Six Japan broadcasters agree on digital TV standard for cellphones

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2004

TOKYO (AFP) — Japan's six major television networks said they have agreed on a terrestrial digital standard aimed at beaming high-quality TV images to mobile phones, starting March 2006.

Publicly funded Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK), along with private stations TBS, NTV, TV Asahi, Fuji TV and TV Tokyo agreed on the deal with MPEG LA, LLC, a group that negotiates on behalf of the multiple patent holders involved.

"I think this will raise awareness among viewers about digital broadcasting and we hope it acts as a spur," TV Tokyo Corp. managing director Katsumi Ueda told a news conference on Wednesday.

In December, Japan became the 12th nation in the world to start terrestrial digital broadcasting, with services beginning in the three biggest metropolitan...