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Free Mobile TV to Debut in Washington
(20 Apr 2009, BWCS Staff)Washington DC is to be the first US city to receive free digital TV broadcasts to mobile phones. An announcement is expected later today from a group of broadcasters that they intend to start offering Mobile DTV services to consumers with cell phones, laptop computers and in-car entertainment systems. The service is expected to go live in the Federal capital by late summer and will take content from five local TV companies and local affiliates of national stations.
However, while the TV companies are set to press ahead with the service it is not clear which devices will be able to receive the pictures. Cell phones are of course favourite for the service but the big two mobile operators in the US already have their own mobile TV system up and running and will not welcome free competition.
Giant PC maker and wannabe mobile handset manufacturer Dell says that it will demonstrate a prototype "small laptop" with a built-in mobile DTV receiver at the Vegas Broadcaster Show this week. Korean companies LG Electronics and Samsung are also supporters of the technology. Kenwood Corp is said to be developing receivers for in-car TV services, presumably for the passengers.
The backers of the Washington trial, the Open Mobile Video Coalition, said they chose the capital as the test market because it is has a high proportion of technically well-educated and adept consumers who pay close attention to local news and current affairs.
Broadcasts using new "mobile DTV" technology are expected to begin in late summer from five stations: local affiliates of CBS, NBC, PBS and Ion and one independent station owned by Fox. The system is set to be replicated in over 20 other major US cities by the end of the year, covering 39% of the US population.
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