India DVB-T2 Soon, Watch TV on Phone Sans Internet
| Type | DVB-T / T2 H.265 | DVB-T / T2 H.264 | DVB-T | ISDB-T |
| 4 Tuner 4 Antenna | DVB-T26540 | DVB-T240 | / | ISDB-T7800 |
| 2 Tuner 2 Antenna | DVB-T265 | DVB-T221 | DVB-T7200 | ISDB-T9820 |
| 1 Tuner 1 Antenna | / | DVB-T2K | DVB-T7000 | ISDB-T63 |
India DVB-T2 BENGALURU: You can now watch TV channels and listen to your favorite radio channels on your mobile phone without paying any money. For this, you will not need an Internet connection or even a SIM card but just a dongle (receiver).
The Prasar Bharati has started trial transmission of television and radio channels that can be accessed on smart mobile phones with the help of a dongle from January this year. The ‘Digital Video Broadcasting – Second Generation Terrestrial (DVB-T2)’ services will allow TV and radio channels to be enabled on smartphones (which are OTG- feature enabled) by interfacing with a dongle for receipt of signals from a terrestrial transmitter. This new technological innovation is being replicated in 19 cities of the country while Bengaluru has already successfully started the test transmission. Trials in different areas of the city have revealed clear audio-video digital pictures and sound.
A Prasar Bharati official says, “We are concentrating on how best we can use technology to give information and entertainment when people are on the move, especially when they are arriving at airports, railway stations, bus stands or moving in the city. Shortly, mobile phones are expected to come out with inbuilt chip-sets and so the external receivers (dongles) may not be necessary.” N Thiyagarajan, Additional Director General (Engineering), South Zone, Prasar Bharati told Express, “Since a sizeable population in the country is on the move, glued to their mobiles or tablets, if we can use this technology that has no data charges, it will revolutionize broadcasting services in a big way. We can also increase the number of channels through local insertions once the service starts. Further, with tablets nowadays coming with inbuilt tuners, anybody can access this service. The cost for a receiver is not prohibitive.” Telecom Industry Says The telecom industry is showing enthusiasm about the advent of this technology in India. Vivek Kimbahune, Director (Sales), Saankya Labs, an industry leader in designing chipsets, says, “We have been waiting for DVB-T2 transmission to start as India is a country with 900 million mobile users. However, it will take time for manufacturers to integrate this facility so presently only Metros are on the cards for the services to begin.” Kimbahune adds, “As the coverage of the broadcast spreads, the digital terrestrial transmission coverage too will proliferate at a pan-India level. Mobile handheld device manufacturers will be motivated to launch products with integrated ‘free to air TV reception capabilities inside the devices. However, the content will be a big factor in the success of this technology and play a critical role as youngsters look for quality programming.” He says whether private content will be allowed on the DVB-T2 platform is another aspect to be considered. “Given the critical reach of the mobile handsets, this will be the biggest technology offering from the government,” he says. Services Five Doordarshan (DD) channels (DD National, DD News, DD Sports, DD Bharati, DD Chandana, and three AIR channels) People can watch images and hear sound while moving in a vehicle within Bengaluru city limits. The range of accessibility is 70 km which is almost to Tumakuru. Presently, Japan and Korea have been using mobile TV-enabled handsets for more than a decade as digital terrestrial transmission has been put to effective use unlike in India. Even countries like the UK, the USA, and European countries like France, and Germany have been using terrestrial transmission to enhance television and radio communication. How to Use it The receivers or dongles (India DVB-T2) are available on e-portals for `3,000-4,000 and can be attached to one’s smartphone or a tablet to listen to the radio or watch TV programs on the smaller screen while on the move. India DVB-T2 sources from http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/Soon-Watch-TV-on-Phone-Sans-Internet/2016/01/26/article3245631.ece More India DVB-T2 products from www.iVcan.com