Mobile phones are continuing to evolve at a furious pace, heightening value by incorporating a growing range of functionality: texting, E-mail, browsing, digital cameras, TV tuners, and more. The next step is high-definition TV (HDTV). At last, mobile phones will be able to handle HDTV content (Fig 1).
The day is not so
far off when people will be able to hook their mobile phones up to the
TV, and enjoy downloaded content on the big screen; use a miniature
internal projector to show high-definition imagery on walls, ceilings
or other surfaces; or record HDTV programming to a mobile phone while
on the road.
Component manufacturers are already swinging into action, developing a host of new products aimed specifically at HDTV applications. In mobile phone application processors, for example, it will be possible to process 1,280 x 720 pixel (720p) video as early as 2009, and if the pace continues it would not be surprising to see products offering support for 1,920 x 1,080 pixel (1080p) video by about 2011.
The countdown has
begun, equipping handsets with pins for high-definition multimedia
interfaces (HDMI), capable of handling HDTV video uncompressed. TV
tuners for terrestrial digital broadcasting are getting ready for an
upgrade to "full-segment" design, capable of receiving the same HDTV
content displayed on the home tube, far beyond the current one-segment
receivers today for quarter video graphics array (QVGA) size display.
The role of mobile phones themselves is likely to change significantly
when they can handle HDTV video content. Specifically, they will evolve
to interconnect more with the TV and other equipment.
There are limits to handset size: there is little point in displaying a high-definition HDTV video stream on only a tiny screen. People really want to view HDTV content on a big screen. HDTV capability will demand that mobile phones are provided with functions to connect to large-screen TVs and other audio-visual (AV) equipment to swap content.
Equipping
handsets with functions for interconnecting with TVs and other pieces
of equipment will cause mobile phones to evolve in new directions. For
example, it is quite possible that some products will come without much
display area, being instead designed to display content on external
devices.
Bold innovation, unfettered by existing concepts, is becoming more
important than ever in handset product planning, application
development and other areas.
Evolution of
application processors will guide the direction of HDTV support in
handsets. The first products supporting 720p HDTV video streams will
ship in the second half of 2008, and 1080p-capable products are clearly
on the way in 2009.
The central
processing unit (CPU) core operating frequency for handset application
processors has been steadily rising, driven by shrinking semiconductor
manufacturing geometry (Fig 2). The pace of progress is steady, and the
first chips with operating frequencies over 1GHz will appear as early
as the second half of 2008. High-end application processors are also
beginning to provide support for HDTV video streams exceeding 1,980 x
1,080 pixels (1080p), three-dimensional (3D) graphics processing
capable of drawing over 10 million polygons/s, and more.
(Continue to the next page)
Nikkei Electronics Asia magazine is available each month free of charge to engineers, managers and other qualified readers.
Nikkei Electronics |
Nikkei Monozukuri |
Nikkei Microdevices |
Nikkei Automotive Technology |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The magazine for electronics designers and managers. | Design You Won't Regret - How to Reduce the Risk of Accidents | The most comprehensive technical journal for makers and users of LSIs and LCDs. | The comprehensive automotive technology magazine. |
Copyright © 1995-2009 Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
All editorial content and graphics on this Web site may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the copyright owner.
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009