Las Vegas — LG Electronics will begin mass producing receiver chips for the forthcoming Mobile DTV broadcasting system in June, the manufacturer disclosed at the National Association of Broadcasters convention here Friday.
LG said it expects to have widespread available of the chips to enable the production of the first Mobile DTV receiving devices.
LG Electronics, which is a co-developer of the technology at the heart of ATSC Mobile DTV standard, will produce its LG2160A — a commercial chip designed for receiving devices from various manufacturers, supporting terrestrial, mobile DTV broadcasting in the United States.
The emerging ATSC Mobile DTV Standard allows broadcasters to use a variable portion of the existing 19.3Mbps DTV channel capacity to transmit data suitable for mobile, pedestrian and handheld reception.
The Mobile DTV signal will be compatible with the 8-VSB DTV system used to broadcast digital channels to home-based TV receivers. LG’s U.S. R&D lab, Zenith, also developed the 8-VSB modulation technology for the ATSC system.
The chip includes an automatic power-saving mode to maximize battery life of the receiving device. It provides the mobile/handheld demodulating and equalization functions, and outputs IP packet streams to enable audio/video decoding.
“Starting chip production in June means that our aggressive timetable will proceed on pace, and shows how much can be accomplished when broadcasters and consumer electronics manufacturers work cooperatively toward a common goal,” stated Open Mobile Video Coalition president Brandon Burgess.
LG president and chief technical officer Dr. Woo Paik said, “America’s broadcasters have placed mobile DTV on a fast track, and we at LG will continue to do everything we can to support and advance their efforts.”
The Advanced Television Systems Committee elevated its Mobile DTV specifications to candidate-standard status late last year, with final adoption expected this summer. Broadcasters announced in January their intention to launch mobile DTV on more than 60 stations in 22 markets, covering an estimated 35 percent of U.S. television households.
