Broadcasters, Network Operators and Leading Technology Companies to Conduct Consumer Mobile Digital Television Trials
January 08 2008 - 11:15AM
Business Wire
The Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC), an alliance of U.S.
commercial and public broadcasters committed to the development of
mobile digital television, today announced it plans to work with
SES AMERICOM�s IP-PRIME� to test two new mobile digital television
technologies in separate consumer trials in 2008. The two new
technologies are the MPH� (Mobile-Pedestrian-Handheld) platform
jointly developed by LG Electronics and Harris Corporation, and the
A-VSB platform developed by Samsung Electronics, Co. Ltd., and
Rohde & Schwarz, both of which have performed well in
preliminary technical trials conducted by OMVC members. The focus
of the new trials announced today is not only to perform additional
technical trials, but also to test each mobile system with
consumers, and to understand consumer acceptance, behavior and
preferences regarding potential mobile television services and
performance criteria. It is planned that several test markets will
be jointly selected by the OMVC and the leaders of each set of
trials. A sample of consumers will be chosen to receive and test
mobile video content that will be broadcast to mobile and portable
receiver devices, such as cell phones, personal media players and
laptop computers. These consumers will be able to watch a selection
of local and national content and interactive services, and their
usage will be tracked to monitor and better understand their
preferences. At the end of the trial, the OMVC and its partners
will be able to predict consumer usage patterns and system
performance to support the launch of mobile digital television
services targeted for 2009. �Broadcasters are focused on launching
mobile digital television services in 2009, and these consumer
trials are a critical component of our due diligence to determine
the best way to offer mobile television to consumers,� said OMVC
Chairman Brandon Burgess. �We are excited to be working with the
leading networking and technology companies to further that
understanding.� Certain broadcasters among the 800 OMVC member
stations will be selected to provide the transmission
infrastructure and local content for the trials in each market. As
one of the content sources for the OMVC�s consumer trials, SES
AMERICOM will provide mobile broadcast network platform services,
and aggregate and distribute national content, using the expertise
it has developed from its industry leading IP-PRIME� video
distribution platform and from operating a 24-channel mobile
television trial network in Las Vegas in 2007. In MPH trial
markets, Harris Corporation will provide MPH in-band digital
television transmission equipment, and LG Electronics will provide
MPH consumer receiver devices. LG Electronics, LG�s U.S. R&D
subsidiary Zenith, and Harris jointly developed the ATSC-compatible
MPH to provide robust over-the-air DTV signals and data to mobile,
pedestrian and handheld devices. Building on the 8-VSB ATSC DTV
standard developed by Zenith, key MPH capabilities include advanced
channel coding known as �SCCC,� which assures reliable reception of
DTV signals on mobile and portable devices even under severe
Doppler and multipath signal conditions. Among other features, LG�s
�time slicing� technology helps maximize battery life on portable
MPH devices. Setting the stage for the 2008 consumer trials,
MPH-equipped LG-brand mobile phones and portable navigators, as
well as prototype in-car MPH solutions from automotive electronics
leader Kenwood Corporation, are being demonstrated publicly for the
first time this week at the 2008 CES. In A-VSB trial markets,
Samsung�s partner, Rohde & Schwarz, will provide transmission
equipment based on the A-VSB in-band mobile digital television
system, and Samsung will provide A-VSB consumer devices. Additional
partners in the A-VSB trials include interactive service provider
MobiTV and network equipment provider Nokia Siemens Networks, as
well as SES AMERICOM. Samsung developed A-VSB as a proposed open
standard that broadcasters can implement at low cost, and to enable
consumers to enjoy TV everywhere they go: in their car, on a laptop
and on mobile phones and other portable devices. A-VSB technology
builds on the current ATSC transmission standard to enable mobile
TV reception while preserving backward compatibility with current
TV services and receivers. It enables broadcasters to include
multiple �turbo coded� mobile streams along with their
backward-compatible main stream. In addition, the A-VSB technology
eases synchronization of broadcast signal timing of different
towers in an optional Single Frequency Network (SFN). SFNs can
improve broadcast quality with higher uniform signal strength
throughout a service area, even in locations that normally would
have their signals interfered with by obstacles such as hills or
buildings. Dr. Woo Paik, LG Electronics President and Chief
Technology Officer, said, �We are enthusiastic about MPH�s
capability to deliver over-the-air DTV signals of local and
national content, as well as data broadcasting services, to mobile
devices, in addition to providing full HDTV service using the
existing ATSC transmitters and towers. The consumer trials we are
planning to conduct will provide valuable consumer insights for
both broadcasters and device manufacturers to launch the MPH mobile
TV service in 2009.� Howard L. Lance, Chairman, President and CEO
of Harris Corporation, applauded the OMVC consumer trials, saying,
�MPH technology responds to what broadcasters want � an additional
capability that leverages digital technology to reach a very mobile
