US-based Telegent has introduced a series of chips aimed at the mobile television market, to take advantage of growing demand for free-to-air mobile television handsets in Africa.
However, the fourth-generation TV receiver is based on analogue technology at a time when the Southern African Development Community is moving to digital television based on the European DVB-T2 standard.
Analogue television is set to be turned off towards the end of 2013, about 18 months before the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) stops protecting analogue broadcast in the middle of 2015.
Telegent Systems' VP of corporate marketing and business development, Diana Jovin, says the company's mobile TV chip portfolio includes both analogue and hybrid analogue/digital mobile TV receivers.
Although many countries have started digital conversions, a number of nations in Africa, Latin America and South East Asia still live in regions served by analogue TV broadcast, and will not switch over to full digital broadcast for several years, says Jovin.
“For this reason, we have continued to drive innovation with respect to analogue TV receivers to serve this very large consumer base, in addition to delivering hybrid analogue/digital solutions.”
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 analogue TV continues to operate as the dominant TV broadcast standard.
The company introduced the first analogue mobile TV receiver in mid-2007 and had shipped more than 100 million units by the end of 2010.
Its two hybrid analogue/digital products cover analogue, as well as ISDB-T for the Latin American region and the Philippines, and analogue and DVB-T for Europe, Africa and South East Asia, notes Jovin.
Growing demand
Although Latin America and South East Asia are the largest markets for TV handsets, Telegent believes Africa represents 10% to 20% of total shipment volume, and demand will grow in this region over the next several years, says Jovin.
“TV phones and mobile applications have already captured the attention of African consumers and we expect demand to continue to grow for this feature.”
PC penetration is relatively low in the region, so the majority of consumers use mobile devices as a primary platform for communication, information, entertainment and payment, Jovin says. “In this environment, broadcast TV and interactive services play an important role with respect to consumer engagement.”
According to Telegent, its TLG12 series features the first internal antenna for analogue mobile TV, which negates the need for whip aerials. The company says this will lead to sleeker handset designs and reduced returns linked with aerial breakages.
“Telegent's internal antenna solution can expand the market for mobile TV in the same way the headset antenna accelerated uptake of mobile FM,” says CEO Ford Tamer.
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