OneSeg shipments hit 20m

Japanese handset makers have shipped 20 million OneSeg TV devices.

The landmark comes less than two years after the launch of the terrestrial digital TV service for phones. According to Japan’s Telecommunications Carrier Association, the milestone was passed in December, with over one million shipped in that month alone.

OneSeg simulcasts terrestrial TV, so it can be watched on mobile for free. And consumers can even record shows onto a memory card.

OneSeg tuners have also been built into laptops, car navigation systems, MP3 players and electronic dictionaries. There is some disquiet in Japan that the popularity of what is basically a free service will scupper the launch of any future subscription based enhanced proposition. Looks a bit late for that.