The Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC), an alliance of broadcasters whose mission is to accelerate the development of mobile digital television in the United States, today congratulated the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), for approval of the Mobile DTV specification as a Candidate Standard. The Mobile Candidate DTV Standard allows broadcasters to extend digital broadcast-quality TV to consumers on the go, providing them access to more high quality programming choices, including live, local and national content, by way of mobile and handheld devices.

“The OMVC is thrilled to have advanced through a critical phase in our fast-moving progress toward launching full mainstream mobile DTV in 2009. This crucial vote will allow OMVC members to continue their service development with added direction and focus,” said Anne Schelle, OMVC Executive Director. “We would also like to applaud the ATSC Technology & Standards Group (TSG) for meeting an aggressive standard-setting timeline.”

The Mobile DTV Candidate Standard has been designed to meet broadcaster requirements and meet the objective of launching viable, consumer-facing mobile DTV services in 2009. The technology uses existing broadcast spectrum allowing a mobile stream to be broadcast within a station's digital channel without interfering with existing multicast and standard-definition or high-definition program services. In addition to being able to provide a simulcast broadcast of programming, the standard’s flexible system architecture supports a variety of business models offering limitless convenience opportunities based on interactivity potential, like location-based services, advertising and sell-through transactions, and advanced features such as Push on Demand, Digital Video Recorder, Pay-Per-View, programming guide and extensible storage. Relatively inexpensive transmission facility improvements will allow broadcasters to extend its programming reach to a vast audience of new viewers -- anywhere, anytime, at any speed!

For electronics manufacturers and automakers, the Mobile DTV Candidate Standard serves as a baseline draft of an end-to-end system specification, and its Candidate Standard status signals that the time for device development is now. The OMVC anticipates that consumer electronics industry players will find a wealth of opportunities for new devices and applications in today's mobile consumer lifestyle.

The robust and flexible ATSC Mobile DTV Candidate Standard supports over-the-air delivery of real-time and non-real-time digital broadcast content and data services to next-generation devices, such as cell phones, laptop computers, handheld PDAs, portable media players and gaming devices, plus a variety of automotive opportunities, ranging from factory-installed in-vehicle entertainment systems to dealer-installed and aftermarket entertainment systems and GPS systems enriched with local broadcast receiver capabilities. The OMVC has plans for extensive interoperability testing and trials in various markets nationwide in the months to come.

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.omvc.org.