Completed Pilots
Germany
Location: Berlin, Germany
Time frame: August 2003 - September 2004
Type: Technical and consumer (July August 2004)
Number of participants: 20
Partners: Nokia, Philips, Universal Studios Networks Germany, and Vodafone Pilotentwicklung under the umbrella of joint project broadcast mobile convergence (bmco)
Channels: 4 TV programs, one interactive TV program, 1 interactive download program
Description: Berlin-based Broadcast mobile convergence (bmco) is a joint pilot project in Berlin between Nokia, Philips, Universal Studios Networks Germany, and Vodafone Pilotentwicklung. Launched in August 2003, it aims to understand the business potential offered by the convergence of digital terrestrial television (DVB-T/H) and mobile communications technologies.
A pilot convergent platform to support delivery of broadcast content to mobile devices combines mobile communications based on GPRS and digital terrestrial broadcast, both DVB-T and the emerging DVB-H standard.
Pilot results
The bmco project in Berlin on novel, interactive, and TV-like services for mobile and portable devices has been completed successfully after 14 months. The project has shown that the convergence of digital terrestrial television and mobile communications has promising potential to establish itself in the market. The project partners have gained valuable experience with respect to content and service offerings, promising business and market models, and user acceptance.
In Berlin, for the first time worldwide, video, audio, and data streams based on the new DVB-H standard have been transmitted alongside DVB-T services in a shared multiplex via a public digital terrestrial television network and were received by devices provided to participants in the bmco user trial. The devices were a mobile phone (for DVB-H services) and a portable digital TV of 6.4 screen size (for DVB-H plus existing free-to-air DVB-T services). Services included TV and radio broadcast as well as additional interactive service experience.
The market research conducted for the bmco project, which focused on the handheld mobile phone form-factor, indicated a high acceptance of mobile TV-like services. Favorite content included news, sports, and music, as well as other entertaining infotainment formats.
Market Research Findings
The pilot project confirmed the results of the market research regarding service acceptance on handheld devices. The trial participants have extensively used and enjoyed the services offering at home, on the road, and at work. The quality of the TV-like services and related interactivity using a cellular network, were largely deemed acceptable. The interactive possibilities, such as voting on music clips and cinema ticket order, were intensively used. End-user feedback on the portable TV version showed very positive appreciation for a mobile TV experience with good reception and video quality.
Next Steps
One basic requirement for market development is the availability of DVB-H broadcast capacity for mobile services. The bmco project has also helped to increase the attention of politicians and the regulatory authorities in charge of broadcast regulation activities in the individual federal states of Germany.
Main
Featured pilot: Berlin
Subscribe to have the latest information on from the Nokia Mobile TV delivered to your email inbox.
Syndicate this siteWhat is this?
