Mobile phones have nearly infiltrated every area of life, expanding the manner people socialize, conduct business, and entertain. The one area, however, that mobile phones have been lacking is television.
While smart phone holders can download apps housing libraries of past television and movies with the occasional ability to stream a sporting event or TV show, there has been a serious disconnect between the mobile world and seamlessly watching live television—until now.
Here are three ways phones could take the live television world mobile:
1. Qualcomm LTE Broadcast
As mobile phones and tablets grow increasingly larger, new technologies have proposed the ability to seamlessly stream live TV from satellite and cable companies like DIRECT TV and Comcast.
Qualcomm LTE Broadcast has been experimenting with this idea for sometime now, specifically in focusing on live sporting events. Because of the sheer volume of users who would be streaming live television onto their phones, technology companies are worried about causing broadcast blackouts.
But, there have been a myriad of tests in ‘devise dense’ locations such as stadiums, subways, metros, and airports that prove signals can be dispersed without fear of a broadcast blackout.
For example, Vodafone Germany was the first European carrier to conduct live tests with LTE Broadcast, which they did in collaboration with Ericsson, Qualcomm Technologies, and Samsung. The trial took place during a football game in a stadium, and was a complete success.
Because of its resounding success, LTE Broadcast trialed the same test at the Superbowl XLVIII, where Verizon used a fleet of Samsung Galaxy Note 3 handsets to trial a live stadia TV service branded ‘multicast.’ With only a few kinks left to work out of the system, the future seems bright for this new technology.
2. It’s Different Than Current Apps
When a person watches live TV over their phone through an app, there’s a direct and separate link between the phone and the server. Most apps, even if used with Wi-Fi, are choppy and pixilated, needing a chance to buffer and establish a good connection. When this happens during a live TV show or sports game, there is no way to replay what was missed while the app was searching for a connection.
Broadband companies like Qualcomm and Samsung are seeking out ways to transform the mobile phone and television industry. “It drastically changes the economics (of mobile TV because) you can send rich video content to hundreds of thousands of people in areas with weak LTE coverage just by sending it once instead of hundreds of thousands of times,” says Peter Carson, senior director of marketing at Qualcomm in San Diego.
3. It Works
This new technology will transform the mobile television age because it will work over 4G networks, meaning the tech is seamlessly integrated into the 4G standard so that the carrier’s connection is not responsible for the service.
The best part of this? There would be no data fee involved in watching mobile TV channels. With the way the world is tied to mobile technology, it only makes sense that a seamless television connection would be next on the list. Qualcomm’s experience in the mobile telecom world combined with their extensive research and development will make this breakthrough a reality.
This technology would revolutionize how people consume entertainment on the go, making it easier than ever to access video content from virtually anywhere. With its low cost and improved quality of service, Qualcomm’s new LTE Broadcast could be the standard for watching mobile TV in the years to come. This could finally be the long-sought after breakthrough that will make mobile television a reality for everyone. With Qualcomm’s LTE Broadcast, you’ll never miss a moment of your favorite show again.
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