Email	Print Reprint
	add to:
	Del.icio.us Digg Google Furl	Slashdot Y! MyWeb Blink

ClearTune on-chip filtering techniques significantly reduce the impact of signals from the power amplifier (PA) in the mobile phone as well as other unwanted signals. By attenuating nearby signals, the tuner can better decode the desired signals. It can significantly reduce impairment to audio and video signals, which has a direct impact on perceived quality.

Tuner Selection Checklist
When selecting a tuner for mobile TV, handset designers should look for one that was specifically designed for this application, and make sure it is equipped with the necessary on-chip filters and low noise amplifiers (LNAs) to prevent interference. The main priorities (in order of importance) when selecting a tuner should be:

1. Quality of reception. If the application performance is weak in the early years of mobile TV launch, it can lead to poor adoption, criticism from media and users, and ultimately, delayed penetration into the high volume mobile phone market.
2. Field Proven Technology. A manufacturer with technological experience and field-proven broadband products is a safer bet than selecting a new player in this extremely challenging field.
3. Low Cost. In addition to enabling penetration into low-tier markets, a low-cost device offers the benefit of economies of scale for high-volume market.
4. Size. Look for a tuner that offers small size and low height
5. Power consumption. The power consumption of the tuner is very low compared to the display back-light and video decoder, so does not have a big impact on the power budget.

The Future of Mobile TV
As with all functions in a mobile handset, the future of mobile TV circuitry must involve smaller form factors. Initial handsets used separate tuner and demodulator devices with external components on board, covering an approximate area of 20 x 15mm. This is too big for one function in a mobile handset, and the industry is already moving towards a single packaged solution, such as system in package (SiP).

Currently, some mobile TV subsystems are evolving to SiPs, and they may integrate passive components as well as a tuner, demodulator, and memory. In the future, as more RF functions, including Bluetooth or GPS, are added to the phone, the nature of the components in a SIP may vary. All the RF functions (tuner, Bluetooth, GPS) may be combined together, while the other digital functions, including demodulation, may be absorbed into the application processor

To the handset designer, the type of form factor matters little; what is important is overall functionality, size, and cost. In response, some manufacturers, such as Microtune, are also making their technology available in new wafer-level chip-scale packages (WLCSPs) that meet the demands of this market, shrink footprint, and still maintain extremely high performance. The future of mobile TV is bright, and tuner and demodulator manufacturers with broadband experience are carefully developing the devices to ensure its success.

Reference
[1] http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/07/20/technology/italia.php

Related Articles
Global mobile TV: A multi-standard tutorial

Samsung proposes mobile-TV alternative

Shifting tech roils mobile TV

Previous Page | 1 | 2 | 3

RELATED ARTICLES No Related Articles		TOP 5 ARTICLES No Top Articles.