Mobile TV - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Mobile television usually means television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

watched on a small handheld device. It may be a pay TV

Pay TV

Pay television, premium television, or premium channels refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by both analog and digital cable and satellite, but also increasingly via digital terrestrial and internet television...

service broadcast on mobile phone

Mobile phone

A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...

networks or received free-to-air

Free-to-air

Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...

via terrestrial television

Terrestrial television

Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...

stations from either regular broadcast or a special mobile TV transmission format. Some mobile televisions can also download television shows from the internet, including recorded TV programs and podcast

Podcast

A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...

s which are downloaded and stored on the mobile device for later viewing.

The first pocket sized mobile television was sold to the public by Clive Sinclair

Clive Sinclair

Sir Clive Marles Sinclair is a British entrepreneur and inventor, most commonly known for his work in consumer electronics in the late 1970s and early 1980s....

in January 1977. It was called the Microvision or the MTV-1

MTV-1

The MTV-1 was the first model of a near-pocket sized television. It was developed by Clive Sinclair and was released in 1978.The MTV-1 used a minuscule 2" CRT; making it the smallest CRT built onto a commercially marketed product....

. It had a 2in CRT

Cathode ray tube

The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...

screen and was also the first television which could pick up signals in various countries.

Mobile TV is starting to gain some traction; According to the Harvard Business Review, the growing adoption of smartphones allowed users to watch as much mobile video in three days of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics as they watched throughout the entire 2008 Beijing Olympics- an increase of 564%.

History

The first televisions small enough to fit inside a pocket, the MTV-1

MTV-1

or (Microvision), were made available to the public by Clive Sinclair

Clive Sinclair

Sir Clive Marles Sinclair is a British entrepreneur and inventor, most commonly known for his work in consumer electronics in the late 1970s and early 1980s....

in January 1977. They had a 2in CRT

Cathode ray tube

screen and were also the first televisions which could receive signals in various countries. It measured 102x159x41mm and was sold for less than £100 in the UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

and for around $400 in the US

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The project took over ten years to develop and was funded by around £1.6 million in British Government grants.

Mobile TV is one of the features provided by many 3G

3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...

phones. In 2005, South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

became the first country in the world to have mobile TV when it started satellite DMB (S-DMB

S-DMB

S-DMB is a hybrid version of the Digital Multimedia Broadcasting. The S-DMB uses the S band of IMT-2000. and delivers around 18 channels at 128 kbps in 15 MHz. It incorporates a high power geostationary satellite, the MBSat 1...

) and terrestrial DMB (T-DMB) services on May 1 and December 1, respectively. Today, South Korea and Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

are at the forefront of this developing sector. Mobile TV services were launched by the operator CSL in Hong Kong, March 2006, on the 3G network. BT in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

was the among the first companies outside South Korea to launch Mobile TV in September 2006, although the service was abandoned less than a year later. The same happened to "MFD Mobiles Fernsehen Deutschland", who launched their DMB

Digital Multimedia Broadcasting

Digital Multimedia Broadcasting is a digital radio transmission technology developed in South Korea as part of the national IT project for sending multimedia such as TV, radio and datacasting to mobile devices such as mobile phones...

-based service June 2006 in Germany, and stopped it in April 2008. Also in June 2006, mobile operator 3 in Italy (part of Hutchison Whampoa

Hutchison Whampoa

Hutchison Whampoa Limited or HWL of Hong Kong is a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. HWL is an international corporation with a diverse array of holdings which includes the world's biggest port and telecommunication operations in 14...

) launched their mobile TV service, but opposed to their counterpart in Germany this was based on DVB-H

DVB-H

DVB-H is one of three prevalent mobile TV formats. It is a technical specification for bringing broadcast services to mobile handsets. DVB-H was formally adopted as ETSI standard EN 302 304 in November 2004. The DVB-H specification can be downloaded from the official DVB-H website...

. Sprint started offering the service in February 2006 and was the first US carrier to offer the service. In the US Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless

Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....

and more recently AT&T are offering the service.

Overview

Mobile TV is a service which allows cell phone owners to watch television on their phones from a service provider. Television data can be obtained either through an existing cellular network or a propriety network.

In South Korea, mobile TV is largely divided into satellite DMB (S-DMB

S-DMB

) and terrestrial DMB (T-DMB). Although S-DMB initially had more content, T-DMB has gained much wider popularity because it is free and included as a feature in most mobile handsets sold in the country today.

