegent was established in the United States in 2004 and began mass chip production in 2005. To date, the company has shipped over 20 million chips, with monthly shipments of around 2 million at present.
The company conducts its R & D at its U.S. headquarters, and manages the sale of its chips to handset companies from its Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen branches. Telegent also works with Chinese handset manufacturers to sell handsets globally. It has cooperated with Chinese handset companies such as ZTE, Konka, K-Touch and Gionee, as well as large international handset companies. Two of the five largest international handset makers in the world are expected to release new products using Telegent chips in 2009, He said. Telegent claims that its analog mobile TV chips can be included in handsets without significantly increasing the retail price.
"Many foreign telecom operators come to China to purchase analog TV handsets powered by our chips," He said. "For example, there is a huge handset market in Dubai, where handsets won't sell unless they include an analog TV function."
Telegent even negotiates handset sales with foreign telecom operators on behalf of Chinese handset companies.
"We may be the only chip company that has a handset sales team," He said. "Our analog TV chips have helped Chinese handset companies to take market share from big international brands in places such as South-East Asia, the Middle East and South America."
As a comparison, He said that Telegent ships more analog mobile TV chips per month than the number of DVB-H digital mobile TV chips that have been shipped in Europe over the past few years.
The current global economic climate may also serve to boost Telegent's sales even further, He said.
"With the global financial crisis, people have less money, but they will not stop using handsets. Instead, they will choose cheaper and lower-end models," He said. "The two advantages of Chinese-made handsets are their low price and integrated functions."
Opportunities will also increase for Chinese handset makers in general.
"Chinese handset companies should pay more attention to handset quality and services in order to seize this chance," she continued. "When users find that these cheap Chinese handsets are good to use, they will go on using them even when the economic downturn ends."
However, many Chinese handset companies neglect to do market research. According to He, about two-thirds of the handsets that contain Telegent's chips are currently exported. However, as foreign currencies have devalued, many Chinese handset companies have chosen to halt all exports, He said.
He gave the example of the Brazilian Real, which has dropped heavily, while the Argentine Peso has dropped by a far smaller degree. "So why halt exports to Argentina?" He said.
"At first, we did not get involved in the handset market. When we found that many handset companies lacked a clear market strategy though, we started doing research on the handset market on their behalf," He said. "That's also why these companies like us."
Although the migration from analog to digital TV is an aim shared by many countries, by 2012 around 88 percent of the world's population will still only have access to analog TV signals. Even if China finishes digital TV migration in 2015, the majority of the world's population will still only be covered by analog TV signals.
Digital mobile TV also faces the hurdle of covering its costs. With China's CMMB digital mobile TV likely to be a paid-for service, handset companies that incorporate CMMB chips will have to convince users that mobile TV - an unfamiliar service - is worth paying for. He believes that the widespread use of analog TV-enabled handsets could serve to popularize the use of mobile TV in general, paving the way for users to upgrade to paid-for digital mobile TV in the future.
Although analog TV users will eventually become digital TV users, there is still long time to go before this process is complete, so the company will spend its time developing new profitable functions.
"We are now considering cooperating with operators to have the SMS function while watching mobile TV, which can enable people to directly vote for their idols while watching some star-making programs," He said.
source:www.interfax.cn
Cathy He, business development director of Telegent Systems Co. Ltd., is someone who believes so. She spoke to Interfax recently about the business opportunities offered by the analog TV chips her company makes - a technology that may be deemed "out-of-date" by those rushing to embrace its digital counterpart.
Telegent has developed its business worldwide, shipping over 20 million mobile TV chips in the last two years.
According to He, just 5 percent of the world's population is covered by digital TV signals. "When other companies are fighting for the 5 percent of digital mobile TV users, our company focuses on the remaining analog users," He said. "We are the first and probably the only company in the world that focuses on analog mobile TV chips."
He, who holds an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology and is a company management tutor with years of experience in handset sales, believes the first thing for a business is to know its target users and how to influence them.
"In China, many digital mobile TV chip manufacturers think of their consumers as high earners. However, our research shows that 80 percent of mobile TV users are migrant workers," He said.
"Many companies are working on digital mobile TV services, thinking that white collar people should be given the most advanced technology, such as digital mobile TV. However, the most advanced technology isn't necessarily the most profitable technology. These digital mobile TV companies found that, while their adverts were put in high-end magazines, their chips were often used in Shanzhai handsets [low price handsets that ape famous brands and models]."
The reason for this, according to He, is that white collar workers are the wrong group to be targeting.
"White collar workers have TVs, they have Internet access, so they don't have to watch TV on such a small screen. On the other hand, after visiting hundreds of factories in China and talking to migrant workers, Telegent found that migrant workers like mobile TV because they have no other way to watch TV. It does not matter if it is analog or digital - the main users are always migrant workers. They don't care whether the technology is advanced or how clear the image is; they will be satisfied as long as they can watch TV easily and hopefully free of charge, as these workers may only earn several hundreds of Renminbi [RMB 100 = $14.53] per month."
