[opendtv] Over the Air Mobile DTV Launched

Wow. Unless something just changed, ION over here is still transmitting
its five multicasts, now alongside their M/H offerings. The five are
still listed in Zap2it. Impressive.

Bert

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http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/83152

Over the Air Mobile DTV Launched
06.29.2009.

ION Media announced today that they have initiated over the air mobile
DTV broadcasts in New York City and Washington, D.C. The launch marks
what broadcasters hope is a new and lucrative terrestrial datacasting
service.

The signals are transmitting over-the-air from ION stations WPXN,
Channel 31 in New York City and WPXW in the Washington, D.C. DMA. In
April, the Open Mobile Video Coalition-an organization of broadcasters
and manufacturers promoting an over the air mobile DTV
standard-announced that tests for the standard, which is being voted on
by the ATSC, would commence in Washington D.C. this summer. ION owns
more than 60 stations nationwide.

Other participants in the D.C. area tests include Fox Television
Stations' WDCA-DT, Gannett Broadcasting's WUSA-DT, NBC Universal's
WRC-DT, PBS' WHUT-DT and MHz Networks, Sinclair Broadcast Group's
operated WNUV-DT and National Datacast, a for-profit subsidiary of PBS.
Almost 80 stations nationwide have signed up to test mobile DTV signals.
Four TV stations in Atlanta and Seattle will become model stations for
technical research and development of device interoperability.

For the time being, it's unknown who can receive the signals beyond
industry insiders. Several devices for receiving the mobile DTV signals
(aka "ATSC-MH) were announced at the NAB Show in April, including cell
phones from LG Electronics and Samsung, an LG DVD player an in-car
receiver from Kenwood and a Dell netbook. LG is one of the developers of
ATSC-M/H.

ION said that WPXN is transmitting its mobile stream alongside the
station's HD signal and two multicast channels. The in-band signal has
additional formatting that allows it to be picked up by mobile
receivers.

"The launch of ION's Mobile DTV signals in NYC and D.C. is a pay-off
from the industry's efforts to create a unifying technology standard,"
said Brett Jenkins, ION's vice president of technology. "The Mobile DTV
eco system has now developed to the point that broadcasters are able to
launch beta services, and we're beginning to think through consumer and
business implementations. The work of the Open Mobile Video Coalition
and its broadcast members have made this implementation possible, and we
look forward to working with the industry to capitalize on its
potential."
 
 
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