CELEBRATING MOBILE DTV

Posted on October 2, 2012 in ATSC News

130 TV STATIONS IN 50 MARKETS ON AIR WITH ATSC A/153

As lawmakers joined industry stakeholders on Capitol Hill on Sept. 20 to celebrate the commercial launch of mobile television service, the ATSC applauded the efforts of broadcasters and technology companies in implementing the A/153 Mobile Digital TV Standard.

Less than three years since adoption of the ATSC A/153 standard, more than 130 stations are now on the air with mobile TV in 50 U.S. markets. “TV stations throughout the nation are bringing compelling live, local TV to viewers on the go, thanks to A/153’s flexibility and robust signal. The ATSC is proud of our role in setting the standard for mobile TV,” said ATSC President Mark Richer.

Mobile TV continues to be a primary focus for the ATSC’s standards work.  Next-generation mobile TV will be a key element of the long-term ATSC 3.0 standard, which is expected to be defined in 2013-14.  In the near-term, an emerging ATSC mobile TV standard will make it possible for viewers to receive more than just text alerts when dangerous weather or other emergency conditions threaten public safety. The Mobile Emergency Alert System (M-EAS) enhancements to the A/153 standard will provide capabilities for delivering multimedia alerts (utilizing video, audio, text, and graphics) to mobile DTV-equipped cellphones, tablets, laptops, netbooks and in-car navigation systems.

Landmark Event on Capitol Hill

Broadcasters and their technology partners celebrated the commercial launch of Mobile TV at a Capitol Hill event featuring demonstrations of mobile programming and the newest mobile phones, adapters for tablets and media players, and portable TV sets equipped to receive Mobile TV signals.  The landmark event, hosted by the ATSC and our partners, the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC) and the National Association of Broadcasters, was sponsored by Dyle™ Mobile TV, LG Electronics, Harris, Samsung, the Mobile500 Alliance, Elgato and Rentrak.

More than 150 guests included House Energy and Commerce Congressional speakers Reps. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and John Dingell (D-Mich.).  They delivered strong remarks, focusing on innovation by the ATSC and broadcasters, the one-to-many aspect of mobile TV, and the benefit to consumers of it coming over the broadcast airwaves with no data cap.

“Today, Mobile TV is live in 50 markets reaching more than half of the U.S. population.  Now that the first consumer devices are available in retail stores, we are excited to celebrate the commercial launch of Mobile DTV,” said Vince Sadusky, OMVC President and President and CEO of LIN Media. “Whether you’re watching your favorite primetime show, hearing breaking news as it happens while running Saturday errands or receiving emergency alerts about an approaching storm, Americans will be informed and entertained as never before with TV on the go.”

Mobile TV Now Available for Consumers

With more than 130 stations on the air in 50 U.S. markets, Mobile TV is now available for consumers. New opportunities to extend video watching beyond the living room – like Dyle mobile TV – point out the unique benefits for broadcast spectrum and resolve challenges in our wireless ‘data-cap’ world,” said Salil Dalvi and Erik Moreno, co-General Managers of Mobile Content Venture.  “We’re thrilled to be offering a very compelling, consumer friendly alternative for popular video content.”

Dyle mobile TV is the brand created by the Mobile Content Venture (MCV), a partnership of 12 major broadcast groups, including Belo Corp., Cox Media Group, E.W. Scripps Co., Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst Television Inc., Media General Inc., Meredith Corp., Post-Newsweek Stations Inc. and Raycom Media as well as Fox, ION Television and NBC.  Dyle mobile TV is available from more than 90 stations in 35 markets, reaching approximately 55 percent of the U.S. population.  Consumers will have access to Dyle mobile TV on smartphones, tablets, and in cars.

The event in the Rayburn House Office Building included demonstrations of the first commercial mobile phone equipped with Dyle mobile TV service.  Available now from MetroPCS, the new Samsung Galaxy S® LightrayTM 4G smartphone  keeps consumers informed and entertained while on-the-go and allows them to watch live, local and national sports, news and entertainment broadcast programming on their mobile phones.

New Devices and New Applications

Also demonstrated were new accessory devices to provide mobile TV capability to tablets and media players and a new portable mobile TV equipped with WiFi capability.

The Mobile500 Alliance, whose members include more than 400 commercial and public TV broadcast stations, today demonstrated its My DTV mobile television service.  The service will be available in Seattle and Minneapolis this fall, with other markets to follow.  Mobile television signals are received through an accessory receiver for tablets.  Viewers have access to live, local programming and services on the go.  Closed captioning, live recording and integrated social media are among the available options to enhance viewing for consumers.

“We’re focused on delivering broadcast television to mobile devices so consumers have television when they want it and where they want it,” said Colleen Brown, Mobile500 Alliance chair and president and CEO of Fisher Communications.

The Capitol Hill event also marked the commercialization of M-EAS, which goes far beyond today’s electronic text alerts for mobile devices, offering real-time video, maps, photos, and urgent information in the event of an emergency.  LG Electronics, Harris Broadcast, PBS and WRAL, demonstrated the M-EAS and highlighted the ATSC’s related standardization efforts.

Posted in ATSC News