Sharp has developed the VA3B5EZ915 dual-mode tuner module capable of receiving both DVB-H and T-DMB terrestrial digital broadcasts, a world first.

In Japan, One-Seg terrestrial digital broadcasts for mobile devices began in April of last year, and total domestic shipments of One-Seg-compatible mobile phones is expected to exceed 10 million units by this summer. Internationally, similar services have begun, including DVB-H broadcasting in various areas centered on Europe and T-DMB broadcasting in Korea and some parts of Europe, and the market for terrestrial digital broadcasting for mobile devices is expected to grow outside of Japan as well.

The tuner module is designed to be embedded in mobile devices, mainly mobile phones. Hence, manufacturers are strongly demanding compact size, thin form factor, and low power consumption in this key component.
In response to such needs, Sharp has developed chip sets that are more compact, thinner in profile, and consume less power. The result is a dual-mode tuner module that supports both DVB-H and T-DMB broadcasts having the industry’s lowest power consumption.