Samsung has introduced a new TV phone in Korea, the Samsung SCH-X820. This is not a regular smartphone with a TV subscription service in which the carrier pushes TV content in MPEG format to the phone; this is a phone with a real VHF/UHF tuner and antenna–and a pretty powerful one at that. It's integrated with the wireless antenna, and, according to Samsung, gets very good reception. The phone is outfitted with a high-resolution screen (262,000 color TFT-LCD at 176×200) that can be rotated, via software, to watch the television content at portrait or landscape. You can also catch screen-grabs–up to 50 of them–and use them as your wallpaper. The phone will be listed at KRW700,000 retail. I wonder if it will makes its way to the States? Read more at MobileMag.
USER COMMENTS 103 comment(s)
|sounds cool (9:52am EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
it should come out over here. We need more of the advanced devices that are released in Asia - by tech freek
|yeah right (9:58am EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
okay, now I can really follow the action on abc's HiDef Monday night Football!
way to go Sammy!
|wireless antenna? (10:32am EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
I don't think there is such a thing. To make a smaller antenna you can coil an antenna to make its effective length as long a longer antenna. - by antenna man
|Tech freek (10:57am EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
Dream on… it always take yonks before any of the cool stuff comes to the US. Still, you can start saving for it now… - by supperman
|Portable devices (11:37am EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
You can equip a Game Gear to a TV tuner and mag lens. Although just after this apparatus is outfitted you'd hardly call it portable anymore :) - by Askheart
|obsolete (11:56am EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
Aren't all UHF/VHF TV receivers going to be obsolete in three years?
That's what Michael Powell at the FCC tells us! - by chickenlittle
|if they do make it to the States, (1:13pm EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
they will likely be banned. These things have a potential to be very dangerous on the road. - by DR. TOAD
|Korea??? (1:52pm EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
Why would they want to market that in korea? Americans have way more money to buy stuff like that. The US or Japan or Europe would have been a much better choice. Looks like only a rich few in korea can buy it. - by macs suck
|Multitasking (2:07pm EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
Now I can drink beer, smoke, watch tv, and talk on the phone while I am driving around town. Talk about multitasking! - by CanU SeeMeNow
|Spot on, DR. TOAD! (2:17pm EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
I'd like to see a law that you have to pull over to use a cell-phone. I've heard that some countries do. How spoiled do people have to be to think of that as a major inconvenience? -As spoiled as most Americans, that's how spoiled.
The idea of anyone squinting at their tiny TV and trying to drive at the same time sounds laughably, obscenely, grotesque. I only fear that Samsung will make them affordable enough for a nation of TV junkies to “fix” constantly.
Maybe we should start writing to Congress early, before the damned things get here. - by Onkudraku
|Onkudraku (2:54pm EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
maybe somebody should kick you in the nads…
This person screws goats…I have proof - by Tommy Tutone
|Hmm (3:14pm EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
When do the High-Def 6.1 Dolby digital surround models come out.
As for danger on the road, come on, you can buy a full fledged DVD entertainment system for your car these days.
Also, most of the high end cars these days use touch screen LCD monitors to does something simply like turn on A/C. So I don't think a phone that can show TV is going to be banned, unless all the other crap you can put into your car is banned too.
Many people can't chew gum and drive at the same time. I know a guy and honestly his mouth doesn't move while he is driving, only when he is stopped at a stop light.
Not to mention all those dames trying to put on makeup in rush-hour traffic.
So, no point in banning anything in the car unless you ban bad drivers in general.
- by Topher
|states (3:30pm EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
is broadcast TV the same frequency in the states and Korea? they may have to retune that little antenna - by k2h
|battery life (3:54pm EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
might as well plug this thing in - by eagle
|Re: k2h (9:55pm EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
Both South Korea and United States use the same TV format: NTSC. You should be able to watch TV using the same. If you tried to use it in other countries that use PAL or SECAM, you probable get a really washed out picture.
- by TV guy.
|Re: Korea??? (12:32am EST Fri Jun 13 2003)
Just like many other Asian countries newer technologies are absorbed much faster in Korea than in North America. Of course Samsung would want to release their product in Korea first. Most high technology products are not released in North America first.