Mobile TV is also available for consumer

Consumer

Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...

s in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. BSNL introduced this feature for its eastern and north-eastern regions of India. In 2007, it also launched a mobile TV application called "isee". Today, isee is available not only in the four BSNL zones but also to other networks across India (except Reliance and TATA Indicom CDMA services). An individual using a streaming-enabled handset can download or access the WAP

Wireless Application Protocol

Wireless Application Protocol is a technical standard for accessing information over a mobile wireless network.A WAP browser is a web browser for mobile devices such as mobile phones that uses the protocol.Before the introduction of WAP, mobile service providers had limited opportunities to offer...

version of this application on his/her mobile by sending a simple sms "isee" to 57575 or log on to http://www.isee.co.in for further information.

Challenges

Mobile TV usage can be divided into three classes: "fixed" (not moving while watching, but possibly moved when not being watch), "nomadic" (not used when moving fast, for example when walking), and "mobile" (used when moving fast, as in a car or other vehicle); these pose different challenges.

Device Manufacturer's challenges

1. Power consumption: Battery technology for mobile portable devices may be stuck in a race condition. Improved battery life can be used up by the upgraded mobile content and enhanced functions. However, dashtop mobile

Dashtop mobile

Dashtop mobile equipment refers to wireless mobile devices mounted on the vehicle dashboard. Dashtop mobile equipment includes satellite radios, GPS navigation, OnStar, mobile TV, HD radio, vehicle tracking system, MVEDR and Broadband Wireless Access devices. Currently, the dashtop mobile devices...

devices can also be powered by a 12-volt vehicle battery, however vehicle batteries are not a sustainable source of power for mobile devices.

2. Memory: To support the high buffer requirements of mobile TV. Current memory capabilities available will not be suited for long hours of mobile TV viewing. Furthermore, potential future applications like peer-to-peer video sharing

Peer-to-peer video sharing

Peer-to-peer video sharing is a basic service on top of the IP Multimedia Subsystem .Early proprietary implementations might also run a simple SIP infrastructure, too.The GSM Association calls it "Video Share"...

in mobile phones and consumer broadcasting would definitely add to the increasing memory requirements. The existing P2P algorithms won't be enough for mobile devices, necessitating the advent of mobile P2P algorithms. There is one start-up technology that claims patent

Patent

A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....

ability on its mobile P2P, but has not drawn attention from device manufacturers yet.

3. User interface

User interface

The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...

design: A large number of mobile phones do not support mobile TV; users have to purchase new handsets with improved LCD display and user interface that support mobile TV. This new design has to appeal to the end-users and increase the clarity of images without making the handset very bulky. The wider LCD touchscreens will be preferred by end-users and iPhone's popularity in the United States is part of the compelling evidence.

4. Processing power: Device manufacturers should improve the processing power significantly to support a MIPS intensive application like mobile TV.

Content Provider's challenges

The mobile TV industry opens up a new market for the content specifically tailored for mobile TVs. These could include making new mobisodes –mobile episodes of popular shows which are relatively shorter in length (3 to 5 minutes), modifying the content to suit mobile TV.

North America

Mobile TV and mobile digital radio has been a challenge in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

, in part, because of the decision of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission

Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...

(FCC) to use proprietary

Property

Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...

systems instead of the principles of network neutrality

Network neutrality

Network neutrality is a principle that advocates no restrictions by Internet service providers or governments on consumers' access to networks that participate in the Internet...

. This sometimes leads to vendor lock-in

Vendor lock-in

In economics, vendor lock-in, also known as proprietary lock-in or customer lock-in, makes a customer dependent on a vendor for products and services, unable to use another vendor without substantial switching costs...

by mobile phone companies and manufacturers.
The FCC chose the ATSC

ATSC

ATSC standards are a set of standards developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable, and satellite networks....

system for digital TV which, with the choice of 8VSB

8VSB

8VSB is the modulation method used for broadcast in the ATSC digital television standard. ATSC and 8VSB modulation is used primarily in North America; in contrast, the DVB-T standard uses COFDM....

modulation

Modulation

In electronics and telecommunications, modulation is the process of varying one or more properties of a high-frequency periodic waveform, called the carrier signal, with a modulating signal which typically contains information to be transmitted...

, makes mobile reception difficult, because it is heavily prone to multipath interference

Multipath interference

Multipath interference is a phenomenon in the physics of waves whereby a wave from a source travels to a detector via two or more paths and, under the right condition, the two components of the wave interfere...

(which changes rapidly in a mobile reception environment). ATSC-M/H

ATSC-M/H

ATSC-M/H is a standard in the USA for mobile digital TV, that allows TV broadcasts to be received by mobile devices.....

was developed to allow for mobile reception, riding within each TV station's regular MPEG transport stream, and using heavy error correction to compensate for poor signals, while taking space out of the "bit budget" for each station's other digital subchannel

Digital subchannel

In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...

s and/or HDTV. In comparison with DVB-T

DVB-T

DVB-T is an abbreviation for Digital Video Broadcasting — Terrestrial; it is the DVB European-based consortium standard for the broadcast transmission of digital terrestrial television that was first published in 1997 and first broadcast in the UK in 1998...

