NVIDIA Powers the First DVB-H Mobile TV Phones

NVIDIA announced that its NVIDIA GoForce handheld graphics processing units (GPUs) are powering some of the world's first mobile TV phones.

DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting for handheld devices) delivers digital broadcast quality TV to mobile phones. NVIDIA GoForce handheld GPUs provide hardware acceleration for Mobile TV, delivering higher quality visuals than devices using only software, and with less drain on the battery thanks to innovative power saving technologies employed by the GPU.

The first of these devices to launch were the Samsung P900 and P920 in Italy, and soon to be available in the US is the Forseer device, designed and manufactured by HTC. Launched first in Italy, shortly before the commencement of the 2006 World Cup, the Samsung P910 and Samsung P920 incorporate the NVIDIA GoForce 5500 handheld GPU, having clamshell designs, with screens that can be rotated 90 degrees to allow for a more natural angle for television viewing.

"The successful roll out of DVB-H in Italy illustrated a strong demand for mobile TV and video services, and these early indicators suggest that these high levels of adoption and usage will be reflected in many other markets around the world," said Michael Rayfield, general manager of the handheld business unit at NVIDIA. "Many of our customers are seeing the significant benefits of using a hardware accelerated solution to drive DVB-H content on devices, and our successful deployment of GoForce technology into these roll-outs is testament to that."