Due on the street in Japan this June, we think this could turn out to be a very disruptive technology for digital broadcasters. Japanese firm Solid Alliance, in partnership with Mitsubishi Plastics, Media Ring, and Connect Technologies, has come up with a little pyramidal device [.jpg image] that hooks up to your TV and records video in 3GPP format onto an SD or miniSD card for playback on a cellphone. Two hours’ worth of programming will fit on a 128-megabyte card, and can be played back on any of DoCoMo’s recent FOMA phones or most of the newer Vodafone handsets.

The unit measures approx. 115 x 115 x 73 mm and weighs in at 200g. The suggested launch price is Y20,000 (under US$200) and it also features a pre-program timer function — so you can record the ballgame — with two picture-quality settings. The current handset models capable of playing back 3GPP-formatted movie files are DoCoMo’s N900i, F900i, SH900i, P900i, P2102V, F2102V, N505iS, and F505i, and Vodafone’s J-SH53 and V601SH.

Related posts:

1. New Nokia 3G Mobile Phone for Japan
2. 3G Mobile Solar Power Solution
3. 3G FOMA 901i Launch
4. KDDI Joins FeliCa Bandwagon
5. DoCoMo Announces Five New 3G Wallet Phones

Some sage advise when entering new turf; Stop, Look and Listen.. it’s also good to secure a local guide. Japan is the cradle of mobile civilization – we have been dedicated to this space since 2001 – trust our archives here offer some useful material.

Domestic activities continue to set the pace, and sharp players are looking at global markets. We have hard-earned industry expertise and trusted network of contacts with access to advanced intell. and potential deal flow. Need a lift.. Ok, buckle-up!