, there is no hierarchical modulation

Hierarchical modulation

Hierarchical modulation, also called layered modulation, is one of the signal processing techniques for multiplexing and modulating multiple data streams into one single symbol stream, where base-layer symbols and enhancement-layer symbols are synchronously overplayed before...

to allow for LDTV reception, however, the use of MPEG-4

MPEG-4

MPEG-4 is a method of defining compression of audio and visual digital data. It was introduced in late 1998 and designated a standard for a group of audio and video coding formats and related technology agreed upon by the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group under the formal standard ISO/IEC...

Scalable Video Coding

Scalable Video Coding is the name for the Annex G extension of the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video compression standard. SVC standardizes the encoding of a high-quality video bitstream that also contains one or more subset bitstreams. A subset video bitstream is derived by dropping packets from the...

coding in ATSC-M/H allows for scalable resolutions and frame rates. , chipset

Chipset

A chipset, PC chipset, or chip set refers to a group of integrated circuits, or chips, that are designed to work together. They are usually marketed as a single product.- Computers :...

s for ATSC-M/H were not yet in any consumer electronics

Consumer electronics

Consumer electronics are electronic equipment intended for everyday use, most often in entertainment, communications and office productivity. Radio broadcasting in the early 20th century brought the first major consumer product, the broadcast receiver...

devices, but early products using chipsets by LG

LG may refer to:*LG Corp., a South Korean electronics and petrochemicals conglomerate*LG Electronics, an affiliate of the South Korean LG Group which produces electronic products* Lawrence Graham, a London headquartered firm of business lawyers...

and Samsung

Samsung

The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...

were shown at the 2010 CES

CES

CES may stand for:*Closed ecological system, an ecosystem that does not rely on matter exchange with any part outside the system*Constant elasticity of substitution, an economics production function*The ISO 639 code for the Czech language...

and NAB

NAB

NAB may stand for:* Name and address book* National Assessment Bank, an internal exam used by the Scottish Qualifications Authority* National Association of Broadcasters, the industry group representing the commercial radio stations and television stations of the United States** NAB Show, an annual...

Conferences.
The FCC also chose HD Radio

HD Radio

HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...

which, although it uses COFDM and has reasonable mobile reception, does not have provisions for mobile TV as DAB

Digital audio broadcasting

Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....

-T has with DMB-T and is incompatible even with neighboring Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, where the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) already chose DAB in the L band

L band

L band refers to four different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum: 40 to 60 GHz , 1 to 2 GHz , 1565 nm to 1625 nm , and around 3.5 micrometres .-NATO L band:...

. Satellite radio

Satellite radio

Satellite radio is an analogue or digital radio signal that is relayed through one or more satellites and thus can be received in a much wider geographical area than terrestrial FM radio stations...

is also proprietary with no choice made by the FCC regarding the system. MediaFLO

MediaFLO

MediaFLO is a technology developed by Qualcomm for transmitting audio, video and data to portable devices such as mobile phones and personal televisions, used for mobile television...

, which also uses COFDM, is broadcast on UHF TV channel 55, but like satellite TV is encrypted and controlled by conditional access

Conditional access

Conditional Access is the protection of content by requiring certain criteria to be met before granting access to this content...

(provided via the cellular network

Cellular network

A cellular network is a radio network distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver known as a cell site or base station. When joined together these cells provide radio coverage over a wide geographic area...

). Also, it must be purchased as pay TV

Pay TV

for a limited number of cellphones which must have AT&T Mobility or Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless

phone service.

Broadcast mobile DTV development

While MediaFLO uses the TV spectrum and MobiTV

MobiTV

MobiTV, Inc. claims to be a leading provider of "end-to-end mobile media solutions". The MobiTV converged media platform delivers live TV, video on-demand and the ability to download and store content for offline viewing to millions of users on all major wireless networks and major mobile...

used cell phone

Mobile phone

networks, "mobile DTV" (ATSC-M/H) uses the digital TV spectrum.
At the National Association of Broadcasters

National Association of Broadcasters

The National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association, workers union, and lobby group representing the interests of for-profit, over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States...

(NAB) show in April 2007 in Las Vegas

Las Vegas metropolitan area

The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...

