Our
recent discussion about the Digital Television transition prompted a
few emails asking about emergency preparedness and how the loss of
analog TV transmission would affect consumers in the event of a natural
(or manmade) disaster. This prompted the following email from one of
our listeners (Brady Darvin):
I
looked all over the Internet for more info on portable TVs with ATSC
tuners and found none, but I did find this very interesting and recent
article about an entirely new mobile TV standard that could make the
need for a portable TV with an ATSC tuner obsolete, and thought you
might be interested in looking more into this new standard and perhaps
discussing on a future podcast on the subject of “mobile home
theater”! See http://www.omvc.org/ for more info.
But first, a quick review...
We
know this is a show about HDTV and Home Theater so why are we talking
about a Digital Camera. Well from time to time we do talk about HD
Camcorders and this camera has a very cool feature, it records HD
video. Today's discussion will only be about this aspect of the camera.
We'll leave the full review to podcasts that focus on digital
photography.
The
FX35 records video in standard definition 4:3 (with various
resolutions) and in HD 16:9. It also supports 16:9 DVD quality. The
video is recorded to an SD memory card which is not included. For our
test we bought an 8GB card for $35. The 8GB card supports eight and a
half minutes of 720p 30fps (which is the highest quality) video. DVD
quality roughly doubles the time.
The
video quality is quite good considering it was shot on a camera that
costs less than $300. The audio however leaves a lot to be desired. It
could just be luck of the draw. We have heard that some camera
microphones sound great and others sound pretty bad. Still camera
manufacturers do not want to spend any money calibrating the mic so its
hit and miss if the mic will work well.
We
have posted a
link to a recording that was shot with the camera. The 1:42 second video clip is 720p 30 FPS and it has been
compressed to 2.6 Mbps. The file size is 32MB. The original video is
also 720p 30 FPS but it has a data rate of 24 Mbps and weighs in at 298
MB. After shooting and playing with the video in iMovie we may just
start putting some videos together from time to time.
Mobile Digital TV Standard
The following is taken from their website:
The
Open Mobile Video Coalition is an alliance of U.S. commercial and
public broadcasters committed to the development of mobile digital
television. The Coalition’s current members include leading broadcast
station groups operating over 420 commercial television stations. Their
mission is to accelerate the development of mobile digital broadcast
television, and capture the full potential of the digital television
spectrum in the United States. The coalition will help identify and
encourage broad adoption of technologies that enable mobile reception
of digital broadcast television signals, so that consumers can watch
television wherever and whenever they want, not just in the home.
What is mobile digital video?
As
it pertains to the coalition, mobile digital video is an enhancement to
the existing terrestrial digital television system that allows a high
quality digital video signal to be received by a moving receiver,
either at pedestrian or vehicular speeds.
Why can't I get mobile digital video today?
The
terrestrial digital television system was designed to maximize
broadcast coverage to fixed locations in homes, and, as such, cannot
yet support mobile reception. New technologies are now emerging that
allow the current system to add mobile reception without sacrificing
in-home coverage, and the Coalition's goal is to accelerate the
commercialization and standardization of these new technologies.
Will I be able to get HDTV in a mobile environment?
It
is anticipated that mobile digital video will allow for a very high
quality picture to be received in a mobile environment, but since
mobile receivers have small screens, there will not be a need to
broadcast HDTV to a mobile device.
What kind of content will be available?
It
is expected that there will be a wide variety of content available for
mobile video, including many of the same programs that are available at
home today, but the specific content will be decided only when the
service is commercialized. In addition, users may be able to access
weather, traffic and public safety information.
Will the content be free or will I have to pay?
It
is expected that mobile digital video technology will support both free
ad-supported and pay models, but the specific business models will be
decided when the service is commercialized.
What kinds of devices will it work in?
Most
video-capable devices can receive mobile digital video by adding a
receiver module to the device. Video-capable devices in the market
today include cell phones, video-capable MP3 players, laptop computers,
portable game players, digital cameras and camcorders, portable DVD
players, personal navigation devices and in-car entertainment systems,
among others.
Why is the digital television spectrum better than other spectrum for mobile video?
The
digital television spectrum is ideally suited for video because its
signals travel long distances, penetrate walls well, can be easily
received in a fast moving vehicle, and require only a small antenna.
Spectrum that allows signals to travel farther typically require
antennas too large for mobile devices, and spectrum that allows for a
smaller antenna typically have less range and are more difficult to
receive in moving vehicles.
Will broadcasters have to choose between offering HD and mobile television?
The
new technologies will allow broadcasters to transmit HD signals to
homes as well as to mobile devices. Each broadcaster will have the
flexibility to make its own decision about which services to offer on
its signal.
So there is
still a little ways to go but in the near future in the even of an
emergency we will be able to tune into public broadcasts no matter
where we are using devices we already carry. Of course you'll need one
that supports mobile digital video. We have extended an invitation to
the group to come on the show to talk a bit more about the subject.
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