MXtv Makes Its Move

Taiwanese WiMAX operator Global Mobile has tapped NextWave Wireless for a joint technology field trial using NextWave’s MXtv technology for mobile television, interactive media services and digital audio. Global Mobile is one of six operators to win WiMAX licenses in the Taiwanese market.

NextWave Wireless plans to give WiMAX operators the ability to deliver mobile TV and digital audio over their networks. Their MXtv technology is compatible with the 802.16e standard. NextWave also has a joint development agreement with Huawei to integrate MXtv into their WiMAX products.

MXtv supports up to 30 frames per second of video with up to 45 mobile TV channels in 10 MHz. The technology also allows carriers to dynamically allocate spectrum based on content availability, time of day, user demand and live events.

MXtv is based on technology the company acquired through its $100 million purchase of IPWireless last year. IPWireless sold TD-CDMA network technology as well as TDtv mobile TV technology. TDtv is based on the Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service standard, allows cellular carriers to broadcast TV content through the data channels of their existing networks.

Alcatel-Lucent and Huawei Technologies USA also plan to integrate NextWave’s MXtv technology into their WiMAX service in Taiwan. A single sector of Huawei’s WiMAX Basestation has a maximum throughput of 30 Mbps using 10 MHz.

Multimedia Broadcast Multicast lets a 3G cellular operator broadcast to thousands of users simultaneously on a single channel, similar to broadcast technolgy. MXtv is NextWave’s WiMAX iteration (using much larger channels).

Unlike MediaFLO, DVB-H, or other mobile television approaches, MXtv requires no tuner and no separate electronics. Media streaming is supported inside the WiMAX protocol.

Intel is planning to put their new Atom processor into at least two Mini-ITX boards later this year. Intel’s new D945GCLF motherboard is bundled with the 1.6Ghz Atom 230 processor, the 945GC chipset, a DDR2 slot, 2 SATA, IDE, a PCI slot, Intel GMA950 graphics, USB, Firewire, surround sound, parallel, serial, and a pair of PS2 ports — all for about $80.

Unstrung has Ten Things We Hate About Mobile Video.