He gave her assessment of the three methods of delivering mobile TV - analog TV, digital TV and mobile Internet streaming TV.
"The disadvantage of mobile Internet streaming is that availability is limited when too many people use a service at once. What's more, data fees are expensive," He said.
"As for mobile digital TV, which in China means using the CMMB standard, deployment has not been very fast. The plan is to expand CMMB TV services to 300 cities by the end of 2009, which means that it will take five to seven years for the service to reach all of China's 2,000 cities. What mobile TV option is there for people in cities with no access to CMMB mobile TV over this period?"
For He, analog mobile TV is currently the best method of delivery for reaching a wide audience at minimal cost. With the widespread coverage of analog TV signals across most countries, handsets with the ability to receive analog TV signals can be used in most parts of the world.
According to customer research conducted by Telegent, after three months of trial use of the analog TV handsets, 85 percent of customers classified analog TV as "very practical". The company also found that those surveyed used the analog TV function of their handsets an average of three times per week, while the frequency of using the MP3 and camera functions was less than once a week.
Telegent was established in the United States in 2004 and began mass chip production in 2005. To date, the company has shipped over 20 million chips, with monthly shipments of around 2 million at present.
The company conducts its R & D at its U.S. headquarters, and manages the sale of its chips to handset companies from its Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen branches. Telegent also works with Chinese handset manufacturers to sell handsets globally. It has cooperated with Chinese handset companies such as ZTE, Konka, K-Touch and Gionee, as well as large international handset companies. Two of the five largest international handset makers in the world are expected to release new products using Telegent chips in 2009, He said. Telegent claims that its analog mobile TV chips can be included in handsets without significantly increasing the retail price.
"Many foreign telecom operators come to China to purchase analog TV handsets powered by our chips," He said. "For example, there is a huge handset market in Dubai, where handsets won't sell unless they include an analog TV function."
Telegent even negotiates handset sales with foreign telecom operators on behalf of Chinese handset companies.
"We may be the only chip company that has a handset sales team," He said. "Our analog TV chips have helped Chinese handset companies to take market share from big international brands in places such as South-East Asia, the Middle East and South America."
As a comparison, He said that Telegent ships more analog mobile TV chips per month than the number of DVB-H digital mobile TV chips that have been shipped in Europe over the past few years.
The current global economic climate may also serve to boost Telegent's sales even further, He said.
"With the global financial crisis, people have less money, but they will not stop using handsets. Instead, they will choose cheaper and lower-end models," He said. "The two advantages of Chinese-made handsets are their low price and integrated functions."
Opportunities will also increase for Chinese handset makers in general.
"Chinese handset companies should pay more attention to handset quality and services in order to seize this chance," she continued. "When users find that these cheap Chinese handsets are good to use, they will go on using them even when the economic downturn ends."
However, many Chinese handset companies neglect to do market research. According to He, about two-thirds of the handsets that contain Telegent's chips are currently exported. However, as foreign currencies have devalued, many Chinese handset companies have chosen to halt all exports, He said.
He gave the example of the Brazilian Real, which has dropped heavily, while the Argentine Peso has dropped by a far smaller degree. "So why halt exports to Argentina?" He said.
"At first, we did not get involved in the handset market. When we found that many handset companies lacked a clear market strategy though, we started doing research on the handset market on their behalf," He said. "That's also why these companies like us."
Although the migration from analog to digital TV is an aim shared by many countries, by 2012 around 88 percent of the world's population will still only have access to analog TV signals. Even if China finishes digital TV migration in 2015, the majority of the world's population will still only be covered by analog TV signals.
Digital mobile TV also faces the hurdle of covering its costs. With China's CMMB digital mobile TV likely to be a paid-for service, handset companies that incorporate CMMB chips will have to convince users that mobile TV - an unfamiliar service - is worth paying for. He believes that the widespread use of analog TV-enabled handsets could serve to popularize the use of mobile TV in general, paving the way for users to upgrade to paid-for digital mobile TV in the future.
Although analog TV users will eventually become digital TV users, there is still long time to go before this process is complete, so the company will spend its time developing new profitable functions.
"We are now considering cooperating with operators to have the SMS function while watching mobile TV, which can enable people to directly vote for their idols while watching some star-making programs," He said.
source:www.interfax.cn
Next-generation broadcasting and television network expected to be established in 10 years
The Ministry of Science and Technology and the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television signed a cooperation agreement on December 4 in Beijing to jointly boost construction of China's next-generation broadcasting and television network.
According to the agreement, China will develop a next-generation broadcasting and television technology system to suit the country's conditions. The system will be based on developments in digital cable TV and China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting (CMMB), as well as be supported by the core technology of High-Performance Broadband Information Network which was independently developed in China.
The next-generation broadcasting and television network is expected to take about 10 years to complete. The network will be a new generation of national information infrastructure with a fundamental feature of "integration of three networks," and aims to meet the demands of development in industries, including modern digital media and information services.
source:http://english.people.com.cn/
According to the agreement, China will develop a next-generation broadcasting and television technology system to suit the country's conditions. The system will be based on developments in digital cable TV and China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting (CMMB), as well as be supported by the core technology of High-Performance Broadband Information Network which was independently developed in China.