, the ATSC

ATSC

ATSC standards are a set of standards developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable, and satellite networks....

and 8VSB

8VSB

8VSB is the modulation method used for broadcast in the ATSC digital television standard. ATSC and 8VSB modulation is used primarily in North America; in contrast, the DVB-T standard uses COFDM....

methods for delivering mobile DTV were shown. A-VSB

A-VSB

A-VSB or Advanced VSB is a modification of the 8VSB modulation system used for transmission of digital television using the ATSC system. One of the constraints of conventional ATSC transmission is that reliable reception is difficult or impossible when the receiver is moving at speeds associated...

(Advanced VSB), from Samsung

Samsung Group

The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...

and Rohde & Schwarz

Rohde & Schwarz

Rohde & Schwarz is an independent group of companies specializing in electronics. Well known as a manufacturer of electronic test equipment, they also manufacture equipment used for broadcasting, radiolocation, and radio communications...

, was shown at the previous year's show. In 2007, LG

LG Group

LG Corp. is the second-largest South Korean conglomerate company following Samsung, and it is headquartered in the LG Twin Towers in Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. LG produces electronics, chemicals, and telecommunications products and operates subsidiaries like LG Electronics, LG Display,...

, whose Zenith Electronics

Zenith Electronics

Zenith Electronics Corporation is a brand of the South Korean company LG Electronics. The company was previously an American manufacturer of televisions and other consumer electronics, and was headquartered in Lincolnshire, Illinois. LG Electronics acquired a controlling share of Zenith in 1995...

came up with 8VSB, introduced (with Harris Group

Harris Corporation

Harris Corporation is a Florida-based international communications equipment company that produces wireless equipment, electronic systems, and both terrestrial and spaceborne antennas for use in the government, defense, and commercial sectors. It is also the largest private-sector employer in...

) its Mobile-Pedestrian-Handheld

MPH (ATSC)

MPH inband mobile digital television is a technology jointly developed by Harris Corporation, LG Electronics, Inc. and its U.S. research subsidiary, Zenith Electronics...

(MPH) system.
As the broadcast networks began making their content available online, mobile DTV meant stations would have another way to compete. Sinclair Broadcast Group

Sinclair Broadcast Group

The Sinclair Broadcast Group is an American telecommunications company that operates the largest number of local television stations in the United States. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, it owns a total of 57 stations across the country in 35 primarily small and medium markets, many of...

tested A-VSB in fall 2006, and its KVCW

KVCW

KVCW, branded as The CW Las Vegas, is the CW-affiliated television station for Las Vegas. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 29 from a transmitter in Henderson, Nevada southwest of I-515/U.S. 93/U.S. 95...

and KVMY

KVMY

KVMY, branded as MyLVTV is a full-service television station in Las Vegas, Nevada, broadcasting locally in digital on UHF channel 22 as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. Founded March 8, 1982, the station is owned and operated by the Sinclair Broadcast Group...

were participating in the mobile DTV product demonstrations at the NAB show. A-VSB had worked in bus

Bus

A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...

es at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show

Consumer Electronics Show

The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...

.
ION Media Networks

ION Media Networks

ION Media Networks is an American television broadcasting company that owns and operates over 60 television stations in most major American markets. It is now a privately owned company.-History:...

started a test station on channel 38, which was to be used for digital LPTV, to use for a single-frequency network

Single-frequency network

A single-frequency network or SFN is a broadcast network where several transmitters simultaneously send the same signal over the same frequency channel.-Overview:...

(SFN). In some areas, more than one TV transmitter would be needed to cover all areas.
Mobile DTV could have been used at that time because it would not affect HDTV reception. A single standard, however, had to be developed.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2009, the first prototype

Prototype

A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...

devices from LG and other manufacturers were demonstrated, including receivers for cars from Kenwood, Visteon

Visteon

Visteon is one of the world's largest suppliers of automotive parts. The company formed in 1997 and spun off from the Ford Motor Company in 2000. In 2005, Visteon moved to new headquarters in Van Buren Township, Michigan...

and Delphi

Delphi (auto parts)

Delphi Automotive PLC is an automotive parts company headquartered in Troy, Michigan, USA. Delphi is one of the world's largest automotive parts manufacturers and has approximately 146,600 employees ....

. It was announced that 63 stations in 22 markets would debut the service in 2009. Gannett Broadcasting president David Lougee pointed out that many of those attending the inauguration of Barack Obama

Inauguration of Barack Obama

The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in Washington, D.C., marked the commencement of the four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joe...

would likely hear him but not see him; had the new technology been in place, this would not have been a problem.
In April 2009, the Open Mobile Video Coalition

Open Mobile Video Coalition

The Open Mobile Video Coalition is a consortium founded to advance free broadcast mobile television in the United States. It was created by TV stations to promote the ATSC-M/H television standard to consumers, electronics manufacturers, the wireless industry, and the Federal Communications...

