DVB-H

DVB-H (digital video broadcasting - handheld) is one of three prevalent mobile TV formats. It is a technical specification for bringing broadcast services to mobile handsets. DVB-H was formally adopted as ETSI standard EN 302 304 in November 2004. The DVB-H specification (EN 302 304) can be downloaded from the official DVB-H website. For a few months from March 2008, DVB-H was officially endorsed by the European Union as the "preferred technology for terrestrial mobile broadcasting". The major competitors of this technology were Qualcomm's MediaFLO system, the 3G cellular system based MBMS mobile-TV standard, and the ATSC-M/H format in the U.S. As of 2008, the recently introduced DVB-SH (Satellite to Handhelds) and anticipated DVB-NGH (Next Generation Handheld) in the future were possible enhancements to DVB-H, providing improved spectral efficiency and better modulation flexibility. DVB-H struggled against resistance from network operators to include the technology in their subsidized handsets. In late 2016, it was acknowledged within the DVB Project newsletter that DVB-H and DVB-SH had been a commercial failure. Ukraine was the last country with a nationwide broadcast in DVB-H, which began transitioning to DVB-T2 during 2019.