Mobile Multi Media Opportunities and Challengers

Abstract

Today, we observe the creation of an increasing number of multimedia consumer
devices for mobile and home use. This includes set-top boxes, game consoles, personal
Digital Assistants (PDA), e-books, but also mobile phones. Although these devices have
many things in common with desktop PCs – above all Internet access –it is widely accepted
that they will serve a different purpose. Many committees and companies are currently
trying to define the open application platform for tomorrow’s consumer terminals for
home use, among others the so-called Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) of the European
Digital Video Broadcasting *DVB) project. Meanwhile, on the cellular end of the multimedia
business, portable appliances like cellular phones, e-books and PDAs are evolving to
multimedia terminals, starting from narrow band internet services like the Wireless
Application Protocol (WAP) and slowly adopting video technologies. One of the main
obstacles to overcome is bandwidth limitation – even for 3G mobile systems – and
broadcast technology is considered to be a serious candidate to fill this gap, both for TV and
data services.