The next-generation broadcasting and television network is expected to take about 10 years to complete. The network will be a new generation of national information infrastructure with a fundamental feature of "integration of three networks," and aims to meet the demands of development in industries, including modern digital media and information services.
source:http://english.people.com.cn/
Shanghai to Start CMMB Commercial Operations
Shanghai CMMB operator Oriental Pearl Group (OPG) (600832.SH) has stated that its CMMB network will begin official commercial operations on January 1, 2009, making it the first CMMB operator in China to do so. Mobile phone TV subscribers will pay a monthly fee of RMB 12 for the service, of which the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) will receive RMB 10, and the operator RMB 2.
A source at OPG has revealed that there will be a total of 100 CMMB retail outlets in Shanghai by the end of 2009, plus 10 CMMB demonstration centers.
In addition, Shanghai will receive 100,000 of the 1 mln handsets that will be purchased by SARFT in a bidding process that will be completed before the end of the year. The city will construct its own channel partner system for the SARFT tenders, and plans to purchase additional terminals in excess of the original tender.
source:marbridgeconsulting.com
Ministry of Science and Technology, SARFT Ally on Network Convergence
On December 4, China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) signed the "National Cooperation Agreement for Innovation in High-Performance Broadband Data Networks and Next-Generation Broadcast Television Networks." MOST and SARFT will set up joint working organizations for cooperation on the construction of next-generation broadcast networks (NGB).
The primary objective of the agreement is to use digital cable and CMMB as the foundation for development of a model end-to-end, fully-converged NGB network combining fixed-line and wireless networks that will bring network coverage to all major cities nationwide, resulting in a Chinese NGB network within about ten years' time.
Core transmission bandwidth for NGB networks will be more than 1,000 Gbps, with more than 60 Mbps per user guaranteed, bringing broadband interactive data networks to a wide audience and ensuring the goal of bringing the "information superhighway" to every household over the coming 20 years.
source:marbridgeconsulting.com
Sunday, November 16, 2008
CMMB Handsets to Get Telecom Network Access Next Year
An executive from a telecommunications consulting firm recently revealed that mobile handsets supporting the CMMB mobile phone TV standard are expected to be allowed to receive network access permits from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) next year. The source commented that currently the only hindrance is matters of policy.
When asked to comment on this, a source at the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) commented that it was just a matter of time before CMMB phones were able to receive network access permits.
source:marbridgeconsulting.com
When asked to comment on this, a source at the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) commented that it was just a matter of time before CMMB phones were able to receive network access permits.
source:marbridgeconsulting.com
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
China To Invest CNY2.5 Billion To Extend Coverage Of Terrestrial Digital TV
Wang Xiaojie, director general for the Science and Technology Department of the State Administration of Radio Film and Television, said at the Fourth China Digital Media Summit that the country will invest CNY2.5 billion to extend the coverage of terrestrial digital TV, marking the beginning of the application of the Standard of Digital Television Terrestrial Broadcasting in China.
The Standard of Digital Television Terrestrial Broadcasting was published in 2007. In January 2008, CCTV announced plans to broadcast high-definition terrestrial digital TV programs, which represented for the start of the commercial use of terrestrial digital TV.
Wang said that SARFT broadcasted terrestrial digital TV programs in eight major Chinese cities before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The terrestrial digital TV includes two channels. One is a high-definition channel, broadcasting high-definition programs on CCTV; and the other is standard-definition channel, broadcasting programs of local provincial and municipal TV stations.
Until 2009, SARFT will gradually extend the terrestrial digital TV broadcasting and the country will invest CNY2.5 billion to establish a nationwide terrestrial digital TV system in three to five years, added Wang.
She further explained that the coverage promotion will be divided into two phases. In the first phase, the high-definition CCTV programs and standard-definition programs will be available in 37 large and medium-sized cities. In the second phase, the standard-definition programs will be available in 333 cities and 2,861 counties. The project will be started at the end of 2008 and be promoted at the beginning of 2009.
source:chinatechnews.com
The Standard of Digital Television Terrestrial Broadcasting was published in 2007. In January 2008, CCTV announced plans to broadcast high-definition terrestrial digital TV programs, which represented for the start of the commercial use of terrestrial digital TV.
Wang said that SARFT broadcasted terrestrial digital TV programs in eight major Chinese cities before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The terrestrial digital TV includes two channels. One is a high-definition channel, broadcasting high-definition programs on CCTV; and the other is standard-definition channel, broadcasting programs of local provincial and municipal TV stations.
Until 2009, SARFT will gradually extend the terrestrial digital TV broadcasting and the country will invest CNY2.5 billion to establish a nationwide terrestrial digital TV system in three to five years, added Wang.
