ATSC mobile TV is ready to roll with nowhere to go
Jan 12, 2009 2:35 PM, By Michael Grotticelli
On the CES show floor, numerous prototype mobile DTV products were on display from Hyundai, Kenwood, LG, NBC Universal, Samsung and Visteon. Other companies had demos by invitation only in their hotel suites.
A co-developer of the ATSC mobile TV standard, LG Electronics announced handheld and mobile receiver products supporting the new candidate standard. The products include an ATSC mobile DTV MP3 player with a 3in touch-screen display, a portable DVD player with a wide 7in LCD swivel screen and integrated ATSC mobile DTV tuner; a mobile phone with a 3in touch-screen display with Electronic Service Guide functions; a mobile phone with a 2.8in dual-touch screen with QWERTY keyboard; and a USB “dongle” receiver for laptop PCs.
LG Electronics also has collaborated with several automotive electronics suppliers, including Kenwood, Visteon, Delphi and Hyundai-Kia, to show technical support for in-car ATSC mobile DTV receivers.
Tough challenges in the air
Howard L. Lance, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Harris, said mobile TV services provide local broadcasters with the ability to reach an increasingly mobile audience and new revenue models that could include the transmission of advertising and news programming to public transit vehicles and nonmoving digital signage displays.
However, broadcasters are facing serious competition in their attempt to establish viable mobile television services.
Qualcomm’s MediaFLO, with Verizon and AT&T — the two major mobile phone carriers as clients, has a considerable head start. At CES, the company announced plans to make its FLO TV service available to more than 200 million viewers across more than 100 markets in the coming year.
MediaFLO plans to work with its wireless operator partners to introduce the service in major markets including Boston, Cleveland, Houston, Miami and San Francisco. The government’s forthcoming (although possibly delayed) DTV transition will free spectrum across the country for the delivery of advanced wireless services, which will fuel the company’s growth.
MediaFLO said research shows that FLO TV viewers are spending an average of more than 20 minutes per day watching television on their phones. This is comparable to the average time U.S. cell phone users spend per day talking on their cell phones, according to CTIA’s Semi-Annual Wireless Industry Survey.
The FLO TV service is available through wireless operators in more than 65 major metropolitan areas nationwide, including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
At CES, Audiovox announced it would make an in-car receiver for MediaFLO broadcasts. The unit, to be available in late 2009, will work with all existing in-car entertainment screens, including seat-back, dashboard and ceiling-mounted versions. There are 20 million U.S. cars with such screens.
Users will pay an undisclosed subscription fee to use the system. Currently, Verizon Wireless and AT&T cellular subscribers with compatible phones can pay $15 per month to receive 10 channels through MediaFLO.
For local broadcasters, getting an M/H test signal on the air by the summer might not be too little too late.| Want to use this article? Click here for options! |  |
