Motorola has invested in an Italian company that makes portable media players, and also has a mobile TV Software Engine which meets several emerging mobile TV and digital rights management (DRM) standards.

Motorola did not quantify the extent of its investment, made through Motorola Ventures, its venture capital arm, in Italian company Quantum SPA.

Quantum has developed a series of DVB-H mobile TV media players, some aimed specifically for use in vehicles. The products allow consumers access to both live TV, as well as on-demand clips and programs saved on a DVR.

DVB-H is a standard used in Europe and elsewhere, but has yet to be successfully commercialized in the United States.

John O'Donohue, managing director, Motorola Ventures said, “Motorola will leverage its relationship with Quantum to enable pay TV broadcasters and mobile network operators to offer their subscribers compelling services leveraging the convergence of Mobile TV.”

More Broadband Direct:

• Canoe to start with $150M pot; project seeks CEO 

• Harmonic’s Rhozet transcoding picked by thePlatform 

• OpenTV board appoints Bennett as CEO 

• Bell Mobility trials Alcatel-Lucent’s mobile wireless network management system 

• Motorola invests in mobile TV company 

• Level 3 co-founder and COO resigns 

• Tandberg has piece of Multimedia Polska VOD 

• Broadband Briefs for 3/10/08