, made up of over 800 broadcast stations, selected four test stations: Gannett's WATL and ION's WPXA-TV in Atlanta

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

, and Fisher Communications

Fisher Communications

Fisher Communications is a media company in the United States. Based in Seattle, Washington, the company owns a number of radio and television stations in the Western United States.- Radio Stations :- Television Stations :...

' KOMO-TV

KOMO-TV

KOMO-TV, virtual channel 4, is a television station in Seattle, Washington. It is an affiliate of ABC and broadcasts on digital channel 38. KOMO-TV is the flagship station of Fisher Communications, and its studios and offices are co-located with sister radio stations KOMO , KVI , and KPLZ-FM ...

and Belo

Belo

Belo Corp. is a Dallas-based media company that owns 20 commercial broadcasting television stations and two regional 24-hour cable news television channels. The company was previously known as A.H. Belo Corp. after one of the early owners of the company, Alfred Horatio Belo, now the name of the...

's KONG-TV

KONG-TV

KONG, virtual channel 16, is a television station based in Seattle, Washington. Owned by the Belo Corporation, KONG's city of license is Everett, Washington...

in Seattle

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

. WPXA had begun mobile DTV broadcasting on April 1. The others would start in May.
Later in 2009, ION said it was making available HDTV, standard definition

Digital terrestrial television

Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...

and Mobile DTV streams using its affiliates in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

and Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

The "triple-play" concept was part of an effort to create a Mobile DTV standard. At the time, only those with prototype receivers could pick up the streams.
ION Chairman and CEO Brandon Burgess said mobile DTV lets stations "think beyond the living room

Living room

A living room, also known as sitting room, lounge room or lounge , is a room for entertaining adult guests, reading, or other activities...

and bring live television and real time information to consumers wherever they may be."
The Advanced Television Systems Committee started work on mobile DTV standards in May 2007, and manufacturers and sellers worked quickly to make the new technology a reality. The OMVC persuaded LG and Samsung to work together starting in May 2008 so that differing systems (possibly a self-destruct

Self-destruct

A self-destruct is a mechanism which causes a device to destroy itself under a predefined set of circumstances.Self-destruct mechanisms are also found on devices and systems where malfunction could endanger large numbers of people...

ing format war

Format war

A format war describes competition between mutually incompatible proprietary formats that compete for the same market, typically for data storage devices and recording formats for electronic media. It is often characterized by political and financial influence on content publishers by the...

) would not delay or kill the technology.
Early in July 2009, the ATSC Technology and Standards Group approved the ATSC-M/H

ATSC-M/H

ATSC-M/H is a standard in the USA for mobile digital TV, that allows TV broadcasts to be received by mobile devices.....

standard for mobile DTV which all members green-lighted October 15. The public could be using the new devices by 2010, though watching TV on cell phones seemed unlikely in the near future since telephone manufacturers did not yet include that capability. The technology was expected to be used for poll

Opinion poll

An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...

s and even voting

Voting

Voting is a method for a group such as a meeting or an electorate to make a decision or express an opinion—often following discussions, debates, or election campaigns. It is often found in democracies and republics.- Reasons for voting :...

. By the end of the year, the ATSC and the Consumer Electronics Association

Consumer Electronics Association

The Consumer Electronics Association is a standards and trade organization for the consumer electronics industry in the United States. The Consumer Electronics Association is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $173 billion U.S...

began identifying products meeting the standard with "MDTV".
Paul Karpowicz, NAB Television Board chairman and president of Meredith Broadcast Group, said

This milestone ushers in the new era of digital television broadcasting, giving local TV stations and networks new opportunities to reach viewers on the go. This will introduce the power of local broadcasting to a new generation of viewers and provide all-important emergency alert, local news and other programming to consumers across the nation.

Later in July, the first multi-station tests began in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

, while single stations in New York City and Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...

already offered mobile DTV. The OMVC chose Atlanta's WATL and Seattle's KONG as "model stations" where product testing could take place. 70 stations in 28 media market

Media market

A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...

s planned streams by the end of 2009.
The Washington test would involve WPXW-TV, WUSA

WUSA (TV)

WUSA is a television station broadcasting on channel 9 in Washington, D.C.. Owned by the Gannett Company, WUSA is an affiliate of the CBS television network, and the longest-tenured affiliate of that network...

, WDCA

WDCA

WDCA, virtual channel 20, is a television station in Washington, D.C.. Owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, WDCA is a sister station to Fox network outlet WTTG , and is affiliated with the co-owned MyNetworkTV programming service...

