Satellite links have been used to demonstrate the streaming of live video and data to DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast) enabled devices from across the world. This was unveiled in Las Vegas at the NAB show, and involved RadioScape Ltd, NTL Broadcast, Microsoft and TandbergTelevision.
The video used as an example was from the CNN news network and it utilised Windows Media 9 encoding, using a hardware decoder developed by Tandberg. Audio was also used from the London station Capital Radio, this was multiplexed into a 150 kbit/s stream, relayed to a satellite and broadcast locally using DAB.
A PC equipped with a DAB radio card was then capable of receiving the data. The streaming video was received on an Compaq IPAQ, and was streamed at 60 kbit/s. A spokesman for RadioScape has claimed that "this is a technology demonstration; we do not have a product as such ready for shipping". The demand for such a product, especially in the far east, is huge and DAB is an ideal medium – so we could see devices such as PDAs and mobile phones utilising this technology in the future.