She further explained that the coverage promotion will be divided into two phases. In the first phase, the high-definition CCTV programs and standard-definition programs will be available in 37 large and medium-sized cities. In the second phase, the standard-definition programs will be available in 333 cities and 2,861 counties. The project will be started at the end of 2008 and be promoted at the beginning of 2009.
source:chinatechnews.com
SARFT to Purchase 1m CMMB Terminals in 2009
Wang Xiaojie, director of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT)'s Science and Technology Department, has revealed that next year SARFT plans to purchase 1 mln CMMB terminals. Wang estimated that by the end of this year, 100 cities nationwide would have CMMB coverage, and that value-added services, including interactive content, would also be introduced.
source:marbridgeconsulting.com
source:marbridgeconsulting.com
Monday, November 3, 2008
CMMB Signals to Be Encrypted by Year-end
In consideration of future business models for the network, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has begun implementing a comprehensive conditional access (CA) system for CMMB-based mobile phone TV broadcasting. The system will be used to encrypt CMMB broadcasts in all cities with CMMB networks by the end of the year.
A spokesperson for the business development department of the Hubei Mobile Television Company has stated that mobile phone TV is currently in the free-of-charge phase. If all CMMB signals are encrypted by the end of the year however, then mobile phone TV will enter the commercial use phase in 2009, although almost 10 channels would remain available free-of-charge.
A business development spokesperson for SARFT's mobile phone TV company has stated that embedding CA chips in new terminals will not cause an increase in price. The method of securing CA authentication on those terminals which have already been released has not yet been determined.
source:marbridgeconsulting
A spokesperson for the business development department of the Hubei Mobile Television Company has stated that mobile phone TV is currently in the free-of-charge phase. If all CMMB signals are encrypted by the end of the year however, then mobile phone TV will enter the commercial use phase in 2009, although almost 10 channels would remain available free-of-charge.
A business development spokesperson for SARFT's mobile phone TV company has stated that embedding CA chips in new terminals will not cause an increase in price. The method of securing CA authentication on those terminals which have already been released has not yet been determined.
source:marbridgeconsulting
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
New CMMB Tuner Developed By Sharp
Sharp is jumping into the Chinese mobile video broadcasting sector with a new mobile TV tuner that supports China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting.
Sharp has developed the VA3C5CZ933 a tuning device intended for mobile equipment in the Chinese market, with mass production slated to begin in December 2008 and a monthly production capacity of about 500,000 units.
China's efforts to provide digital mobile broadcast services intensified in anticipation of the Beijing Olympics, and broadcasts under the CMMB system, a standard advanced by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, began in 37 cities in July 2008. By the end of this year, SARFT plans to expand CMMB network coverage to more than 300 additional cities.
China Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting is the Chinese broadcasting industry's mobile phone television standard. At the end of 2007, SARFT initiated bidding for the construction of the CMMB network for which it received CNY150 million in special funds from China's Ministry of Finance. This was the second round of bidding for CMMB equipment for SARFT and covered transmitters, testing devices, CMMB portable terminals and other supporting systems.
source:chinatechnews
Sharp has developed the VA3C5CZ933 a tuning device intended for mobile equipment in the Chinese market, with mass production slated to begin in December 2008 and a monthly production capacity of about 500,000 units.
China's efforts to provide digital mobile broadcast services intensified in anticipation of the Beijing Olympics, and broadcasts under the CMMB system, a standard advanced by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, began in 37 cities in July 2008. By the end of this year, SARFT plans to expand CMMB network coverage to more than 300 additional cities.
China Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting is the Chinese broadcasting industry's mobile phone television standard. At the end of 2007, SARFT initiated bidding for the construction of the CMMB network for which it received CNY150 million in special funds from China's Ministry of Finance. This was the second round of bidding for CMMB equipment for SARFT and covered transmitters, testing devices, CMMB portable terminals and other supporting systems.
source:chinatechnews
Sunday, October 19, 2008
SARFT Clarifies Operating Model, Technology System For CMMB
The State Administration of Radio Film and Television of China held a teleconference last week on China Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting, in which the administration clarified the direction for the future development of CMMB.
The conference marked the formal start for the construction and operation of CMMB in China and it also represents a new period in which the CMMB technology transits from technical tests to an operational stage.
SARFT says that the network coverage of CMMB should combine satellites with networks and adopt unified standards and nationwide roaming systems. The supporting systems should be able to meet the demand for the complex operation of varied CMMB services, forming a unified-operated and unified-managed new industrial operating mode.
This all actually means that the SARFT will seek a national reunification of the operating mode of CMMB, like what it has done with China's telecom industry.
At present, units directly under the SARFT have jointly invested and established a company called China Satellite Mobile Broadcasting Corporation, which is responsible for the network coverage extension of CMMB in China.
Source: chinatechnews
The conference marked the formal start for the construction and operation of CMMB in China and it also represents a new period in which the CMMB technology transits from technical tests to an operational stage.
SARFT says that the network coverage of CMMB should combine satellites with networks and adopt unified standards and nationwide roaming systems. The supporting systems should be able to meet the demand for the complex operation of varied CMMB services, forming a unified-operated and unified-managed new industrial operating mode.
This all actually means that the SARFT will seek a national reunification of the operating mode of CMMB, like what it has done with China's telecom industry.