, WRC-TV

WRC-TV

WRC-TV, channel 4, is an owned and operated television station of the NBC television network, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...

, WHUT-TV

WHUT-TV

WHUT-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station in the Washington, D.C. area. The station is owned and operated by Howard University, a historically black college. The studios are on the Howard University campus.-History:...

, WNUV

WNUV

WNUV, digital channel 40, is an affiliate of the CW Television Network, located in Baltimore, Maryland. WNUV is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting, but is operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group through a local marketing agreement with Fox affiliate WBFF . However, WNUV is effectively owned by...

in Baltimore

Baltimore

Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

, and WNVT, a part of MHz Networks

MHz Networks

MHz Networks is a Northern Virginia based independent, non-commercial educational broadcaster operated by Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation. The legal broadcast callsigns for the two stations of MHz Networks are WNVC and WNVT...

, a multicasting service. All of the stations would have two of more channels each, with "electronic service guide

Electronic program guide

Electronic program guides and interactive program guides provide users of television, radio, and other media applications with continuously updated menus displaying broadcast programming or scheduling information for current and upcoming programming...

and alert data" among the services.
20 sellers of equipment would use these stations to test using the existing standard, but testing the final standard would come later, and tests by the public would happen in 2010, when many more devices would be ready. Obviously, manufacturing large numbers of the devices could not take place without the final standard. LG, however, began mass-producing chips in June.
ION technology vice president Brett Jenkins said, "We're really at a stage like the initial launch of DTV back in 1998. There are almost going to be more transmitters transmitting mobile than receive devices on the market, and that's probably what you'll see for the next six to nine months."
Devices would eventually include USB dongle

Dongle

A software protection dongle is a small piece of hardware that plugs into an electrical connector on a computer and serves as an electronic "key" for a piece of software; the program will only run when the dongle is plugged in...

s, netbook

Netbook

Netbooks are a category of small, lightweight, legacy-free, and inexpensive laptop computers.At their inception in late 2007 as smaller notebooks optimized for low weight and low cost — netbooks omitted certain features , featured smaller screens and keyboards, and offered reduced computing...

s, portable DVD players

Portable DVD Player

Portable DVD Player is the name given to any portable device whose primary function is the playing of DVDs.-History:...

and in-car displays.
White House

Executive Office of the President of the United States

The Executive Office of the President consists of the immediate staff of the President of the United States, as well as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the President. The EOP is headed by the White House Chief of Staff, currently William M. Daley...

officials and members of Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

saw the triple-play concept in an ION demonstration on July 28, 2009 in conjunction with the OMVC. Another demonstration took place October 16, 2009 with journalists, industry executives and broadcasters riding around Washington, D.C. in a bus with prototype devices. Included were those who would be testing the devices in the Washington and Baltimore markets in January 2010.
On August 7, 2009, BlackBerry

BlackBerry

BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...

service began on six TV stations--WISH-TV

WISH-TV

WISH-TV, virtual channel 8, is the CBS-affiliated television station for Central Indiana licensed to Indianapolis. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, WISH-TV is part of a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate WNDY-TV and the two share studios on North Meridian Street at the north end of Indianapolis'...

in Indianapolis

Indianapolis

Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

; WAVY-TV

WAVY-TV

WAVY-TV, channel 10, is a television station licensed to Portsmouth, Virginia, serving as the NBC affiliate for the Hampton Roads area . WAVY is owned by LIN Television Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox affiliate WVBT...

in Hampton Roads, Virginia; KRQE

KRQE

KRQE, digital channel 13, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving the Albuquerque, New Mexico television market; the station is owned by LIN TV Corporation and is sister station to Fox affiliate KASA-TV...

in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...

; WANE-TV

WANE-TV

WANE-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Northern Indiana licensed to Fort Wayne. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 31 from a transmitter at studios on West State Boulevard in Northwest Fort Wayne/Tower Heights section of the city. The station can also be...

in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...

; WALA-TV

WALA-TV

WALA-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for Southern Alabama, Southeastern Mississippi, and the Western Florida Panhandle that is licensed to Mobile. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 9 from a transmitter in Spanish Fort, Alabama...

in Mobile, Alabama

Mobile, Alabama

Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...

