Mobile TV breakthrough: DiBcom launches world's first DVB-SH component

PARIS — DiBcom, the leading provider of Mobile TV solutions, is proud to showcase the world’s first DVB-SH receiver, the company’s latest innovation, at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, 11-14 February, 2008.

DVB-SH (Digital Video Broadcasting from Satellite to Handhelds) was designed to complement DVB-H in higher frequency bands, such as S-band. It addresses the unique characteristics of the hybrid satellite/terrestrial Mobile TV solutions for nationwide coverage on mobile phones, portable and vehicular devices. DVB-SH was approved as an open standard by the DVB Forum in February 2007.

Leveraging its design expertise in many fields, DiBcom has once again set a precedent by developing a truly innovative solution that responds to this evolution of mobile TV technology and to make the direct reception of satellite broadcast possible on handhelds. DiBcom’s DIB29098 is by far the most complex and powerful Mobile TV chip ever designed to date.

The DIB29098 is the first component to feature Diversity-2 (support for dual antennas) in one single chip. This technology dramatically enhances receiver performances either in mobility, as was proven in automotive applications, or for improved indoor coverage. In addition, DiBcom’s DIB29098 is a quadri-band, multi-mode receiver: it has dual RF tuners supporting VHF, UHF, L-Band and S-Band frequencies, a dual demodulator that processes DVB-T, DVB-H and DVB-SH signals, and a powerful turbo-decoder with its associated memory for DVB-SH FEC (Forward Error Correction).

With such advanced technology, DiBcom provides a comprehensive solution for Mobile TV manufacturers and operators to build terminals that will be compatible with both DVB-H and DVB-SH, and offer seamless handover between the two transmission standards, giving them more flexibility to target different regions. For countries that haven’t launched Mobile TV, DVB-SH is seen to be an attractive option because of its capacity to cover vast territories quickly through a large network and at a reasonable cost.

“DVB-SH is gaining tremendous momentum as a viable satellite/terrestrial solution for mobile broadcasts in some regions of the world”, said Yannick Lévy, CEO, DiBcom. “We have created a component that is highly integrated (including dual RF tuner and demodulator) and flexible with many frequency bands and DVB standards. In addition, the DIB29098 offers two major performance enhancements: a substantial increase in Doppler performance in S-band, and a drastic enhancement of receiver sensitivity thanks to the native diversity implementation”.

Samples of the DIB29098 will be available in Q3, 2008. To learn more or to meet with the DiBcom representatives at Mobile World Congress, please contact the press department.