Gemstar-TV Guide International has signed a deal with Japanese mobile network KDDI to provide the mobile version of the company’s digital TV guide G-Guide Mobile for OneSeg, a terrestrial digital mobile TV service unique to Japan. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. 1-Seg has been a hit in Japan, with some 20 million OneSeg enabled devices shipped as of December 2007, just two years after its launch. OneSeg simulcasts the country’s terrestrial TV networks, which means users who have an enabled handset can receive the digital service for free. Part of its popularity stems from the fact that the broadcasts are DRM-free, which has allowed handset makers to build recording functions into mobile devices. Consumers can, for example, choose a TV show from an electronic program guide and record the show onto a memory card to watch later. In addition to phones, OneSeg tuners have been built into laptops, car navigation systems, MP3 players and electronic dictionaries (release).

• Shipments of Japan’s Mobile TV Enabled Handsets Hit 20 Million