Arima Communications Corp. (www.arimacomm.com/tw) has selected Telegent Systems’ (www.telegent.com) single-chip mobile TV solution to drive a free-to-air TV feature in selected handset models. The TV phones, which provide consumers with mobile access to local over-the-air broadcast television channels, are expected to be available to consumers by late summer.
"We see free-to-air mobile TV becoming a heavily used feature on handsets that can differentiate our product offerings," said Paul Wang, Arima's senior vice president. "We selected Telegent's mobile TV solution because of the depth of their experience with free-to-air mobile TV and the performance of their solution with respect to picture quality, low-power and mobility."
Arima's TV handset is said to be the first phone from a Taiwan manufacturer to integrate a TV button on the handset that provides the consumer with direct access to the TV function. It enables auto-rotation between landscape and portrait views using an integrated accelerometer. The handset is under 50mm wide and 110mm tall and incorporates a connection for a TV stand accessory.