[opendtv] Mobile DTV Consumer Trial Gets Underway in Washington

From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 15:49:02 -0500
http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/100370

Mobile DTV Consumer Trial Gets Underway in Washington
05.07.2010.

The Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC) this week launched its "Consumer 
Showcase" program, which is designed to build public awareness about the 
potential of Mobile DTV service. The event officially kicked off May 3 in the 
nation's capitol, and is a collaborative effort by the OMVC and nine Washington 
D.C.-area television stations.

The initiative will provide viewers with an opportunity to view local digital 
TV broadcasts on a variety of mobile devices, including specially-equipped cell 
phones, netbooks, portable media players, as well as on conventional laptop 
computers, iPhones and iPads via a special adapter.

"The Consumer Showcase is a major milestone in the two decade-long effort by 
the broadcast industry to build the world's most advanced digital television 
system for the benefit of all Americans," said Brandon Burgess, chief executive 
officer of ION Media Networks and chairman of the OMVC. "The Consumer Showcase 
is a truly exciting demonstration of the types of services that broadcasters 
will deploy across the country in the next few years, bringing a new era of 
television to the U.S,"

Placing the trials in Washington, D.C. is no accident. As broadcasters attempt 
to convince the FCC and legislators of the importance of free over-the-air 
broadcasting in lieu of the commission's plans to recoup a portion of the 
broadcast spectrum for mobile broadband, the Washington trial will "enable us 
to go to Congressional offices and show them the future," NAB President Gordon 
Smith said at an OMVC gathering at the NAB Show last month. "The amazing thing 
is that in this post-9/11 world, a local TV service will be available to 
[consumers] on cellphones and BlackBerrys."

As part of the initiative, OMVC will distribute a limited number of Samsung 
Moment cell phones and Dell 10-inch notebooks to consumers, and also plans to 
stage consumer focus groups involving LG's Mobile DTV/portable DVD players and 
the Valups Tivizen WiFi adapters. Consumers picked for the trials were culled 
from Sprint Mobile's subscriber list.

Programs being offered in the summer-long Capitol-area demo include local CBS, 
NBC, Fox, My Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Univision, PBS Mobile, PBS Kids, CW network 
shows, weather radar scans, and more. Participating televisions will be 
transmitting more than 20 program choices as part of Consumer Showcase 
activities. The event will also feature demonstrations of the system's 
potential for viewer interactivity, including interactive advertising, voting 
and polling.
 
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways:

- Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at 
FreeLists.org 

- By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word 
unsubscribe in the subject line.
[opendtv] Mobile DTV Consumer Trial Gets Underway in Washington

Other related posts:
