Coming to a Smartphone Near You: Broadcasters Launch Mobile DTV

By Rob Scott
September 26, 2012

Approximately 90 U.S. television stations are already transmitting Mobile DTV signals.
The Open Mobile Video Coalition held a press conference on Capitol Hill announcing that local Mobile DTV will roll out by 130 stations in 50 markets during the next few months.
Speakers at the event included several politicians; Derek McGinty of WUSA-TV in Washington; Lynn Claudy, senior VP of technology for NAB and Eric Moreno, senior VP of corporate development with Fox Networks.
“Among Moreno’s points of discussion was the advent of the new Samsung Galaxy S Lightway 4G handset, the first smartphone to come with a preloaded Dyle TV app,” reports TVTechnology.
“It is available in 12 markets where TV stations are now transmitting Dyle-branded signals, that costs north of $400; as well as what are known as ‘dongles,’ which the industry will rely on to further boost the use of the technology.” The small plug-in antennas from Belkin and Elgato will run about $100.
It will cost approximately $125,000 for stations to set up for Mobile DTV transmissions.
“There are 64 million iPhones and iPads in use in the U.S.,” Moreno explained. “If you reach 1 percent penetration, you’ve got yourself a business.”
“This is the culmination of a number of years of work from disparate sectors of the television industry,” added Claudy, “that marks the start of a new broadcast service. Now we have to convince the entirety of the industry to use it and the market to adopt it.”

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