At present, units directly under the SARFT have jointly invested and established a company called China Satellite Mobile Broadcasting Corporation, which is responsible for the network coverage extension of CMMB in China.
Source: chinatechnews
Friday, September 26, 2008
Six CMMB Terminals Gain Certificates From SARFT
The State Administration of Radio Film and Television of China has released the second round certification results of China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting terminals and CMMB terminals produced by six companies finally gained their certificates.
The six newly authorized companies include Qway Multimedia Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.; Shinco Electronic Group Co., Ltd.; Guangdong Gaoke Electronics Co., Ltd.; Beijing Tianyu Communication Equipment Co., Ltd.; Shenzhen Xing Hua Bao Electronic and Technology Co., Ltd.; and Shenzhen Vita Electronics Co., Ltd. Previously, three CMMB terminals produced by Lenovo, ZTE and Tianyu gained certificates in the first round quality judgement of SARFT.
Staring from July 22, 2008, the quality judgment of CMMB terminals was implemented by the Academy of Broadcasting Planning under the direct leadership of SARFT. At present, over 20 companies have handed in quality judgment applications to the academy.
According to the Academy of Broadcasting Planning, the network tests for CMMB terminals, which are divided into performance test, test points test and software test, are very strict. To accelerate the quality tests of CMMB terminals, the academy set up a special group to ensure the efficiency and high-quality of the quality tests. At the same time, its testing center also helps these manufactures to optimize the functions of their products, so as to meet the standards of SARFT.
source:chinatechnews
The six newly authorized companies include Qway Multimedia Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.; Shinco Electronic Group Co., Ltd.; Guangdong Gaoke Electronics Co., Ltd.; Beijing Tianyu Communication Equipment Co., Ltd.; Shenzhen Xing Hua Bao Electronic and Technology Co., Ltd.; and Shenzhen Vita Electronics Co., Ltd. Previously, three CMMB terminals produced by Lenovo, ZTE and Tianyu gained certificates in the first round quality judgement of SARFT.
Staring from July 22, 2008, the quality judgment of CMMB terminals was implemented by the Academy of Broadcasting Planning under the direct leadership of SARFT. At present, over 20 companies have handed in quality judgment applications to the academy.
According to the Academy of Broadcasting Planning, the network tests for CMMB terminals, which are divided into performance test, test points test and software test, are very strict. To accelerate the quality tests of CMMB terminals, the academy set up a special group to ensure the efficiency and high-quality of the quality tests. At the same time, its testing center also helps these manufactures to optimize the functions of their products, so as to meet the standards of SARFT.
source:chinatechnews
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Update on CMMB Corporation
China's State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT) is currently actively preparing to establish its mobile television company. Key components of its plan include:
1. The "China Broadcasting Satellite Mobile Broadcasting Company" will be established as a central government-level corporation.
2. Costs for the entire CMMB plan will total in the billions of yuan.
3. SARFT will oversee the production, integration and operation of CMMB programming, and will issue licenses for CMMB program integration and online transmissions. It also plans to establish 338 content integration platforms at the central government, directly-administered municipality, and local city levels, and a unified national client resource management and encrypted operations system.
4. At present, users can view 7 channels free of charge as well as 2 advertising-supported channels. These 9 channels will remain free of charge for the next 3-5 years.
5. 145 terminal manufacturers have joined the CMMB Alliance.
source:marbridgeconsulting
1. The "China Broadcasting Satellite Mobile Broadcasting Company" will be established as a central government-level corporation.
2. Costs for the entire CMMB plan will total in the billions of yuan.
3. SARFT will oversee the production, integration and operation of CMMB programming, and will issue licenses for CMMB program integration and online transmissions. It also plans to establish 338 content integration platforms at the central government, directly-administered municipality, and local city levels, and a unified national client resource management and encrypted operations system.
4. At present, users can view 7 channels free of charge as well as 2 advertising-supported channels. These 9 channels will remain free of charge for the next 3-5 years.
5. 145 terminal manufacturers have joined the CMMB Alliance.
source:marbridgeconsulting
Thursday, September 18, 2008
SARFT:CMMB will be set up at the central level of the company
SARFT has recently said it would spend billions to set up a central operation of the CMMB, at the same time to absorb the positive power of the parties to form local branches this point, the General Administration of Radio, Film and Television's CMMB route operator Clear Out.
"CMMB will be the formation of the central level, by the General Administration of Radio, Film and Television unit directly related to the formation of capital, the tentative name of the company for the 'Mobile Satellite Radio, Film and Television Ltd. Canton'," Administration of Radio, Film and Television Radio and Television, vice president of the Planning Institute Xie Jinhui said. It is understood that , The operating companies have invested as much as several billion.
At the same time, SARFT have begun the formation of local companies, said Xie Jinhui "CMMB from the current test operation of the feedback of view, CMMB's a very good market prospects, many investors are willing to investors."
