If you want more information about the digital television technology for portable and wireless devices that is under consideration by the Open Mobile Video Coalition, that I just wrote about, check out the Associated Press (AP) article on "mobile digital television."
The article discusses both the Advanced-VSB (A-VSB) that was developed by Samsung and Rohde & Schwarz and the Mobile-Pedestrian-Handheld (MPH) digital TV protocol by LG/Zenith Electronics and Harris Corp.
Mark Richer, president of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), says, "Most broadcasters I've talked to feel very strongly that they want to be able to provide digital-TV service directly to mobile and handheld devices using their DTV signal. Many of them think it's extremely important to the future of the broadcasting business, and I happen to personally agree with that."
Competition with cable, satellite, cellular
The article says, "If one or both mobile-DTV systems were to be standardized and commercially implemented, broadcasters could have a competitive advantage over cable and satellite delivery.
"Mobile DTV would also help broadcasters keep pace with new mobile services like Qualcomm's MediaFLO, which already uses UHF broadcast spectrum to provide live network programming to Verizon Wireless customers, and Backseat TV, an in-vehicle service being launched this summer by Sirius Satellite Radio."
There was a great deal of discussion about mobile TV during the recent National Association of Broadcasters' meeting in Las Vegas. As that meeting, Paul Jacobs, the CEO of Qualcomm, was asked by Mark Aitken, an executive with the Sinclair Broadcast Group, if his company would incorporate an ATSC standard in a mobile TV chipset, according to another AP article.
Jacobs is willin'
Jacobs said he would and noted that Qualcomm already has a chip that supports its own MediaFLO standard plus DVB-H and Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting - Handheld. Jacob told Aitken, "If that's the way local [TV programs] gets onto the phone, then more power to you guys....
"We're about putting more capabilities on the phone, as that drives our core chipset business. So the more capabilities, the better. We look forward to working with you."
AP reports that after the meeting Aitken told Jacobs that the CEO of Sinclair, David Smith, would like to meet to discuss the matter, and Jacobs said he'd be interested in such a meeting.
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