A group of Japanese companies have created a pyramid shaped device that enables users to record TV broadcasts in the 3GPP format on Secure Digital or miniSD cards that can be viewed on select cellular phones. An article in Russell Beattie's Weblog pointed me to a story in dottocomu about product, that was developed by Solid Alliance, Mitsubishi Plastics, Media Ring and Connect Technologies.
The device is connected to a television set and two hours of video can be stored on a 128MB card. Programs can be played on NTT DoCoMo's new third generation FOMA phones as well as on a couple of Vodafone handsets, dottocomu says. The product will be available in June and sell for about 20,000 yen ($184).
Dottocomu assumes the programs could be played on non Japanese phones that are compatible with 3GPP. However, "you apparently have to specify which phone you're recording for...so there are obviously some quirks in the spec depending on the phone maker."
Why view TV on a tiny screen?
Russell Beattie, the proud new owner of a Tivo, suggests that the Tivo could be easily modified with appropriate software to accept a USB card reader that could record TV programs on SD cards (or other cards, of course).
Why would want to view TV on a cellular phone? Russell explains, "Much of the extra functionality that modern mobile phones currently have is for entertainment purposes. Something to keep you busy while you have some down time.
"Whether it's SMS messages, J2ME games or WAP browsing, it's usually done when you're hanging around: On a bus, in an airport, riding in a car, in a dentist office, in the bathroom, where ever."
Compelling app
Russell notes that TV is already a compelling application, and the screens on cellular phones are getting better and larger. "Believe me, watching video playback on a Series 60 device right now is very good," he writes.
Russell points out that you don't have to watch TV on a cellular. You could use an inexpensive portable video player or a PDA. "The point is that you have lots of options for mobile video, once it becomes more common."
I agree. When you're bored, TV on a cellular phone will be useful and fun. And, with broadcasts on an SD card, you don't have to worry about the time required or the cost to download video via a wireless network.
Evolution
Cellular phones are becoming multifunctional devices for entertainment and business applications. This is great news for many companies serving the wireless industry, such as the chipset vendors who rub their hands in glee at the thought of providing increasingly powerful -- and more expensive -- chips for multimedia applications on cellular phones.
Russell says he can't wait until the video recording capabilities are available in the United States. I don't blame him.
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