SARFT has been completed before the Olympics in 37 cities and provincial capitals of the network fabric, and in the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in a preliminary test carried out operations in accordance with aspects of the deployment of Radio, Film and Television, after the Olympics, CMMB will be covering the whole 360-level Cities, mainly on the surface of the U-band network coverage pattern.
"U-band network coverage of the population will be 450,000,000." Xie Jinhui said, "will be used the next S-band satellite network, rural, road, rail, sea, such as network coverage area."
At the same time, said Xie Jinhui, CMMB has become China's broadcasting industry by leaps and bounds the third opportunity, invested heavily in addition to the SARFT network, the parties will jointly improve the industrial chain of CMMB, it was revealed that he currently has 145 terminals business CMMB joined the Union.
"CMMB will be the formation of the central level, by the General Administration of Radio, Film and Television unit directly related to the formation of capital, the tentative name of the company for the 'Mobile Satellite Radio, Film and Television Ltd. Canton'," Administration of Radio, Film and Television Radio and Television, vice president of the Planning Institute Xie Jinhui said. It is understood that , The operating companies have invested as much as several billion.
At the same time, SARFT have begun the formation of local companies, said Xie Jinhui "CMMB from the current test operation of the feedback of view, CMMB's a very good market prospects, many investors are willing to investors."
SARFT has been completed before the Olympics in 37 cities and provincial capitals of the network fabric, and in the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in a preliminary test carried out operations in accordance with aspects of the deployment of Radio, Film and Television, after the Olympics, CMMB will be covering the whole 360-level Cities, mainly on the surface of the U-band network coverage pattern.
"U-band network coverage of the population will be 450,000,000." Xie Jinhui said, "will be used the next S-band satellite network, rural, road, rail, sea, such as network coverage area."
At the same time, said Xie Jinhui, CMMB has become China's broadcasting industry by leaps and bounds the third opportunity, invested heavily in addition to the SARFT network, the parties will jointly improve the industrial chain of CMMB, it was revealed that he currently has 145 terminals business CMMB joined the Union.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Will China’s DTV standard eclipse its mobile TV spec?
PARIS — If you think you’ve got China’s mobile TV market covered with your CMMB (China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting) chips, you’re misinformed. Legend Silicon, (Fremont, Calif.), a fabless chip company, is rolling out three new digital TV chips based on China’s terrestrial digital television broadcast standard called GB20600-2006.
All three chips, essentially terrestrial digital TV demodulation ICs integrated with memory and A-to-D converters, are designed for use in everything from fixed TV, set-tops to portable devices -- to be viewed on a train or a bus -- and mobile phones, according to Ben Runyan, vice president of marketing at Legend Silicon.
Unlike U.S. digital TV standard ATSC, originally designed only for viewing on a fixed TV at home in mind, China is touting that its GB20600-2006 standard is a terrestrial digital TV standard developed for both fixed TV and handheld devices.
The GB20600-2006 standard was formerly known as DMB-T/H (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting Terrestrial/Handheld).
Some observers call China’s GB20600 standard "an ultimate compromise" of two competing standards -- one developed by Tsinghua University in Beijing and another by Jiaotong University in Shanghai. The new spec is viewed as the co-existence of two separate standards, rather than a single standard integrating both approaches.
Tsinghua’s system TDS-OFDM (Time Domain Synchronous OFDM) uses multicarriers just like DVB-T and Japan’s ISDB-T. Meanwhile, Jiatong’s ADTB-T (Advanced Digital Television Broadcast Terrestrial) is a single carrier vestigial sideband system based on the US 8-VSB standard.
Legend Silicon, with strong ties to Tsinghua University, provided the brains behind TDS-OFDM development.
Legend Silicon noted that the new chips are the company’s 8th generation DTV demodulator compliant to China’s terrestrial DTV standard.
Competitors coming?
China, however, has yet to see very many competitors jumping into its market. This is partly explained by the fact that China’s analog TV broadcast cut-off date won’t arrive until 2015.
Further, Legend Silicon does have a leg up on its competitors because it was the key backer of Tsinghua’s system.
The only other serious competitor on the GB20600-2006 compliant digital TV chip market thus far, according to Legend Silicon, is HDIC, a subsidiary of Jiaotong University, which developed the competing ADTB-T system.
Micronas (Freiburg, Germany), however, announced just two months ago a family of digital terrestrial demodulators based on GB20600-2006.
Runyan said, "I think competitors are coming. The standard justifies the project and if you are not in it, you won’t be able to learn the market." Legend Silicon’s plan is, however, "to keep the bar forward so that it’s harder for others to catch up," he added.
Alon Ironi, CEO of Siano Mobile Silicon, which makes multi-standards mobile TV chips including one based on the CMMB standard, acknowledged that his company is following GB20600. "It’s on the roadmap," said Ironi, but declined to disclose a timetable.
Ironi, however, also indicated that any digital TV chip companies, including Legend Silicon, looking at the Chinese market may feel compelled to jump into the CMMB fray, "because the CMMB market’s uptake is very fast."
But when asked if the mobile TV market may be sewn up by CMMB chips before the GB20600-2006 standard catches fire, Legend Silicon’s Runyan said he isn’t worried.
