Microtune challenges mobile TV market

The problem of compatibility between different video standards is a very important one, and Microtune Inc. rises to the challenge.

The company from Plano, Texas, expressed once again its support for the Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H) standard, by launching a single chip TV tuner, which will be compatible with both the European UHF DVB-H and the American L-Band DVB-H frequency ranges.

DVB-H, built on the European DVB-T standard, is the direct competitor on the mobile television market of the proprietary Qualcomm standard, already being launched. According to Albert Taddiken, Microtune’s COO, the main advantage of DVB-H is exactly its compatibility with the European system, because the two can co-exist, and the DVB-T antennas can be used for supporting the DVB-H system, with minimum expenses.

"Much like GSM became almost a worldwide standard, DVB-T is almost the same and DVB-H could do the same," added Taddiken.

The tuner operates in the 1670-1675MHz band, a spectrum of frequencies which will be used for a nationwide mobile television network in the United States, but also in the 470-890MHz band, in order to support the European UHF range of frequencies, presumably to be used for the transmission of television programs towards mobile terminals in Europe.

Code-named MT2260, the chip is working with a de 2.7 V power source, and has a consumption rate of just 20 milliWatts in viewing mode, which allows the DVB-H manufacturers to obtain up to 10 hours of functioning time for the 800 or 1300 mAh power cells, using 2 or 4 inch screens.