Sony Develops TV-Tuner Chips For Mobile Devices
Sony Japan has announced that it has developed some of the smallest TV tuners designed for PDAs and other mobile devices. When integrated with a mobile device the user would be able to receive and view broadcast television.
These modules are so small that Sony engineers gave its volumes in ml which is reasonable if you think of the size of unit. There are two different models. The first and smallest chip BTF-ZJ401 has just a 1.5 ml volume (25x20x3mm, 3.5g). That is roughly 1/25th the size of chips on the market today. The second, BTF-ZJ411 is a bit bigger at 2.5ml (40x22.5x2.8mm, 4g). The main difference between two modules is the ability of BTF-ZJ411 to extract stereo sound from the radio signal.
Both chips can receive a common radio signal input for VHF (1-12 channel) and UHF (13-62 channel), with an impressive signal/noise ratio of 47 dB. The smaller 401 model achieves this with a low 0.8w power consumption.
The main problem for designers of such a small radio units is that it usually contains many induction coils; size of those cannot be reduced endlessly. Sony developed a special chip transforming the radio signal in order to replace all the external coils. Both tuners have a digital interface for simple integration into other digital devices as PDA, laptops and tablet PCs.
Sony says they are planning to supply samples of the modules in February 2003. There is no information on what PDA will be the first to host a TV-tuner, but one can guess - it should be by Sony. Starting prices look high: $299 for BTF-ZJ401 and $340 for BTF-ZJ411, but we can expect them to drop after few months. It is also not clear from the sources whether tuners are planned to be a flash-cards, integrated into memory sticks or factory built-in.
A big thanks to Mick, for help with this article.
Related Info:
- Sony Japan Press Release (Japanese)
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RE: Now it's starting to get interesting
I've heard many announcements about Sony reducing the size of components but none about, perhaps, the most significant issue with any portable device - battery life. By the time Sony is done, we will be lucky if the battery life of a Palm device is the same as (let alone greater than) a PPC. Especially, if some of you get your wish that Sony buy Palm outright.
I just hope that in the future I hear an announcement from Sony that give an indication that they are using some of their vast resources to improve battery life.
In the Spirit of Umoja,
Ronin
RE: Now it's starting to get interesting
:including the kitchen sink in their PDAs.....
:they need to developing/improving battery technology.
Jeez dude, you could take all the fun out of free money...
Anyway, can any E-Es out there explain how you mimmick induction coils on a chip?
RE: Now it's starting to get interesting
Lucan
RE: Now it's starting to get interesting
Also,Sony just announced a new screen last week that was much more efficient. Maybe with better chips and screens overall energy demands will drop for the new devices.
I'm not sure why everyone whines so much about battery life ( rhymes with get a life...). Get a battery charger or one for the car.
Give me innovation over the American company's stagnation anyday.
RE: Now it's starting to get interesting
RE: Now it's starting to get interesting
---
I suport pudlik edicashun.
RE: Now it's starting to get interesting
-aardvarko
webmaster at aardvarko dot com
http://aardvarko.com
RE: Now it's starting to get interesting
Regardless, I don't want video or MP3s on a PDA. But an audio tuner for TV and FM (which is around Ch. 6 on a TV tuner) would be really cool.
I'd even be happy witn Mono reception, unless the Stereo S/N was really good.
And a lot of TV audio products just have VHF reception, and not UHF. This is starting to get interesting.
______________________________
An armed society is a polite society.
RE: Now it's starting to get interesting
I ask because I am contemplating an NX70 purchase. Boy would I feel stupid if I bought and the "NX80" has a tuner that won't be a third party add on for the '70.
Give me your best guess. THanks
Great until 2007 in UK.
These look great, only problem is analogue television transmission in the UK is (supposed) to be turned off completely in 2007 -- right about the time they should be selling for a few dollars per chip. Will Sony have digital TV chips out by then?
Should cut down on the costs of getting steaming video over 3G though. May never get any work done ever again.....
RE: Great until 2007 in UK.