society. MPH creates a very compelling business model that requires
a comparatively small investment and uses existing content and
infrastructure to significantly expand broadcast coverage area and
available audience.� Peter Cho, Senior Vice President, Digital
Media R&D for Samsung, said, �Samsung was the first to publicly
demonstrate mobile TV using local broadcasters� current frequencies
and transmitters in January 2007, and we are very pleased to be
working with the OMVC in 2008 to help broadcasters successfully
launch exciting new mobile services in 2009.� John Pannucci,
President and COO of Rohde & Schwarz America, said, �Rohde
& Schwarz is pleased to participate in this important effort by
the OMVC, and we look forward to helping broadcasters launch mobile
services in the near future.� Bryan McGuirk, President of Media and
Enterprise Services for SES AMERICOM, said, �Based on our
decades-long heritage of working with broadcasters, we believe that
the delivery of mobile television using digital broadcast TV
spectrum has great potential for broadcasters and consumers. The
OMVC will be a powerful force in readying the broadcast industry as
well as the marketplace for this next-generation TV service.� All
the companies share the common goal of facilitating the development
of mobile television services in the U.S., and have been working
with the OMVC on technical trials. The consumer trials will further
enhance the understanding of market-related issues on how to launch
mobile DTV. Details of the trials, to be held in 2008, will be
announced later. About the Open Mobile Video Coalition The Open
Mobile Video Coalition is a voluntary association of television
broadcasters whose mission is to accelerate the development of
mobile digital video in the United States. The OMVC is composed of
twenty members that own and operate over 450 commercial television
stations, as well as the Association of Public Television Stations,
which represents an additional 360 public television stations.
Membership in the OMVC is open to all U.S.-based television
broadcasters. Members are committed to fostering open competition
in the development of products and services related to television.
For more information, please visit http://www.openmobilevideo.com.
About SES AMERICOM An SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg
Stock Exchange: SESG), SES AMERICOM is North America�s leading
satellite company delivering video, voice and data ubiquitously
across the continent. Building on its thirty year heritage in
broadcast television, the company�s IP-PRIME� solution is the
fastest and most cost effective way for operators to bring IPTV
services to market. This true turnkey solution is supported by
transport agreements for almost 300 television channels, including
more than 30 HD channels, and more than 100 digital music channels,
letting IP-PRIME operators offer a broad range of diverse
programming to their subscribers. For more information, visit
www.ses-americom.com. About Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics
Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication,
digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2006 parent
company sales of US$63.4 billion and net income of US$8.5 billion.
Employing approximately 138,000 people in over 124 offices in 56
countries, the company consists of five main business units:
Digital Appliance Business, Digital Media Business, LCD Business,
Semiconductor Business and Telecommunication Network Business.
Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung
Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips,
mobile phones, and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit
www.samsung.com. About Rohde & Schwarz Rohde & Schwarz is
an independent group of companies specializing in electronics. It
is a leading supplier of solutions in the fields of test and
measurement, broadcasting, radiomonitoring and radiolocation as
well as secure communications. Established more than 70 years ago,
Rohde & Schwarz has a global presence and a dedicated service
network in over 70 countries. It has approx. 7200 employees and
achieved a net revenue of $1.9 billion in fiscal year 2006/2007
(July 2006 to June 2007). Company headquarters are in Munich,
Germany. About LG Electronics LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS)
is a global leader and technology innovator in mobile
communications, consumer electronics and home appliances, employing
more than 82,000 people working in over 110 operations, including
81 subsidiaries around the world. LG Electronics USA, based in
Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is LG�s North American subsidiary. In the
United States, LG Electronics sells a wide range of consumer
electronics (digital display and digital media) products, mobile
phones and digital appliances under LG�s �Life�s Good� marketing
theme. LG�s U.S. R&D subsidiary, Zenith, based in Lincolnshire,
Ill., is a long-time leader in consumer electronics technologies
and a pioneer in digital HDTV. Zenith merged with LG Electronics in
1999. For additional information, please visit www.LGusa.com. About
Harris Corporation Harris is an international communications and
information technology company serving government and commercial
markets in more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne,
Florida, the company has annual revenue of over $4 billion and
16,000 employees � including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists.
Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured
communications� products, systems, and services. Additional
information about Harris Corporation is available at
www.harris.com.
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