Runyan stressed, "Mobile TV is a market driven by business models. In contrast, terrestrial digital TV is driven by the government’s mandate."
In the long run, Legend Silicon is confident that the GB20600-2006 spec will become a ubiquitous standard for devices of any screen size in China. "CMMB will help educate consumers on mobile TV," he said. "But China is a huge market. There will be a lot of room for a lot of players."
Legend Silicon’s three new chips
The three chips Legend Silicon has launched include LGS-8G75, LGS-8G77 and LGS-8G78.
According to the company, the LGS-8G75 and LGS-8G77 are the first two members of the LGS-8G70 family, which "support single- and multi-carrier broadcasts, integrate A-to-D converters and time de-interleaver memory, and provide correction for silicon tuner IQ imbalance."
Meanwhile, the company claims that the LGS-8G78 is "the world’s first GB20600-2006 standard demodulator with diversity functionality."
When two antennas and two tuners are added to a portable device, Legend Silicon’s diversity chips used in a pair can pick up even signals that are 37 percent weaker than normal (in 16-QAM mode). Further, in a poor carrier-to-noise-ratio environment, "With diversity, we can handle more than twice the noise -- 3dB -- when operating in 16-QAM mode," said Runyan.
16-QAM is one of the most common modes deployed in China and is defined in the GB20600-2006 standard, according to Legend Silicon.
Both LGS-8G77 and LGS-8G78 are integrated with a USB and secure digital input/output (SDIO) interfaces.
The power consumption of Legend Silicon’s new demodulation chips is "sub 400 milliwatts," according to Runyan. "When used in a smart phone running on 1,000 milli-amp battery, it enables a couple of hours of viewing time," he said.
All the chips are fabricated at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) using a 90nm CMOS process.
The LGS-8G78 with diversity feature is $15 in 10,000 units. The two other demodulation chips -- LGS-8G75 and 8G77 -- are priced at the "mid to low teens," Runyan said.
LGS-8G75 is shipping today, while LGS-8G77 and 8G78 are sampling, with a plan for volume production in November this year. These chips will be available for digital TV designs in, in time for China’s next February, according to Runyan.
All three chips, essentially terrestrial digital TV demodulation ICs integrated with memory and A-to-D converters, are designed for use in everything from fixed TV, set-tops to portable devices -- to be viewed on a train or a bus -- and mobile phones, according to Ben Runyan, vice president of marketing at Legend Silicon.
Unlike U.S. digital TV standard ATSC, originally designed only for viewing on a fixed TV at home in mind, China is touting that its GB20600-2006 standard is a terrestrial digital TV standard developed for both fixed TV and handheld devices.
The GB20600-2006 standard was formerly known as DMB-T/H (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting Terrestrial/Handheld).
Some observers call China’s GB20600 standard "an ultimate compromise" of two competing standards -- one developed by Tsinghua University in Beijing and another by Jiaotong University in Shanghai. The new spec is viewed as the co-existence of two separate standards, rather than a single standard integrating both approaches.
Tsinghua’s system TDS-OFDM (Time Domain Synchronous OFDM) uses multicarriers just like DVB-T and Japan’s ISDB-T. Meanwhile, Jiatong’s ADTB-T (Advanced Digital Television Broadcast Terrestrial) is a single carrier vestigial sideband system based on the US 8-VSB standard.
Legend Silicon, with strong ties to Tsinghua University, provided the brains behind TDS-OFDM development.
Legend Silicon noted that the new chips are the company’s 8th generation DTV demodulator compliant to China’s terrestrial DTV standard.
Competitors coming?
China, however, has yet to see very many competitors jumping into its market. This is partly explained by the fact that China’s analog TV broadcast cut-off date won’t arrive until 2015.
Further, Legend Silicon does have a leg up on its competitors because it was the key backer of Tsinghua’s system.
The only other serious competitor on the GB20600-2006 compliant digital TV chip market thus far, according to Legend Silicon, is HDIC, a subsidiary of Jiaotong University, which developed the competing ADTB-T system.
Micronas (Freiburg, Germany), however, announced just two months ago a family of digital terrestrial demodulators based on GB20600-2006.
Runyan said, "I think competitors are coming. The standard justifies the project and if you are not in it, you won’t be able to learn the market." Legend Silicon’s plan is, however, "to keep the bar forward so that it’s harder for others to catch up," he added.
Alon Ironi, CEO of Siano Mobile Silicon, which makes multi-standards mobile TV chips including one based on the CMMB standard, acknowledged that his company is following GB20600. "It’s on the roadmap," said Ironi, but declined to disclose a timetable.
Ironi, however, also indicated that any digital TV chip companies, including Legend Silicon, looking at the Chinese market may feel compelled to jump into the CMMB fray, "because the CMMB market’s uptake is very fast."
But when asked if the mobile TV market may be sewn up by CMMB chips before the GB20600-2006 standard catches fire, Legend Silicon’s Runyan said he isn’t worried.
Runyan stressed, "Mobile TV is a market driven by business models. In contrast, terrestrial digital TV is driven by the government’s mandate."