; and KXAN-TV

KXAN-TV

KXAN-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Austin, Texas. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 21 from a transmitter in the West Austin Antenna Farm north of West Lake Hills. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, the station is sister to MyNetworkTV affiliate KBVO and...

in Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

. 27 other stations will eventually offer the service, and LIN TV, which developed the BlackBerry service, has an iPhone

IPhone

The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...

application planned. By October, 30 stations were airing mobile DTV signals, and that number was expected to be 50 by year-end. Also in the same month, FCC chair Julius Genachowski announced efforts to increase the amount of spectrum available to wireless services.
Also in August, WTVE

WTVE

WTVE, Channel 25 , is a Reading, Pennsylvania television station that has been in operation since May 4, 1980 Its schedule consists mostly of infomercials and paid religious programs. It also simulcasts Real Politics Live and Richard French Live which are produced by sister station WRNN in...

and Axcera began testing a single-frequency network

Single-frequency network

A single-frequency network or SFN is a broadcast network where several transmitters simultaneously send the same signal over the same frequency channel.-Overview:...

(SFN) with multiple transmitters using the new mobile standard. The RNN

WRNN-TV

WRNN-TV is an American independent television station licensed to Kingtson, New York.Broadcasting on digital channel 48, WRNN broadcasts a schedule of mainly infomercials and home-shopping programming. The station's studios are located in Rye Brook, New York, and its transmitter is based on Beacon...

affiliate in Reading, Pennsylvania

Reading, Pennsylvania

Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...

had used this concept since 2007.
Richard Mertz of Cavell, Mertz & Associates says VHF won't work as well for mobile DTV because a 15-inch antenna or some other solution would be required, although he has heard from people who had no problems. An amplified antenna or higher power for the transmitting station would likely be needed, as well as repeater stations

Broadcast relay station

A broadcast relay station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator , rebroadcaster , or repeater is a broadcast transmitter which relays, repeats, or reflects the signal of another radio station or television station, usually to an area not covered by the signal of the originating station...

where terrain is a problem.
Lougee, whose company planned testing in its 19 markets in 2010, said the chip designs with the new devices made targeted advertising

Targeted advertising

Targeted advertising is a type of advertising whereby advertisements are placed so as to reach consumers based on various traits such as demographics, purchase history, or observed behavior....

possible.
In December 2009, Concept Enterprises introduced the first Mobile DTV tuner for automobiles. Unlike earlier units, this one will provide a clear picture without pixilation in a fast-moving vehicle, using an LG M/H chip and a one-inch roof-mounted antenna. No subscription wil be required.
Also in December, the Consumer Electronics Association

Consumer Electronics Association

hosted a "plugfest" in Washington, D.C. to allow manufacturers to test various devices. More than 15 companies, and engineers from different countries, tested four transmission systems, 12 receiver systems, and four software types.
On December 1, News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch

Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....

said mobile DTV would be important to the future of all journalism, and he planned to offer TV and possibly newspaper

Newspaper

A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...

content in this way.
At the January 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, NAB head Gordon H. Smith disputed the idea that broadcasting's days were numbered, calling mobile DTV the proof over-the-air television would continue its popularity. He said people would use cell phones and other devices to watch, and broadcast technology would be the best way to do this. Wireless broadband, which some wanted to replace broadcasting, would not be able to handle the demand for video services. ION's Burgess showed off one of the first iPhone

IPhone

s capable of receiving mobile DTV, while ION's Jenkins showed an LG Maze and a Valups

Valups

Valups Corporation is a company based in Seoul, Korea which makes products for watching mobile television.-About the company:Valups was spun off from iCube Corporation in 2008, and as such has the right to use that company's intellectual property in developing IPTV products, including home...

Tivit; the latter sends signals to the iPod Touch

IPod Touch

The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...

and will soon work with the Google

Google

Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...

Nexus

Nexus One

The Nexus One was Google's flagship smartphone manufactured by Taiwan's HTC Corporation. It became available on January 5, 2010 and uses the Android open source mobile operating system...

.
Sinclair Broadcast Group

Sinclair Broadcast Group

director of advanced technology Mark Aitken said the mobile DTV concept of multiple transmitters would help free up spectrum for wireless broadband in rural areas but not large cities. He also explained to the FCC that mobile DTV was the best method for sending out live video to those using cell phones and similar devices.
The OMVC's Mobile DTV Consumer Showcase began May 3, 2010 and lasted all summer. Nine stations planned to send out 20 programs, including local and network shows as well as cable programs, to Samsung Moment phones. Dell Netbooks and Valups Tivits also received programming.
On September 23, 2010, Media General began its first MDTV service at WCMH-TV

WCMH-TV

WCMH-TV, channel 4, is a television station in Columbus, Ohio, affiliated with the NBC television network and owned by Media General. The station's studios and transmitter are located in Columbus. NBC-4 broadcasts from its studio and office complex near the Ohio State University on Olentangy River...

in Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

, and a month later had plans to do the same at WFLA-TV

WFLA-TV

WFLA-TV, virtual channel 8, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida. WFLA is the only station in the market to be...

in the Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...

area. However, viewers still had few choices for using the service, and they needed to be made aware the service existed.

