Free TV to a portable or car device is getting some buzz, finally. Mobile DTV— the free over-the-air TV service for portables and car TVs—got a lift today as a group of leading broadcasters said they will develop a special service to deliver content over Mobile DTV. (see video below)
The group will create news, sports and entertainment that will broadcast to portable TVs, car TVs, smartphones, netbooks, etc. Participating are Belo Cox Media, E.W. Scripps, Fox, Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst Television, ION Television, Media General, Meredith, NBC, Post-Newsweek Stations and Raycom Media.
Their plan is to pool together some spectrum to create the service. Nine of the stations also created a new company, Pearl Mobile DTV Company LLC, for the new service.
“This is truly the next generation of local television service,” said David Barrett, Hearst TV president and CEO.
Probably the first Mobile DTV receiver to hit the market will be a $149 hot spot that can send Mobile DTV programming to a WiFi device such as a smartphone or netbook. Called the Tivizen from Valups it will be sold this May on Amazon and eBay. LG, Samsung, Audiovox, Dell and others have also announced Mobile DTV products and a trial/showcase of the Mobile DTV service will launch May 3 in Washington DC.
The catch for Mobile DTV is that broadcasters must convert their equipment to broadcast in the new service. About 45 out of 1,600 have done so to date.
On the car side Concept is offering a $499 car TV tuner, and Vizualogic will provide a Mobile DTV device. Audiovox expects to ship in the first half a DT910 portable DVD player with built-in Mobile DTV.
LG’s portable TV is the DP570MH. It has a clamshell-style screen, which folds down when not in use. It can also play DVDs and CDs and claims 2.5 hours of use in TV mode or 4.5 hours in DVD. It’s scheduled to debut later this year.
For those following the Mobile DTV launch, you know that TV spectrum has become a limited commodity in light of the FCC’s plan last month to siphon off spectrum from TV broadcasters to beef up spectrum for broadband use (as the nation is rapidly running out of broadband capacity), something which did not please the broadcasters at all.
The spectrum for the service will come from Fox, NBC & Telemundo, and ION plus the nine local broadcast groups (Belo, Cox, E.W. Scripps, Gannett, Hearst, Media General, Meredith, Post Newsweek and Raycom).
Photo caption: LG’s 7-inch LG portable TV/DVD player is due later this year at an expected $249.
Source: Brainerd Communicators press release and CEoutlook
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