Seriously though, does anyone know how difficult it would be to implement a TV tuner add-on device via SD or MS? Are there any out in the market or in development (not necessarily for Palm OS5, but for a Palm OS PDA in general)? If not, what would be the limitations that wouldn't allow for such a device to be created?
Thanks.
Jim
RE: Great until 2007 in UK.
RE: Great until 2007 in UK.
Although most Americans don't realize it, analog TV will be shut of in the U.S. on December 31, 2006.
But like PFloyd said, by then... who knows
What this thing really needs
http://news.com.com/2100-1040-962826.html would be a massive selling point. Naturally, to keep down on size, you'd want the connectors (or the majority of them) to be in a little break-out box or cable that you carry, maybe just have a connector that could accept composite video (give you basic tv-in) or just svideo [which can have a very small dongle to accept the composite video]. I don't think there would be much reason to do audio through this interface (audio-in) because you can just take the audio coming from the player and connect your headphones, thus reducing the complexity and overhead on the handheld.
Call me a sony fanboy if you will (hmm - clie, minidisc player, and t68i ... crud I am one!) but in all reality, sony WANTS their consumers to be using multiple sony gadgets together - and this would enable just that.
RE: What this thing really needs
who wants to watch TV? i want some RCA jacks so i can hook my gamecube up to it.
I need FM/AM tuner for a start.
but hey im not stopping the TV tuner..go ahead sony.
RE: I need FM/AM tuner for a start.
RE: I need FM/AM tuner for a start.
I would like to have even just integrated AM/FM Radio to go along with MP3 functionality.
RE: I need FM/AM tuner for a start.
I want aTV/FM tuner...
AM would be another matter. It needs a ferrite core antenna, and I don't think short wires (ala Sony Watchman) alone, would work.
Besides, the quality of AM varies so greatly and is subject to so much more interferance.
But TV/FM..? Yeah, baby!
______________________________
An armed society is a polite society.
Why not an AM/FM memory stick radio?
Would anyone else be keen on buying one of these? I'd buy one if the price was between $50 - $100. I hope Sony is listening.
Later;
Q
RE: Why not an AM/FM memory stick radio?
And SONY's battery life is already worse than some ever more respectable entries into the pocket PC market.
And by the way, I have SONY everything, so I'm not a SONY basher. I just hope SONY does not abandon it's Memory Stick technology with so many devices out there that depend on it.
Thanks, Robrecht
RE: Why not an AM/FM memory stick radio?
-Biff K
Cool. But batts need to be improved..
we need these kind of batteries :D http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Oct02/cantilever.ws.html
ATOMIC! :D would run for years....
RE: Cool. But batts need to be improved..
Rechargable, removable, replaceable tripple-A batteries, that's all...
I won't buy a device (ex. digital camera, pda, with or without TV tuner, minidisc player, etc... yes I'm a Sony fan.) which does not use easily replacable batteries.
Blessed are they who don't,
for they shall not,
nor will they.
RE: Cool. But batts need to be improved..
"May the potato be with you!"
RE: Cool. But batts need to be improved..
RE: Cool. But batts need to be improved..
I only buy handheld stuff that uses AA/AAA
- cheap
- easy to find, and you can always use alkalin in case of emergency
- long lasting (1700ma ni-mh AA)
- interchangeble between the devices, so if my GPS dies on a trip, I can always take the batteries out of my digital camera.
Improved batteries would be Li-O polymer AAAA cells
But I'd settle for proprietary batteries, if I could carry a spare, and replace it (them) myself.
AAs are fine for larger devices, and are easily found almost anywhere in the world. That's a big plus.
______________________________
An armed society is a polite society.
Satellite dish add-on
Unfortunatley, you have to stand perfectly still and face south while tuning in, and Pay-Per-View will not be available until Version 1.1 ships.
Visit us at www.tdscomputer.com
Satellite
RE: Satellite
Is Sony the swiss army-knife of PDAs?
Still Camera
Movie Camera (with VIVID or FullScreen)
MP3 player
Dictation (Voice) recorder
Multi-Remote Control
Flashlight (OK this is a stretch, but you all do it)
...Now, AM/FM radio and Broadcast TV receiver...
GO SONY!!!
Battery
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Now it's starting to get interesting