Cellular carriers and other technology companies have come up with numerous ways to deliver video and even live TV to cellphones over wireless networks in recent years. So far, the results have been a limited success.
Now, Samsung Electronics Co. says it has come up with a novel approach to provide video on the go: equip cellphones to pick up digital signals from local TV broadcasters. Cellphones using the technology would essentially become portable television sets that would get the same reception as TVs using antennas.
For the technology to work, broadcasters will need to transmit separate beams to portable devices equipped with a Samsung chipset, but this issue is being addressed, and it shouldn’t be a major obstacle. The channel lineup could either be the same as local broadcasters are transmitting or special-tailored programming. Other devices, including laptop computers, in-vehicle TV sets and digital video players, would be able to receive signals when outfitted with the chipset.