Streaming content onto wireless devices seems like a perfect match of technology. Without the hard drive space required to download and save large files, streaming content to wireless devices is a good way for wireless customers to experience large data files.
PacketVideo Corp. has jumped into the fray with its PVPlatform 2.0, MPEG-4-compliant solution for delivering media to wireless devices. The solution includes encoding, transmission and decoding software products, enabling the delivery of audio, video, branded content and applications for wireless devices.
“PVPlatform 2.0 has been engineered to reflect what we have learned from our research in field trials conducted with major wireless operators around the world,” said Dr. James Brailean, president and chief executive officer of San Diego-based PacketVideo. “Our trials continue to explore aspects of the entire system from content preparation, to network impact, to consumer enhancements. The entire product suite has been enhanced to enable wireless operators to efficiently deliver relevant information to mobile consumers in a very compelling, visual format.”
The suite includes PacketVideo’s PVAuthor, PVServer and PVPlayer components.
PVAuthor 2.0 is designed to encode MPEG-4-compliant video and audio for live and on-demand delivery over error-prone wireless networks. In addition to traditional audio and video streaming, PacketVideo said PVAuthor offers PV Voice-Over-Pix, enabling wirelessly streamed audio along with a still video frame at extremely low data rates.
PVServer 2.0 provides a scalable wireless media delivery solution including services for billing, provisioning and authorization, providing operators with features needed to create a commercial, billable service. Designed to run on Solaris, HP-UX and Linux platforms, PVServer also enables operators to authenticate users to gain access to their wireless media services for security purposes.
PacketVideo said the most significant enhancement to the platform is the introduction of its FrameTrack dynamic rate control technology, providing uninterrupted video streaming at the best possible quality in error-prone wireless networks with varying bit rates between 9,600 kilobits per second and 768 kbps. PVServer uses FrameTrack to adjust the frame rate automatically for each subscriber based on video quality information detected by PVPlayer in real-time.
PVPlayer 2.0 is the system’s decoding software, and it now supports higher data rates of more than 384 kbps for enhanced video delivery as well as favorite-clip-playback embedded in the decoder. Decoding metadata has also been added to the player, enabling content providers to display detailed information about their multimedia assets to consumers. The most useful feature for consumers interested in looking at streaming video on small monitors is the ability to view clips in larger, landscape mode making use of the entire device screen.
PacketVideo said PVPlayer has been optimized for the majority of chipsets for mobile devices, including ARM, Intel Corp., Lucent Technologies Inc., Qualcomm Inc. and Texas Instruments. The company recently announced PVPlayer will ship with Mitsubishi Electric’s Trium Mondo, an integrated GPRS/GSM handset and personal digital assistant.
Another company pushing MPEG-4 streaming is Israel-based Emblaze Systems Ltd., which recently announced a deal with handset manufacturer Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. to develop an end-to-end MPEG-4 streaming video solution using a cell phone based on Emblaze’s A2/A3 video ASIC chip.
Sasson Darwish, president of Emblaze, said the phone will allow users to view media content by pressing video function keys and browsing through the list of available content.
Emblaze’s platform is unique in that the company is partnering with a handset manufacturer to produce a complete device. Emblaze said the Samsung Video Cell Phone is currently compatible with existing CDMA systems at speeds of 9.6 kbps, 64 kbps and CDMA2000 1x capable of data transfer rates up to 144 kbps.
“Our technology works well on 9.6 [kbps] networks, but what it really needs is a 28.8 [kbps] connection or faster to really show a good streaming picture,” said Ziv Eliraz, vice president of business development for Emblaze.
Eliraz also noted Emblaze had agreements similar to its deal with Samsung with both Ericsson and Nokia Corp.
Other chip manufacturers integrating streaming video capabilities include Toshiba Corp. and chip giant Texas Instruments. Toshiba recently unveiled an MPEG encoder/ decoder platform built on a single chip designed to deliver a low power, end-to-end solution for handset manufactures. TI announced a similar deal with RealNetworks Inc. to incorporate RealNetworks’ proprietary streaming technology onto TI’s Open Multimedia Applications Platform for wireless devices. Both companies said they expect their chipsets to be ready for shipment by the third quarter.
While the higher speeds needed for wireless streaming to show its full potential are some time off, the agreements with handset manufacturers show they are interested in rolling out services as soon as possible.
“There are definitely plans for launching handsets that can take advantage of wireless streaming technology,” said Sylvia Panayi, senior analyst with the Strategis Group. “They just need the higher speeds to show the potential of this technology.”
