New Digital TV Phone from KDDI
KDDI R&D Laboratories announced that they have developed Japan’s first digital TV cellphone. Developed in cooperation with NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories (NHK STRL), the new mobile phone is fully compatible with Broadcasting Mark-up Language (BML) to enable interactivity between mobile content and terrestrial digital TV services. Japan’s cellular terrestrial digital broadcasting service is set for launch in 2005.
The special features of this mobile terminal include the fact that it fully complies with broadcast makeup language (BML), a data broadcasting standard for mobile terminals in Japan, and that it enables the mutual linking of communications content and broadcasting content. It is also equipped with an extension function that shares information such as location data history between telephone handsets and servers, and it enables the provision of location data-linked content.
More specifically, a broadcasting reception function is automatically initiated from a communications center, and emergency warning broadcasts are displayed on the screens of cellular phones. It is also possible to obtain details of disaster information, as data broadcasting is linked to communications. Furthermore, through the linking of programs that announce information regarding events such as movies with communications and the use of GPS functions, the user can obtain information regarding the nearest theater that is screening the movie concerned.
The cellphone has NHK remotely boot up its built-in broadcasting tuner to display emergency warning messages on the screen, and allows users to access further information via a mobile communications network. It also supports GPS. NHK STRL will showcase the product at its upcoming open house (May 27-30). Via: JCN.