Hands on with the HTC Monet (formerly Trilogy)

[Guest nedge2k]

[teaser]

The guys over at SOGI have got their hands on the HTC Monet (formerly known as the Trilogy), another of HTC's mobile TV handsets. Unlike the Forseer, however, this device is DAB-IP and what's more, it's the world's first DAB-IP device!

Now, you may be wondering what the hell DAB-IP is exactly? Well...[/teaser]

In a nutshell, DAB-IP is similar to DAB (digital radio) in that the signal is broadcasted OTA (over the air). DAB/DAB+ don't use video codecs though. DAB-IP and DMB on the other hand do, hence why they are suitable for mobile TV. DMB uses an MPEG4 codec. DAB-IP, however, uses a (less efficient) Windows Media codec.

HTC's decision to choose DAB-IP over DMB seems pretty cut and dry but hey, who am I to speculate :)

Anyway, the Monet has the following specs:

• Windows Mobile 5.0 for Smartphone
  
• DAB-IP
  
• QVGA screen
  
• 1.3MP camera
  
• microSD
  

This is all pretty much common knowledge but now there's some nice new real life pictures of the device and some screenies of the OS :)

Babelfish translation of SOGI's impressions of the device and more pictures HERE.

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

I played with this at MEDC!

One other tidbit of info, it has the new style HTC Camera App installed...

:)

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[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Coming v v soon on Virgin Mobile...

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[Guest Confucious]

What sort of TV do you get on it in the UK? Is it "normal" FTA digital TV or just special channels? Can you get subscription channels? And what's reception like in real life - any idea?

Thanks

[Guest w411y]

That TV button looks like a nasty tumour :) Is there some sort of reciever in there or something?

It's a nice design except that wierd bulge

[Guest Monolithix (MVP)]

I'd imagine the "bulge" probably incorporates the antenna.

What does the new camera have over the old ones Paul?

[Guest bongo_king]

That TV button looks like a nasty tumour :) Is there some sort of reciever in there or something?

It's a nice design except that wierd bulge

Yeah, it's a bit of a mutant - As for the practicalities, does this pick up the same signals as a digi-box then? Anyone got the tech-how to answer? If you can just walk around picking up TV from the ether, then this is a killer, but if you are locked into a (mobile) network to broadcast DAB-IP, I can see it being metered and just way too expensive

[Guest peekie]

Although tv would be cool it will be a bit worthless in europe as all the sevices need a smartcard , in holland for example there is only nederland 2 free to view, not really a channel to want to get a phone with a bulge and looking at freeview all the good channels are encoded also with a smartcard :)

[Guest Confucious]

you can get all the BBC and ITV channels on freeview in the UK so it's not to bad - IF you can get them on this phone. If it is just stuff broadcast by the network then it's probably going to be an expensive novelty.

[Guest awarner (MVP)]

Between this and the Forseer, the Forseer gets my vote as landscape is my prefered viewing option for TV etc. Also the NVIDIA graphics are tempting.

Also keep the chargeer handy as you are probably looking at 3hrs viewing time going by reports I have read.

[Guest Confucious]

Is that so you can see all the gory details of your ankle injury when it's shown Ash? :)

[Guest sporkguy]

I'm digging the vibrant red colour, but I'm not liking the design - a bit too ugh for me.

The Nokia N-series TV phone looks quite delectable though :)

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

DVB-H rather than normal terrestrial...

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[Guest Confucious]

So what does that mean then Paul? Will uou only be able to receive channels provided by your phone co?

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

I think so, yeah...?

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[Guest Paul (MVP)]

For a few more details see:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4711974.stm

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[Guest Swampie]

So what does that mean then Paul? Will uou only be able to receive channels provided by your phone co?

Digital TV comes in a number of flavours. DVB-T (terrestrial - what Freeview uses). DVB-S (sateliite). DVB-C (cable) and DVB-H (handheld). For each, the transmission method and the encoding etc is different. You can't receive digital terrestrial signals on a satellite box, and you can't receive satellite on a cable box. Similarly you can't receive DVB-T on a DVB-H device.

I understand that when the analogue signal is turned off, the government wants to sell off some of the frequency spectrum freed up. In fact, this is WHY they're going for a analogue switch off, to sell the spectrum and make some money. Apparently, one of the planned sales is to use some of the spectrum for handheld TV, although there are other ways of receiving digital TV to handheld devices other than DVB-H.

[Guest Confucious]

Thanks for that Paul and Swampie.

I'm sure someone is willing to pay

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

So WM5 AKU2, but running on the old Typhoon-style OMAP 750, rather than the newer OMAP 850 platform...

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[Guest pd.ryder]

Sky Movies are now allowing downloads to subscribers over broadband (anyone know what format they're using?) so if the idea of unlimited data takes off, would this type of arrangement work via 3G?

[Guest Confucious]

Don't know what format they're using (I'll check) but they are encripted and only last for a month. Someone would have to encode them for handheld screens and it would probably be more effort than it's worth to them - but you never know.

[Guest MARKUKCOUK]

This phone receives signals like a DAB Radio does.

The TV channels are carried on space on the national commercial digital radio multiplex "Digital-1"

Stations on this mux include Virgin Radio, oneword, Core, Capital Life, talksport and Planet Rock.

These are apparently receivable along with the TV channels being broadband by I believe BT.

I'm not sure if its possible to recieved DAB radio channels on other multiplexes.

[Guest Crispy]

Ok, I think I'll join the crowd in saying that this phone really has a very strange design... I mean, its starting to look like that (supposingly) "stylish" line of phone Nokia has... Someone, pull the emergency break, please...

[Guest Pondrew]

So WM5 AKU2, but running on the old Typhoon-style OMAP 750, rather than the newer OMAP 850 platform...

P

Your memory letting you down Paul? The Typhoon had the OMAP 730, twas the Hurricane that sported the OMAP 750 :)

[Guest Monolithix (MVP)]

On a side note, why is this device named after an artist? Surely HTC could have come up with something a bit more TV-orientated? (or Magician/Wizard/etc obsqure!) :)