Motorola: 4G to bring HD video, live gaming
updated 11:35 am EST, Thu February 7, 2008
Moto LTE Demo at MWC 2008
The upcoming Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard should make HD video a real possibility on cellular networks for the first time, Motorola intends to prove in a demo at next week's Mobile World Congress. The company says it will show examples of HD video moving in both directions during the event, including HD "blogging:" LTE will be used to stream live HD video to a set-top box that viewers at home could use to follow footage from a cellphone in real-time. In the the reverse direction, LTE will also be shown in a Slingbox-like experience where users stream an HDTV feed from home directly to a handheld device, saving the trouble of reducing video quality to make the signal viewable outside the home.
The low lag times of LTE should also make real-time actions possible that haven't in the past, Motorola adds. Particularly time-sensitive racing games will be played online against others at the show, while VoIP calls will also be made using solely LTE. Motorola does not say how soon the technologies used in the demos will be made publicly available, though LTE is expected to launch as early as 2009 in some areas.