In the long run, Legend Silicon is confident that the GB20600-2006 spec will become a ubiquitous standard for devices of any screen size in China. "CMMB will help educate consumers on mobile TV," he said. "But China is a huge market. There will be a lot of room for a lot of players."
Legend Silicon’s three new chips
The three chips Legend Silicon has launched include LGS-8G75, LGS-8G77 and LGS-8G78.
According to the company, the LGS-8G75 and LGS-8G77 are the first two members of the LGS-8G70 family, which "support single- and multi-carrier broadcasts, integrate A-to-D converters and time de-interleaver memory, and provide correction for silicon tuner IQ imbalance."
Meanwhile, the company claims that the LGS-8G78 is "the world’s first GB20600-2006 standard demodulator with diversity functionality."
When two antennas and two tuners are added to a portable device, Legend Silicon’s diversity chips used in a pair can pick up even signals that are 37 percent weaker than normal (in 16-QAM mode). Further, in a poor carrier-to-noise-ratio environment, "With diversity, we can handle more than twice the noise -- 3dB -- when operating in 16-QAM mode," said Runyan.
16-QAM is one of the most common modes deployed in China and is defined in the GB20600-2006 standard, according to Legend Silicon.
Both LGS-8G77 and LGS-8G78 are integrated with a USB and secure digital input/output (SDIO) interfaces.
The power consumption of Legend Silicon’s new demodulation chips is "sub 400 milliwatts," according to Runyan. "When used in a smart phone running on 1,000 milli-amp battery, it enables a couple of hours of viewing time," he said.
All the chips are fabricated at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) using a 90nm CMOS process.
The LGS-8G78 with diversity feature is $15 in 10,000 units. The two other demodulation chips -- LGS-8G75 and 8G77 -- are priced at the "mid to low teens," Runyan said.
LGS-8G75 is shipping today, while LGS-8G77 and 8G78 are sampling, with a plan for volume production in November this year. These chips will be available for digital TV designs in, in time for China’s next February, according to Runyan.
Monday, September 1, 2008
SARFT to Establish CMMB Corporation
A spokesperson for consumer electronics manufacturer the Shinco Group, has stated that the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) is considering establishing a CMMB operating company to help commercialize the CMMB mobile phone TV market. Although specific plans were not made clear, it was said that the new company would consider charging a monthly fee of RMB 5-10 for access to mobile phone television.
SARFT has begun broadcasting CMMB signals in 37 cities nationwide, with reception currently free of charge.
source:marbridge consulting
SARFT has begun broadcasting CMMB signals in 37 cities nationwide, with reception currently free of charge.
source:marbridge consulting
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Six CMMB Terminals Gain Certificates From SARFT
The State Administration of Radio Film and Television of China has released the second round certification results of China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting terminals and CMMB terminals produced by six companies finally gained their certificates.
The six newly authorized companies include Qway Multimedia Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.; Shinco Electronic Group Co., Ltd.; Guangdong Gaoke Electronics Co., Ltd.; Beijing Tianyu Communication Equipment Co., Ltd.; Shenzhen Xing Hua Bao Electronic and Technology Co., Ltd.; and Shenzhen Vita Electronics Co., Ltd. Previously, three CMMB terminals produced by Lenovo, ZTE and Tianyu gained certificates in the first round quality judgement of SARFT.
Staring from July 22, 2008, the quality judgment of CMMB terminals was implemented by the Academy of Broadcasting Planning under the direct leadership of SARFT. At present, over 20 companies have handed in quality judgment applications to the academy.
According to the Academy of Broadcasting Planning, the network tests for CMMB terminals, which are divided into performance test, test points test and software test, are very strict. To accelerate the quality tests of CMMB terminals, the academy set up a special group to ensure the efficiency and high-quality of the quality tests. At the same time, its testing center also helps these manufactures to optimize the functions of their products, so as to meet the standards of SARFT.
Source: Chinatechnews
The six newly authorized companies include Qway Multimedia Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.; Shinco Electronic Group Co., Ltd.; Guangdong Gaoke Electronics Co., Ltd.; Beijing Tianyu Communication Equipment Co., Ltd.; Shenzhen Xing Hua Bao Electronic and Technology Co., Ltd.; and Shenzhen Vita Electronics Co., Ltd. Previously, three CMMB terminals produced by Lenovo, ZTE and Tianyu gained certificates in the first round quality judgement of SARFT.
Staring from July 22, 2008, the quality judgment of CMMB terminals was implemented by the Academy of Broadcasting Planning under the direct leadership of SARFT. At present, over 20 companies have handed in quality judgment applications to the academy.
According to the Academy of Broadcasting Planning, the network tests for CMMB terminals, which are divided into performance test, test points test and software test, are very strict. To accelerate the quality tests of CMMB terminals, the academy set up a special group to ensure the efficiency and high-quality of the quality tests. At the same time, its testing center also helps these manufactures to optimize the functions of their products, so as to meet the standards of SARFT.
Source: Chinatechnews
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