On November 19, 2010, a joint venture known as the Mobile Content Venture announced plans to improve the capabilities of TV stations in 20 markets representing 40 percent of the United States population by the end of 2011.

Brian Lawlor, a Scripps TV

E. W. Scripps Company

The E. W. Scripps Company is an American media conglomerate founded by Edward W. Scripps on November 2, 1878. The company is headquartered inside the Scripps Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its corporate motto is "Give light and the people will find their own way."On October 16, 2007, the company...

senior vice president, said that in September 2011, Scripps stations would offer an app

Mobile apps

Mobile apps, also called mobile applications, are software applications, usually designed to run on smartphones and tablet computers. They are available through application distribution platforms which are typically operated by the owner of the mobile operating system, such as the App Store,...

allowing people with an iPhone

IPhone

or iPad

IPad

The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...

to see emergency information (such as a weather bulletin) in the event of a power outage.

Mobile TV standards

Terrestrial

DVB-H
DVB-H
DVB-H is one of three prevalent mobile TV formats. It is a technical specification for bringing broadcast services to mobile handsets. DVB-H was formally adopted as ETSI standard EN 302 304 in November 2004. The DVB-H specification can be downloaded from the official DVB-H website...

(Digital Video Broadcasting - Handheld) - Europe, Asia
ATSC-M/H
ATSC-M/H
ATSC-M/H is a standard in the USA for mobile digital TV, that allows TV broadcasts to be received by mobile devices.....

(ATSC Mobile/Handheld) - North America
T-DMB
Digital Multimedia Broadcasting
Digital Multimedia Broadcasting is a digital radio transmission technology developed in South Korea as part of the national IT project for sending multimedia such as TV, radio and datacasting to mobile devices such as mobile phones...

(Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcast) - South Korea
1seg
1seg
is a mobile terrestrial digital audio/video and data broadcasting service in Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru. Service began experimentally during 2005 and commercially on April 1, 2006. In Brazil, the broadcast started in late 2007 in just a few cities, with a slight difference from...

(One Segment) - Mobile TV system on ISDB-T
ISDB-Tmm (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting - Terrestrial Mobile Multimedia) - Japan
MediaFLO
MediaFLO
MediaFLO is a technology developed by Qualcomm for transmitting audio, video and data to portable devices such as mobile phones and personal televisions, used for mobile television...

- launched in US, trialled in UK and Germany
DMB-T/H
DMB-T/H
DTMB is the TV standard for mobile and fixed terminals used in the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong and Macau. Although at first this standard was called DMB-T/H , the official name is DTMB.DTT broadcasting systems...

- China and Hong Kong
DAB-IP
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....

(Digital Audio Broadcast) - UK
iMB
Integrated Mobile Broadcast
Integrated Mobile Broadcast is a mobile wireless technology that enables broadcast of content at the cellular transmitter level, using the 3G or 4G licenced radio spectrum, and received on mobile terminals....

(Integrated Mobile Broadcast, 3GPP MBMS)

Satellite

DVB-SH
DVB-SH
DVB-SH, Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite services to Handhelds, is a physical layer standard for delivering IP based media content and data to handheld terminals such as mobile phones or PDAs, based on a hybrid satellite/terrestrial downlink and for example a GPRS uplink...

(Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite for Handhelds)
S-DMB
S-DMB
S-DMB is a hybrid version of the Digital Multimedia Broadcasting. The S-DMB uses the S band of IMT-2000. and delivers around 18 channels at 128 kbps in 15 MHz. It incorporates a high power geostationary satellite, the MBSat 1...

(Satellite Digital Multimedia Broadcast) - South Korea
CMMB (China Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting) - China

The European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

adopted DVB-H

DVB-H

/DVB-SH

DVB-SH

DVB-SH, Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite services to Handhelds, is a physical layer standard for delivering IP based media content and data to handheld terminals such as mobile phones or PDAs, based on a hybrid satellite/terrestrial downlink and for example a GPRS uplink...

over other versions of the technology in 2008.

External links

EU back mobile TV standard
Economics Digital TV Development: Techno-Economic Analyses and Generic Modelling, covering also Mobile TV; Growth factors.
Mobiletvworld
Mobile TV Software
MDTVSignalMap.com Listings of currently-available or future Mobile DTV signals, by city/region
RabbitEars.info Listings of currently-available or future Mobile DTV signals, by city/region

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

History

Overview

Challenges

North America

Broadcast mobile DTV development

Mobile TV standards

See also

External links