Sharp's satellite TV to go
Undoubtedly the big news at the Ceatec, exhibition in Japan this week is TV to go with Sharp making much of the running. Its V402SH mobile phone with analogue TV tuner is currently one of the hottest products in Japan (more on this next week) and now it has gone one better by offering a small gadget that can tune into digital satellite TV.
Surprisingly the 4EMB1 doesn’t sport a huge Sky style dish on its side rather it features a discreet mini antennae that picks up the signals from a new system called Mobile Broadcasting Service, that has been optimised deliver digital TV to small take anywhere devices. Sharp is currently joined in the Japanese only project by Toshiba, which also a similar device available.
Due on sale next month the 4EMB1 can tune into seven video channels, 30 audio ones and a loads of text based information services. There’s no hard drive but programmes can be recorded and stored on an SD card.
Other features include a 3.6inch monitor, MPEG 4 video and MP3 audio playback. Sharp claims the player can tune into TV for the best part of two hours before its battery runs out.
In Europe Nokia has been trialling a mobile version of digital TV which could be available as early as late 2005. Its system is largely designed to work with mobile phones.
