Mobile TV. “Right” started from the broadcasting side. Hamilton Cheng, Ph.D.
Acting Director, Strategy R&D Dept., PTS Taiwan. Keynote Address 2, Asia ...
Mobile TV “Right” started from the broadcasting side Hamilton Cheng, Ph.D. Acting Director, Strategy R&D Dept., PTS Taiwan Keynote Address 2, Asia Television Forum
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore 29 Nov.-1 Dec. 2006
Outline • Introduction: Mobile Television • Comprehensive Scenario • Accessible Approach • The Making of It • A Short History of How “Mobiles” Talks • What We Learnt from It—error to getting started • The Taiwan Lesson could be Share in Common (2004-2005) • Forecast and Assessment: Once the Infrastructure is in place • Introducing Our Local Trial (2006) • Conclusion: Affordable take off
Mobile TV: A comprehensive scenario • • • • •
3G mobile phone (CDMA) 3G (UMTS), or GPRS network DVB-H, MediaFLO, DMB-T/DAB, ISDB-T DMB-Satellite Wi-Fi, WiMax (WLAN)
S-DMB Mobile Device
GPRS 3G
UMTS
MediaFLO DVB-H T-DMB ISDB-T
Content Provider WiFi WiMax
Mobile TV: Scenario in an accessible approach • Television Broadcasting to Mobiles – TV Broadcasting through UHF channel – More channels, tailor made for mobile device (less consuming solution) – Watching the content by live-broadcast (not streaming or downloading) – Sound, picture and data transmitting by Internet Protocol (IP) Datacasting – Common platform provides free access and public service to attract larger scale of adoption
Audio IPDC
Video Data Encoder
Common Platform
Mobile Device
Return Path
The Making of Mobile TV • • • • • • •
Content Provider Content Aggregator (Portal Service Provider) IP Datacast (Service Provider, ESG) Broadcasting Network Operator End Device (mobile phone, PDA, Laptop) Mobile Network Operator (3G, UMTS) End user: anytime (Daytime), anywhere
How the encountering started • Digital Terrestrial Television met with Universal Mobile Telecommunications System • A forward looking based on DTT on the move (vehicle and bus, ferry etc) • 3G mobile phone continually delayed service rolling out • The subscribers of mobile service is in saturation (voice, data needed plus audiovisual)
Dream, long time before: Mobile and fully interactive - the vision DTT transmission Zmobil Z Zinfokanal Zdokukanal Zdigitext
Cellular phone networks GSM, GPRS, UMTS
Source: Wagner, 2002, Multimedia to Mobiles
DTT Mobile Reception Trial in Taiwan (2004-2005)
Learning from the beginning error (2004-2005) • Mobile Television is positioning as a commercial task • Public Service Broadcaster should be ruled out as a candidate for trial license (state aid created manipulation or distortion) • Government and Commercial TV opposed any proposal initiated by Taiwan PTS • One Leader of mobile TV civilian project questioned USD 31 thousands (FY 2005) given to PTS should be in vain or at best, a paper work
An Over Optimistic Forecast in 2005 • A counterpart fund was delivered to one commercial TV to plan the trial of mobile TV • One Commercial TV positioned itself as nationalized project? • It was forecasted that total investment and profits of mobile TV service will be accumulated USD three billions in Taiwan?! • A single vertical bundling operator of commercial TV is kept install by this project • Therefore, a funny trial was launched on 11. November in Taipei Television and Film Festival exclusively was represented the nation as a whole? • No progress after 2005! Not ready for commercial operation (it said the commercial launch should be started at Q2 2006!)
All mobile TV signal in festival hall was exclusively beaming from only one Commercial TV? Q: If a device only can receive one sort of bundling service Then nobody will be going to Purchase it Q: If the total mobile TV service Only provided by one source of commercial actor, then there is pretty dark about future, because lacking of new comers
What about ours? Didn’t we look attractive? Mobile is fine, Model is poor.
How about this one?
Aims Set by Us (2005-2006 Q1) • A common platform was defined as the technical parameter (excluding proprietary) • Recruited two mobile operators and two handset manufacturers at least into the trial • Spinning out a broadcast network operator meanwhile, following paved the mobile broadcasting footprint (realized the neutral platform: open standard and interoperability) • Setting the benchmark of live-broadcast content genre (ex. sporting event)
Technology Deployment • Switched one transmitter for mobile in Taipei (a resiliency powered by an independent multiplex block operator) – A mobile TV coexisted with stationary television in the same multiplex
• Set-up the non-proprietary head station in multiplex centre • Accessible document and open specification catered for the value-chain stakeholders • Demonstrated mobile device in the lab and training seminar, or exhibition to the public
The Participants within the Technical Trial – Reception: 9 ASUS Motorola
,QUANTA
, Hitop
,ETEN
,
– Middleware: 9 Cyberlink
, Intervideo
– Chip-makers: 9 Philips
, Siano
– Teleco: 9 Chunghwa Telecom Far EasTone
,
Taiwan Mobile
– Research: 9 ITRI , III , National Taiwan University of Technology and Science
,
Digital SD card inserted PDA in Lab
Mobile TV trial demonstrated by PTS (Electronics Exhibition Q1 2006)
Why no others? (IDATE, 2004) • Teleco. with deep pocket (Answer: Negative) – High-risk taking is not their approaches – Point-to-multipoint is not an attractive appeal – Too sensitive to end demand and counter commercial performance (R&D) during stock exchange – Little room of maneuvering limited by its size of investment and financial burden for acquiring license and deploying network – Interest conflict in promoting video service against voice, data market shares
Why bother to have the common broadcasting solution first? • Learning from the success of internet (Bitnet, Unix) not wall-garden portal (AOL, CompuServe) • Creating a critical mass for new service through free access option – Content (general public demand) – Technology (standardization and retail market) – It looked by paying access charge only for value-creating content
• Keeping public interest and service within new media adoption (emergency connection) • Based on large audience enhancing market values of mobile TV industry regarding M-commerce in the future
Strategic steps during the Take-off • Free selection not via Portal (which running by mobile operator or content aggregator in the future) • Branding its own portal needs to negotiate exclusive agreement with content providers • Spending on killer content (exclusive right) is not directly attracted people purchase phone (but for connecting data, voice mainly) • Without deep pockets, service provider is not sustainable (ex. ITV Digital); low subscription rate, huge sunk capital, too much on ARPU • Freeview (British DTT service provider), gaining large viewership, creating synergy with other pay-TV and commerce options, by affordable content and device
If the Infrastructure is in place…. • What works and what does not in terms of consumer usage? • What are the possible revenue models? • Who are the people who are buying content in Asia? • What about rights management?
