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TV anytime, anywhere

STILL TALKING - STILL TALKING By Enrico Miguel T. Subido -
Television — cable television in particular — is quite a wonder (I have made this point in past articles and admit I have a sort of adoration of this technological marvel). In all its grand flexibility, television informs, updates and entertains numerous people of all ages and genders. Race and social status do not stop it from doing its thing and conveying its messages. What a fair and unbiased thing television is. Well, television per se and the idea of it, perhaps; sadly, the same does not apply to some of the shows regularly airing on TV, but that’s a different story.

Everything now is getting smaller: cellular phones, digital cameras, computers, PDAs and whatnot. It seems to follow that if the gadget is smaller, the more powerful it is. These advances in technology fall under what many people refer to as the "digital age." Along with it comes something I unofficially like to call "digital speed." Everything moves extra fast now because all this progress allows it to.

There are both good and bad things that arise from this. Due to technological innovations, information is literally right at your fingertips. The Internet. Need I say more? But now that all this stuff is so readily available, people can’t just chill out anymore. Today’s moments of peace and ease are still pretty intense. And while it’s true and undeniable that all this technology makes life a little easier, it does muddle it up some as well.

As versatile a communicator as it already is, television has yet again evolved and adapted to the changing times. Today’s TVs no longer use picture tubes, but are either liquid crystal displays (LCDs) or have some projection bulb powering the entire thing. With the proper maintenance, these sets can last longer than the conventional sets of yesteryear (and eventually, will be considered obsolete in a couple of months after a newer, more cutting-edge set is introduced into the market. Oh, consumerism.)

In all fairness, however, technology is doing its part to make sense of the speed things are moving at nowadays. And though it is obviously impractical to bring a huge 60-inch television set along on a trip anywhere, technology is adding its fair share of improvements to help today’s "person on the go."

MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary Nation Broadcasting Company (NBC), and in cooperation with Smart Telecommunications, is making cable TV viewing available on cellular phones. For TV addicts such as myself, this is one of the greatest inventions since sliced bread.

Imagine this: there are two TV sets at home, someone is watching the news on one and the other one is being used to play video games. What do you do now? How can you watch your show? With Mobile TV, as it has been coined, this problem ceases to exist. Although you aren’t watching TV on a big screen, at least it can be done in the privacy of your own room, or in any other place you choose. Even the bathroom can be transformed into the TV room.

Mobile TV is made possible with developments in both broadcasting and the types of handheld devices capable of carrying this software. Mobile TV is different from 3G technology because it is doesn’t stream video (video coming from one source going to only one mobile handheld unit). Instead, these new cellular phones receive a digital TV broadcasting signal which can be transmitted to several users at the same time. The handheld units also have to be DVB-H, or digital video broadcasting handhelds: the technical specification for bringing broadcast services to handheld receivers.

Smart president and CEO Napoleon Nazareno shares his thoughts, saying: "Our goal is to introduce an exciting new dimension to television viewing in the Philippines. We are giving TV a new face — that of the mobile handset."

Mobile TV announced its availability on the island of Boracay a couple of weeks ago, offering a total of nine channels. What’s really cool is that the reception on this thing is really clear, even clearer in some cases than conventional television. Even the sound is crisp and accurate, considering how small the speakers on the cell phone are.

The portability of this new technology is something that is practical and yet fun at the same time. For the hardworking businessperson with no time to spare for TV, mobile TV can give him or her latest on the stock market or wherever those people do their business. For the everyday student, Mrs. De la Cruz’s Botany Lecture 101 class will no longer be boring. And for the TV-loving beach bum, enjoying your favorite shows while the tide hits your ankles is now possible.

"Mobile TV offers television in ways that are both comfortably familiar and excitingly novel," says MediaQuest president and CEO Orlando Vea.

TV anytime, anywhere? Yes, please. I bow down to you, oh great broadcasting one, with your superb channels and your surfing prowess. Your new offspring, Mobile TV, will receive a warm welcome from your loyal servants.
* * *
E-mail me at enricomiguelsubido@yahoo.com.

BOTANY LECTURE

MOBILE

MRS. DE

NAPOLEON NAZARENO

NATION BROADCASTING COMPANY

NEED I

TELEVISION

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