July 14, 2003
Terrestrial TV on your handset
Terrestrial TV on your handset
NEC has begun talking about a handset that combines telephone capabilities with the ability to receive the same signals in the UHF band a television set does. The service is slated to appear in Tokyo at the end of the year.
In related news SK Telecom of South Korea is introducing a ring tone that drives away mosquitos for just $2.55 cents (about three times the usual price of a ring tone, but presumably you don't get tired of this one because it is inaudible to humans). Which begs the line: "Will this phone be buggy?" The Financial Times reports the idea may not work in practice, making this a "phony" offer in the truest sense.
The TV idea is a sort of no-brainer from a technical perspective -- phones simply haven't had a screen before. But it also poses an interesting question that will be answered in consumer usage about whether anyone really wants to watch TV anymore. I have no doubt that in times of crisis, people will tune their phones to broadcast news, or that sports will be a draw, but regular viewing of the same old crap on TV? Who knows?