Too many lawyers here to have a faster embrace of technology. In Korea they can LEGALLY watch tv soaps over the internet for free, I've watched it over here in North America….full screen…two years ago. When will our broadcast stations still give us anything like that. - by TX3
|Re: Korea??? (1:01am EST Fri Jun 13 2003)
Don't forget that Samsung is a South Korean company. It's not a suprise at all that they're releasing this in their country first. Would AMD have released the Opteron in Europe first? Didn't think so. - by Macs don't suck
|Last thing I need is (4:01am EST Fri Jun 13 2003)
A TV set in my phone. Except when its Americas Cup time of course. - by Larry Ellison
|the important question is… (8:32am EST Fri Jun 13 2003)
can you watch porn with it and still rub one out? - by me so hoooooney
|Moron? (1:26pm EST Fri Jun 13 2003)
“Korea??? (1:52pm EST Thu Jun 12 2003)
Why would they want to market that in korea? Americans have way more money to buy stuff like that. The US or Japan or Europe would have been a much better choice. Looks like only a rich few in korea can buy it. – by macs suck”
1) Samsung is a Korean company.
|I have used a handheld 2″ LCD TV for years. (4:38pm EST Fri Jun 13 2003)
If you're a sports fan and have other obligations, there's always a time when you have to be at a wedding, … while the Super Bowl is on. I have watched sporting events at many of my children's events. The antenna was the ear buds, but using the wireless connection would be much better. This could be the killer app for these new phones. Also, don't think your getting cable.
I also have 2 conversion vans with TV/VCR combos for the last 5 years. I have never had a problem, but the TVs are behind the drivers view. Even in the camper, TV reception stinks, but we have always used the VCR and on of our 400+ VHS tapes. - by tech
|128M memory stick can hold… (2:27pm EST Sat Jun 14 2003)
130 minutes of MPeg HQX movie. They have 256M sticks but they are expensive & just 2 128M chips in one stick, there's a 128M memory limit. This would allow you to download a movie off the internet or rip from DVD and put it in your phone and watch it wherever. I bought a Sony Cyber-shot for $99 at CC last month and we love sending home movies email. - by tech
|why not in states.. (8:58pm EST Sat Jun 14 2003)
.. because that would be “stealing” of tv signal.. lol - by 1011010
|USA is good for all tech but phones (9:25am EST Mon Jun 16 2003)
its a phone which meens like all phones it will be built to GSM standards first so they can get the most money (GSM covers europe japan korea well basicly all the world but north america) because america is on a diffrent phone system than the rest of the world companys make less money by makeing phones for americans thats why they sell it to the world then maby in 3-4 years time when it's obsolite everware else they can convert it to the US market and sell it there for a hiked up price because every company does this they can get away with it to because its still one of the more advance phones avadable in the states - by rob
|Korea…GSM? (9:08pm EST Mon Jun 23 2003)
Korea and Japan dont use GSM they use CDMA 1x and WCDMA. - by KP
|buy GSM phones (6:52pm EST Thu Nov 13 2003)
please don't mind my witting , time is not on my side.
please we need you send right away some GSM mobile phones, with their prices es to this address.
MR. Joseph emeka uduh.
phones like Nokia 7210i,3310,3210,8310,8350,7250 Samsung T100,R210,R220 LG 510,B1200, Sony ericsson T681,T28,A1018 MotorolaT190,191,V70 Siemens c35,s40 or moderate and affordable ones which you have.
we were too late but we can still make it, this is what happened.
so we want to take the samples you send round offices and know their choice and demands and also buy their minds towards the phones. we pay and you supply us.please make the prices very very okay so we can do it please.
please send also your catalog
080 3 9 5344 - by MR joseph uduh
|What the heck was that??? (1:46pm EST Mon Mar 15 2004)
OK, I guess I am confused by the last post. Well, if you are sending this guy some phones, what the heck, go ahead and send a bunch my way too – who knows, I might use em for something. Preferebly they would have built in TVs, since that is very important for the average phone user. And if they could do dishes and watch the kids, that would be even better. Maybe I can just marry one of those and end all my problems. - by lost soul
|United States!! yeah rite.. (6:50am EST Thu Dec 23 2004)
the us is a very backward country lets face it… we are conservatives!! we dont move forward… south asia is the place to be.. china, hong kong, india, singapore, malaysia, japan….
- by someguy