Telstra today released details of Windows Mobile enabled TV broadcasts to occur during the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. Here's the official press release:

"Telstra, Microsoft and Broadcast Australia today announced plans for Melbourne's first live demonstration showcase of mobile TV, as part of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB-H) is a new technology that allows simultaneous transmission of television, radio, video, audio and Internet content to mobile phones, PDAs, PCs and other handheld devices.

The Melbourne showcase service will broadcast up to seven channels of live Commonwealth Games coverage including Channel Nine coverage of the Games on specially enabled Windows Mobile handheld devices.

Telstra Commonwealth Games executive, Mr Phill Sporton, said viewers will be able to catch medal-winning performances in the DVB-H showcase at the Telstra Discovery Centre in Birrarung Marr for the duration of the Games.

"Telstra is pleased to be able to provide an opportunity for our customers and partners to experience the new entertainment content available on mobile devices of the future," Mr Sporton said.

Today's announcement follows the recent launch of Telstra's live BigPond mobile 3G and broadband service for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

The handsets on display will operate using Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 software while the content is broadcast using Windows Media Video 9 compression technology to ensure efficient use of bandwidth.

"This showcase is another example of how Microsoft is innovating in the digital entertainment space," said Jonathan Usher, director of the Windows Digital Media Division, Microsoft Corp. "Windows Media Video and Windows Mobile devices can provide new viewing options for consumers, delivering the next frontier of entertainment-live, multi-channel video on the go."

Broadcast Australia is providing the transmission infrastructure for the showcase service. "We are very pleased to be part of this wonderful event," said Graeme Barclay, Broadcast Australia Managing Director. "We believe strongly that mobile TV is a product of the future that allows consumers the opportunity to access their favourite television shows via a handheld device-anywhere, at any time. DVB-H is an exciting new mobile television platform that represents a convergence of traditional broadcast and mobile communications technologies.

"Broadcast Australia is committed to testing mobile television technology, and we anticipate that the Melbourne showcase will demonstrate the strengths of DVB-H for delivering mobile television services at large sporting events," Mr Barclay said.

DVB-H utilises the DVB suite of standards, of which DVB-T is currently used to deliver terrestrial digital television in Australia. DVB-H makes possible the delivery of TV, radio and data content to handheld devices and is specifically designed to optimise battery life by using a technique known as 'time-slicing'. DVB-H uses advanced video and audio coding and compression technologies to enable a considerable reduction in the bandwidth required to deliver an acceptable quality of service to small-screen devices.

The transmission of the DVB-H broadcast will begin on 15 March 2006 and end at the conclusion of the Closing Ceremony on 26 March 2006."