Laptops will offer TV anywhere

WHILE THE mobile handset industry is distracted by arguments as to which technology will eventually win out in the mobile TV stakes, ATI's CEO Dave Orton has spotted another opportunity. Putting DVB-H into notebooks.

The company is in a good position to offer such a facility to notebook manufacturers since it launched a single chip, DVB-H compliant, mobile TV receiver back in February [2006]. Its WTV100-M chip integrates a dual-band RF tuner (UHF for Europe and L-Band for USA) with a DVB-T/DVB-H OFDM demodulator.

The company claims the chip interfaces directly with ATI's Imageon media processors - thereby providing the necessary audio and video decoders, for a complete DVB-H offering.

The target for the WTV100-M is obviously manufacturers of mobile phones and handhelds. That's because DVB-H is touted as the chief contender for mobile TV by the likes of Nokia.

But why not incorporate the facility into a notebook? Both DVB-T and DVB-H are broadcast technologies so you should be able to receive the signal almost anywhere.

And if you can't receive the signal? Well, you must be indoors. So plug your notebook into broadband Internet and you'll end up with a notebook that really does offer TV anywhere as Dave Orton claims.

In fact, with its mouse and large screen, a notebook makes for a much better means of watching the interactive TV programmes that DVB-H will offer. µ