MDTV Review

Would the FCC Broadband Plan prevent over-the-air broadcaster’s from deploying Mobile DTV (MDTV)?  Not so, says FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.

“Under the incentive auction plan, broadcasters will be able to provide mobile DTV, both licensees that choose to retain all 6 Megahertz, and those that choose to share,”

Genachowski addressed many concerns by broadcasters last month at the 2010 National Association of Broadcasters Show; including the “voluntary” spectrum auction in which broadcasters could participate in by “choice”.

The auction is part of a five-year plan for spectrum reclamation and allocation to wireless companies, so that they may continue to offer wireless services for mobile users with products such as smart phones, netbooks, and laptops.  The FCC believes that this action (along with others involved with the Broadband Plan), would help resolve the looming crisis for wireless companies.

As Mobile DTV testing begins in select markets, users of those devices have already begun uploading videos to YouTube.

Here we see a mobile dtv tester with a MDTV dongle plugged into a netbook while driving around in Orlando, Florida.  Note the consistently clear reception while driving around in a rain storm.

Datacasting is the broadcasting of data over Mobile DTV signals which can be presented as live data and/or graphics content and received on a device outfitted with a MDTV tuner.
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With the new ATSC-M/H Mobile DTV standard, broadcasters will have the option to transmit Live Audio to consumers which is an audio only service.  Such broadcasts can be used to provide consumers with news and sports broadcasts, weather updates, music, and emergency information.
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Last Updated: 2-23-10

On Feb 14, Eric Taub from The New York times penned a smashing piece on Mobile DTV titled, “Local TV for Devices on the Move”.

Notable quotes,

….30 stations in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington have installed the necessary equipment, at a cost of $75,000 to $150,000.

In reference to costs for each station to add Mobile DTV broadcast technology to their existing TV towers.

Seems like a small invesment for broadcasters with a big payoff potential, and this comes at a time when local stations are losing out on content distribution rights to Internet TV (ie: Hulu).

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Welcome to our official Mobile DTV Guide.

With “MDTV” being a key component this year at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, we felt it was necessary to compare it to other mobile TV technologies already available to the public.

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Yes according to a recent blog post by Jamie Berke’s deafness blog at about.com but not without caveat.  She cites a recently published document, “OMVC Mobile TV Use Cases” by the Open Mobile Video Coalition, and questions whether or not Closed Captioning will be utilized by manufactures of MDTV sets and broadcasters.

Our question at MDTV Review is: Will Government Legislators regulate this new broadcast technology for deaf viewers or will it be left up for business to decide?

What’s new in the world of Mobile DTV? Lots. For starers, FLO TV (mobile TV pay service), scored mega buzz with their Super Bowl commercials last Sunday. One starring CBS sportscaster Jim Nants who gives an injury report on a man shopping with his wife,

and the other featuring historical events caught on live TV with a small cameo from Will.I.Am,

Both commercials were hot topics on for days on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and the blogoshpere.

FCC to pay broadcasters for networks?

Newsweek mentioned yesterday that the FCC is considering paying broadcasters to take some of the valuable TV broadcast spectrum to satisfy the growing needs of cell phone providers.  continue reading…

After the digital transition occured in Feb. 2009, almost all analog mobile TV sets became little more than electronic paper weights. How many? An approximate 8 million according to Consumer Electronics Association (2006 estimate), and not one converter box manufacture has produced a workable solution. One digital-to-anlog converter box maker, Winegard, has produced a dtv box which can be optionally powered by 6 D batteries, and run for an estimated 18 hours…but how do you connect it to a mobile TV with no inputs?

Our review focuses on the 4 most popular (for 2010) handheld TV sets w/ built-in digital tuners on the market.

Reminder: The handhelds featured in this review are built with an ATSC tuner, not capable of receiving broadcast signals while in motion. (More info)

Price: $79.54 @ Amazon

Positive:
7-inch portable LCD TV with ATSC/NTSC tuner, that WILL work after the 6/12/2009 Digital Transition
Selectable screen aspect ratio of 16:9 or 4:3
Audio/video jack and coaxial output; detachable antenna
rechargeable Li-polymer battery

Negative:
Some reviews have reported a battery life of approximtely 2 to 2 1/2 hours

The bottom line:
The HLT71 includes an AC power adapter, a car adapter, and the digital tuner seems to rate well with reception of DTV signals. At the current price point, the Haier HLT71 has been the current top seller at Amazon for mobile DTVs.

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Summary

There is a distinct difference between the two types of tuners that handheld and mobile television sets are built with. This is in reference to mobile devices that receive free, over-the-air television signals.

MDTV

Mobile or handheld television sets labled with an “MDTV” logo (as pictured to the right) are capable of receiving digital broadcast signals while travelling at speeds of 100+ Miles Per Hour. (See: What is MDTV for more info)

Handheld TVs w/ an ATSC Tuner

Handheld TV sets with a built-in (digital) ATSC tuner are capable of receiving digital television signals, but are unable to receive digital signals while travelling at a speed greater than 5 Miles Per Hour.