SCM Microsystems Introduces World’s First Mobile Terrestrial Broadcast Digital TV
(Mobile Mag) SCM Microsystems, Inc. today introduced the world’s first receiver for mobile terrestrial Digital TV in the PC-Card form factor (PCMCIA). Presented publicly for the first time at the international broadcasting show IFA in Berlin, the Mobile Terrestrial Receiver enables consumers to receive digital terrestrial broadcast TV (DVB-T) programs and use wireless data services including Internet access on their Laptop PCs, tablet PCs or PDAs with a PCMCIA interface. The receiver is very small, lightweight and needs no power supply. Volume deliveries of the receiver will start in the first quarter of 2004.
The Mobile Terrestrial Receiver positions SCM Microsystems to capitalize on the worldwide trend toward DVB-T. While the first model targets the German market, the Mobile Terrestrial Receiver can be readily adapted for use in any country with DVB-T broadcasting, including Asia and the United States. Today DVB-T is available in some Scandinavian countries, in the UK and in Germany in and around the Berlin area, and the service will be available very soon in other larger German cities. By the end of 2006, terrestrial digital services will be available all over Germany. Using SCM’s receiver, end-users will be in a position to watch Digital Free-to-Air television on their notebooks and other portable devices, as well as using other digital services, like travel information, local news or streamed video enabled by third-party service providers anywhere at any time.
SCM Microsystems is presenting the Mobile Terrestrial Receiver at IFA along with development partners T-Systems and the German public TV broadcaster ZDF. The new product is part of the Mobile Media Distribution (MMD) project of T-Systems, an initiative to present information services that consumers can easily use and access in their day-to-day lives. Partners contributed their own expertise to the project:
— T-Systems used the existing DVB-T network to provide broadband broadcasting of multimedia content and TV programs; in addition, T-Systems coordinated the different components of all project partners to ensure compatibility
— ZDF provided its “ZDF infoaktiv” multimedia offering, which is tailor-made for mobile users SCM Microsystems develops and manufactures the receiver device including all necessary hardware and software. “Our deep know-how in the PCMCIA interface technology and our huge experience in receiver technologies positioned us to make a significant contribution to this strategic project,” said Robert Schneider, CEO of SCM Microsystems. “The Mobile Terrestrial Receiver is particularly exciting for consumers in areas with DVB-T broadcasting, because it offers new opportunities for information access and entertainment on portable PCs and other devices.”
SCM is demonstrating the Mobile Terrestrial Receiver at the ZDF booth number 201 in hall 6.2 at IFA in Berlin from August 29 to September 3, 2003. In addition, the device will be demonstrated at the “Technisch Wissenschaftlichen Forum” (TWF) booth number 0.3 in hall 5.3 and in the Deutsche Telekom booth in hall 6.2 in the T-Systems lounge.
