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Mobile DTV ‘Dyles’ Up 2012 Devices

LAS VEGAS – The ATSC Mobile DTV Standard will transform into a multifaceted
platform replete with conditional access security, device authentication and
backchannel communication access this week at International CES.

The long-planned new capabilities were established as part of the
two platforms being developed through separate broadcaster groups – the Mobile
Content Venture (MCV), which developed its Dyle system, and the Mobile 500
Alliance, which is working on its own similar platform due for a fourth-quarter
introduction from its 420-member TV stations.

The two systems are not expected to interfere with each other,
and will require some form of backchannel capability for device authentication
and a variety of interactive capabilities.

The first fruits of those systems were ready for primetime Sunday
night at the CES Unveiled event, and will be on display through the show in the
Mobile DTV TechZone (Central Hall 13546).

Among the new offerings are the following:

MetroPCS Communications

and the

MCV

will show live mobile
digital broadcast TV services soon to be available in MetroPCS markets to
customers who have purchased a forthcoming

Samsung

Android-based smartphone with Dyle support.

Dyle will enable mobile consumers to watch live national and
local news, sports, and entertainment programming via a broadcast television
signal.

Dyle Mobile TV is the brand
adopted by the MCV, which is owned by 12 broadcast groups representing 281
stations, and by two other TV broadcasters. The broadcasters plan to launch
Dyle service through 72 stations that reach 50 percent of the U.S. population.

The

Mobile500 Alliance

has
developed an application for iOS devices supporting audience measurement, EPG
data, channel logos, interstitial ads and banner ads. Live recording and time
shifting of over-the-air Mobile DTV content will be included through DVR-like
functionality built into the app.

The system will support both in-the-clear and encrypted SD
programming from up to four channels per broadcaster at a time. The alliance
said it also plans to have Android adapters soon.

The initial solutions are small tuner adapter/dongles for iPhones
and iPads that will run a TV app from

Elgato

,
incorporate an MDTV chip from

Siano

,
and use

Expway’s

FastESG middleware.
At the local television station, the MDTV head-end is powered by Expway’s ESG
delivery server.

Beta testing is planned to begin soon in Seattle, and a full
system rollout is expected to begin in the fourth quarter.

The Mobile500 exhibit will also include

Opanga Networks

and its NetRover Mobile DVR content distribution
platform, which utilizes a consumer’s 3G/4G/Wi-Fi connection to pre-position
movie and TV content into mobile device memory.

The alliance plans to offer a lineup of two to three local and
national channels and plans to eventually expand to 15 to 20.

VOXX’s Audiovox

will
demonstrate an in-car ATSC-MH Mobile Video System – a self-contained blackbox
solution with a built-In Wi-Fi receiver to access premium channels (gated by
new conditional access security technology). The device will also permit access
to all ATSC-M/H free over-the-air channels, and will periodically connect to
the broadcaster via Wi-Fi hotspots and smartphones for device authentication.

Digital Stream’s RCA

brand is introducing a flat-panel receiver designed for both over-the-air
Mobile DTV reception and Internet connectivity.

The RCA MIT700 will be released later in the year, at a price to
be announced, featuring a thin design, Android operating system and a
conditional access security system.

Among other Mobile DTV announcements were a number of
applications presented by

LG Electronics

,
one of the core developers of the Mobile DTV platform.

LG is showing Mobile DTV applications for social-media
interaction and instantaneously updated digital signage using portions of the
mobile broadcast stream.

LG’s Mobile DTV social-networking application would use Tweet-TV
messages to interact with program content. 
The broadcaster would receive the text comments, consolidate them and
transmit them as conversational overlays to the TV program.

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