News Release
Telegent’s mobile TV technology to arrive in Latin America, expanding global reach of handset manufacturers delivering free-to-air mobile TV feature
TV feature from Telegent used by Latin American journalists at 2008 Beijing Games
SUNNYVALE, CA – September 10, 2008 – Telegent Systems, the company that makes television mobile with its high-performance single-chip mobile TV solutions, today announced that handsets incorporating Telegent’s mobile TV technology will soon be available to consumers in Latin America, expanding the global reach of manufacturers that have incorporated the free-to-air TV feature into their handsets. The handsets will provide access to all TV broadcast channels throughout the region, enabling consumers to stay abreast of news, sports and favorite TV programs no matter where they are, and with no investment in infrastructure required by operators or broadcasters.
Latin America currently boasts more than 400 million mobile phone subscribers, with handset demand growing annually by 10%, making it one of the fastest growing regions in the world and presenting significant growth opportunities for mobile TV devices. Capitalizing on these trends, global handset manufacturer ZTE is one of the first manufacturers to have achieved ANATEL certification in Brazil of a Telegent-enabled TV handset with a Portuguese interface. "The majority of Latin American consumers we have interviewed are interested in purchasing a mobile TV handset to watch the news, soap operas and sporting events that they already view on their TV sets at home," said Carlos Kirjner, vice president of business development at Telegent Systems.
Telegent mobile TV feature trialed by Latin American journalists at the
2008 Beijing Games
Selected Latin American journalists at the 2008 Beijing Games were able to
stay abreast of breaking news and coverage at the Beijing games with ZTE
and Alcatel handsets incorporating Telegent's mobile TV technology.
Journalists reported using the handsets to stay up to date with sporting
events while traveling from venue to venue or to check in on status of
various sports while at a specific event, and commented that the long
battery life allowed them to view TV without worrying about the amount of
time that they were using the TV feature.
For Cinthya Trujillo, a journalist with one of Mexico’s major newspapers, the phone was an important tool of work. "On the day of the opening ceremonies, I toured the streets of Beijing to report on the ambiance, and I was able to receive the television signal everywhere I went. Finally, when I ended up outside the stadium with other foreigners and Chinese taxi drivers, none of the giant screens around the Bird’s Nest were transmitting the event. So, while we were waiting for the fireworks, I along with no less than five other people ended up watching it on the mobile phone screen."
Colleague Alba Jaramillo noted that the TV handsets should be well received in the Mexico market as the majority of Mexicans would be happy to receive over-the-air TV broadcasts on their handsets without incurring additional fees.
Global access to familiar programming driving rapid adoption
worldwide
Launched in mid-2007, Telegent's mobile TV technology realized rapid uptake
in Asia and the Middle East, with more than five million viewers of
Telegent-enabled handsets at the end of 2007. Market research firm In-Stat
predicts robust global adoption of handsets enabling access to analog TV
broadcasts at 34 million units for 2008.
About Telegent Systems, Inc.
Telegent Systems is a leading fabless CMOS semiconductor company providing high performance, single-chip solutions enabling free-to-air and subscription mobile TV in mobile handsets, portable devices and consumer electronics. Telegent’s solutions make television mobile, delivering both analog and digital broadcast reception with unparalleled sensitivity and picture quality in mobile environments, ultra-low power consumption and the highest integration simplifying mobile device design and manufacture. For more information, visit www.telegent.com.
Telegent Contact:
Asia: Cathy He, (+86)21-50277297,
cathyhe@telegent.com | Mark Leeper, (+852) 2122-9000, mark@ebacomms.com
EMEA: Julie Walsh, (+44)20-7434-5554, telegent@babelpr.com
Americas: Diana Jovin, (+1)650-906-6071, djovin@telegent.com
Telegent Systems and the Telegent Systems logo are trademarks of Telegent Systems. Other company names and trademarks are trademarks of their respective companies.