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forward link only (FLO)

With Forward Link Only (FLO), chip manufacturer Qualcomm has developed a special broadcast transmission system for mobile TV that can be regarded as a counterpart to DVB-H, T-DMB, Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service( MBMS), Advanced Television Systems Committee( ATSC-M/H) and Integrated Service DigitalBroadcasting, Terrestrial( ISDB-T).

FLO technology is also known as MediaFLO in America and transmits the broadcast signals for mobile TV, for example, in one direction - Forward Link Only (FLO) - from the transmitter to the mobile TV handset. This technology enables high-quality multimedia content to be transmitted to millions of mobile subscribers at low cost. Compared with DVB-H, FLO technology is characterized by better bandwidth efficiency, resulting in better frequency economy. In terms of bandwidth, about twice the number of channels can be transmitted. That is about 30 in relation to a channel width of 8 MHz. Further advantages are the short channel changeover time and the intuitive programming.

FLO-TV, photo: Qualcomm

FLO-TV, photo: Qualcomm

FLO technology transmits in frequency bands not used by cellular networks, such as the frequency range between 470 MHz and 862 MHz, which is used for terrestrial transmission of UHF channels, and between 1.452 GHz and 1.492 GHz. MediaFLO uses COFDM- QPSK(4k) or 16QAM as its modulation scheme. It has a bandwidth efficiency of 1 bit per second per hertz (bit/s/ Hz) and provides approximately 30 video channels and 10 audio channels in an 8-MHz UHF channel. Since 2010, it has also supported TV viewer interactivity. He can participate in televoting or even chat during a broadcast.

MediaFLO architecture with MediaFLO server and client

MediaFLO architecture with MediaFLO server and client

The FLO concept is promoted by the FLO Forum, which has over 90 members worldwide from various industries. MediaFLO has been a standard of the European ETSI since 2010.

Informations:
Englisch: forward link only - FLO
Updated at: 19.10.2012
#Words: 275
Links: chip, broadcast (BC), transmission system, mobile TV (MDTV), DVB for handhelds (DVB-H)
Translations: DE
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