Work and do not Work • Work – Over air broadcast (easily connected, 4 seconds) – Audiovisual material demand of the public – SMS message for authorizing access to paid content (not embedded decryption)
• Do not work – On demand for personal choice over the air (only near video on demand, otherwise not economical) – Downloading from 3G phone for movie or live event broadcast (charge of transfer plus content right, expensive!)
Possible revenue model • Broadcast channel with advertisement (flat and regression revenue) • Triggering the return path traffics (access billing) • Interactive demands for voice, data, and content tailor made for mobiles • Interactive advertisement aiming to individual need • Exclusively owned content for paying anytime
Who are the buyers • Branding Channel Already in the Market • Aggregator (contributing to a Portal) • IPDatacast Service Provider (if they obtain the several multiplex blocks) • Mobile Phone Operator (customized version) • Outsourcing content house
Rights Management Issue (IDATE, 2004)
• Forward lock: only play once for the first recipient • Combined delivery: defined numbers of time one can use • Separated Delivery: transfer content separated from the authorization to create more usage • Super distribution: allow user to transfer content to any recipient device then purchasing the right along the path
Rights Management Issue • Forward lock: only play once for the first recipient • Combined delivery: defined numbers of time one can use • Separated Delivery: transfer content separated from the authorization to create more usage • Super distribution: allow user to transfer content to any recipient device then purchasing the right along the path
Rights Management Issue • Forward lock: only play once for the first recipient • Combined delivery: defined numbers of time one can use • Separated Delivery: transfer content separated from the authorization to create more usage • Super distribution: allow user to transfer content to any recipient device then purchasing the right along the path
Rights Management Issue • Forward lock: only play once for the first recipient • Combined delivery: defined numbers of time one can use • Separated Delivery: transfer content separated from the authorization to create more usage • Super distribution: allow user to transfer content to any recipient device then purchasing the right along the path
The Local Scenario (from 2006 Q4--) Regulatory Issues • Beauty contest scheme of trial application – Second to the Kaohsiung City Mobile TV project
• Trial licenses were authorized by National Communications Commission • A state-of-art process of evaluation and assessment on mobile television • Mostly leading by “Broadcasters” in a Jointventure planning (ex. Ours: PTS, CHT, TWM, FET, Cyberlink, Motorola, BENQ)
Goals & Tasks of PTS Mobile TV Project •
•
Goals: – Technology development – Content & service – Business model Tasks: – Test of DVB-H head-end system, terminal receivers and the air interface in accordance with the international open standard – Planning of DVB-H trial network and field testing repeaters’ signal – Evaluation of the performance and user interface of DVB-H receivers – Implementation of ESG and evaluation of its service model – Development of diverse mobile contents and interactive services, and testing in collaboration with mobile operators – Market research of trial users – Evaluation of future business model
Trial Broadcast Region • • • •
Trial Frequency: CH 36 (602-608MHz) Trial Region: Northwestern region of Taiwan Major Trial Region: the Metropolitan Taipei area Transmission power – 1x 3.4KW DVB-T/H Transmitter: located at Wan-li, Taipei – 1~4 x 100W DVB-T/H On-channel Repeater: Southern region of Taipei, Pan-chao, Chung-he, Hsin-chuang
• Headend equipments: Located at PTS Headquarter, Nei-hu District, Northeastern Region of Taipei
Coverage Analysis Result of PTS Wan-li Transmitter
Contents & Services • Contents – Video channels： • 6~12 video channels, including PTS main channel, and news, sports, music, cartoon, travel, life channels, etc.
– Short program and data channels: 5~10 tailor-made mobile content channels: carousel broadcast short programs and data channels • Eg. Animation, mini drama, office gym, quiz show, infotainment, MV, etc.
– Selected pieces of video contents from Digital Content Institute, subsidized by Ministry of Economic Affairs
Contents & Services • Services – Development of ESG service – Interactive Services • Public information: eg. weather, traffic, etc. • Information associated with video contents: eg. Game records, player records, music billboard, etc. • Synchronized services or data: eg. Tele-voting, MP3 or ringtone download, concert ticketing, etc. The related authentication, authorization, accounting, and charging are completed thru mobile network. • File downloads: eg. Game, animation, software download, etc. The related authentication, authorization, accounting, and charging are completed thru mobile network.
Mobile TV Network Structure: Thomson Solution
Conclusion: The Affordable take off • To facilitate Asian territories adopting TV Broadcasting to Mobiles – Release parts of the national network and military one for trial – Establishing an independent broadcast network operating unit – Implementing the common platform solution – Combining popular channels with free-trial – Finding the suitable policy between statism of South Korea (S-DMB or T-DMB) and anarchism of Italy (H3G)
Thanks for Your
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