Mobile DTV gets a little publicity from Variety Mag

Jay · 09-05-2009, 07:37 AM

Variety Mag posted a great writeup about mobile DTV yesterday.

A couple of highlights from the article,

Quote:

Cell phones, laptop computers and other mobile devices are about to become the next frontier in digital TV in the U.S. as local stations begin to harness the capability to beam out a special signal that can be received by these devices over the air.

Quote:

"It can go into everything from mobile handsets to DVD players for auto backseat viewing," says John Taylor, veep of handset maker LG Electronics. While there are few obstacles to installing such a chip on nonphone devices, its installation on handsets would have to be approved by the carriers, who have been mostly mum on this topic.

Variety spoke with Open Mobile Video Coalition representatives as well,

Exec Director of OMVC, Anne Schelle,

Quote:

"It's a compelling platform," says Schelle, who is able to watch everything those stations air wherever she happens to be in the Washington area. She adds that once the standard is formally adopted later this year by the ATSC, some 70 TV stations across the U.S. will start making their signals available to people on the go.

Executive Committee member of OMVC, John Eck

Quote:

"Ads will be an important aspect of the launch,"..."We need to get this capability out to as many people as possible, and we've learned from others that charging people a high price to see content on the go gives them pause,"

Also, with mobile DTV being a new and different broadcast platform, the rights to watch content have to be specifically granted. Specifically: syndicated programming, network programming, and national sports outfits. Just my opinion here, but if broadcasters were unable to air nationally broadcasted NFL or MLB locally on mobile DTV airwaves...it could cause a potential impact to sales of ATSC-M/H devices.

NYCLA* · 09-05-2009, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay

Also, with mobile DTV being a new and different broadcast platform, the rights to watch content have to be specifically granted. Specifically: syndicated programming, network programming, and national sports outfits. Just my opinion here, but if broadcasters were unable to air nationally broadcasted NFL or MLB locally on mobile DTV airwaves...it could cause a potential impact to sales of ATSC-M/H devices.

It's so ridiculous that any new rights should have to be negotiated. If the signal is being received over the air, and it's a simulcast of what you can watch on television at home, then the cell phone or computer is just another TV

. I mean, I can plug an El Gato eyeTV Hybrid into my Mac and turn it into a TV, no new "rights" need to be negotiated there. And a portable handheld television using standard ATSC needs no new content rights. Yes, those devices are not using ATSC-M/H, but why should a cell phone or laptop using the M/H standard need new rights negotiated for content? One word: greed. Greed on the part of actors, writers, directors, producers and sports organizations looking for a new angle to demand collection of yet another royalty.

Eureka · 09-05-2009, 02:17 PM

Maybe they're afraid cellphone companies will try and charge a fee, in order for "TV" feature to be enabled on a stupid cell phone, and want a cut per subscriber, if it goes that route.


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