The Tide of Telegent
Stop Press!
Well, it's not that often we get exited about a press release, but this is rousing stuff. Drum roll and cue the clichés: Groundbreaking, revolutionary, milestone, game changing etc, etc. Seriously though, and I'm going to put my metaphorical head on the block here, in years to come this may well be marked as a seminal moment in the development of mobile TV.
Mobile phones are as much about fashion as they are function, and the news that Telegent has developed a chip that does away with the need to have an aerial to watch mobile TV cuts the string in hamstrung for designers, paving the way for all manner of innovative and aesthetically compelling designs.
That's just part of the story though, combine that with the fact that it's Free-To-Air (FTA) coupled with integrated entertainment and social networking, and you have an explosive mix that's simply dynamite.
Where do we see this going?
Digital, this chip is analog, but surely a sign of what's to come.
Despite all the justifiable fuss over digital TV, analog is still very much alive and kicking and is in fact, still the dominant global standard. So with analog not likely to disappear any time soon and digital progressing at pace, the utopia might well be a one size fits all chip.
Telegent already do hybrid analog and digital chipsets, so lets speculate. Imagine this chip designed to be global, a digital analog hybrid with all the interactive trimmings. Slick, streamlined mobiles with feature packed TV that works seamlessly across regions, formats and standards. That's got to be a dream come true for both manufacturers and users, but I wonder just how advantageous or feasible it actually is and if so how far away.
Or would that be stop gap convergence, are we looking at divergence heading towards a purely digital world, how would that go? it certainly gets you thinking.
Anyway, enough of my ramblings, Telegent has shipped over 100 million FTA chips, so they should know what they are talking about, lets hear what they have to say, but watch this space... more to follow.
Press Release
Sunnyvale, CA – June 9, 2011 – Telegent Systems, the company that makes television mobile, today introduced its fifth generation TLG12xx family of analog mobile TV receivers along with the industry’s first integrated internal antenna and entertainment services platform. These innovations redefine the mobile TV experience by enabling more attractive, easier to use handset designs and by delivering more entertainment options through the integration of broadcast TV with video streaming, mobile content, social networking and games in a common navigation framework. For manufacturers, Telegent’s mobile TV platform offers market differentiation in handset design and video quality while delivering the lowest power consumption, footprint and system cost in the market today.
"Telegent’s internal antenna solution can expand the market for mobile TV in the same way the headset antenna accelerated uptake of mobile FM,” said Ford Tamer, Telegent’s chief executive officer. “Telegent’s Entertainment Services Platform expands the entertainment options for the consumer and enables handset brands, operators, advertisers and mobile entertainment solution providers to engage in ongoing consumer interaction post-sale.”
Integrated internal antenna improves mobile TV handset design
Telegent’s internal antenna design offers a more aesthetically pleasing and reliable solution to handset brands and consumers and eliminates the risk of returns caused by antenna breakage, interference or user handling error. The solution delivers equivalent or better reception quality than a whip antenna in both UHF and VHF bands through integration with on-chip circuitry for automated sensitivity optimization. The reference design enables printed circuit board manufactures to support both internal and whip antenna options with a common board.
Entertainment services platform expands mobile TV footprint
Telegent’s entertainment services platform integrates live broadcast TV with data-delivered content and services in a familiar channel navigation experience that makes it easy for consumers to discover and consume other types of mobile entertainment. Because consumers access the TV application with high frequency and often directly from a TV button on the keypad, the entertainment services platform is a valuable mechanism for engaging consumers. The platform provides entertainment options in locations with poor television reception addressing manufacturer concerns about global variability in broadcast TV signal strength. Telegent has developed partnerships globally with local advertisers and entertainment partners to support the platform.
TLG12xx analog mobile TV receivers set new industry performance standard
The TLG12xx series sets a new industry standard for power consumption, footprint and system cost. The solution integrates DC-DC power management, lowering system power by more than 50% relative to competitor solutions. Its less than 1cm2 footprint is up to 60% smaller and its external bill of materials is more than 70% lower than competitor solutions. In addition, the TLG12xx incorporates new video algorithms that reduce streaking and trailing often associated with fast motion images such as sporting events. The system includes a bundled TV player that speeds manufacturer time to market and improves user experience with features such as automatic video standard detection, enabling 1-click broadcast channel scan. The solution supports both ITU601 and EMI interfaces.
“With the TLG12xx platform, Telegent is introducing powerful innovations that have the potential to transform the mobile TV landscape,” said Will Strauss of analyst firm Forward Concepts. “Capabilities such as internal antenna and integrated power management radically redefine what’s possible with mobile TV design and consumer user experience.”
Availability
The TLG12xx series is sampling and is available in a 5x5 mm package (TLG1210), 6x6 mm package (TLG1223) that is pin-to-pin compatible with previous and future TV receivers in Telegent’s product portfolio, and a 7x7 mm package (TLG1211). The 7x7 mm package is optimized for low-cost basebands without ITU601 support.
Telegent’s mobile TV receivers are embedded in handsets that are primarily sold to emerging market consumers in Latin America, Southeast Asia, Africa, Middle East and India, where analog TV continues to operate as the dominant TV broadcast standard. Telegent introduced the first analog mobile TV receiver in mid-2007 and shipped more than 100 million units by the end of 2010.
WOW!
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