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MUMBAI: Digital television (DTV) technology allowing broadcasters
to reach viewers on the move was unveiled and demonstrated
at the National Association of Broadcasters (Nab) convention
in Las Vegas.
Developed by LG Electronics and Harris the MPH In-Band Mobile
DTV system is capassble of providing DTV signals to mobile,
pedestrian and handheld devices.
The parties state that for broadcasters this new technology
promises to create new and potentially lucrative revenue streams.
For consumers, MPH enables users to view content from local
broadcasters, watch movies and sports, and access local news
and weather information -- even when traveling in fast-moving
vehicles or using handheld video devices away from home.
LG Electronics president and CTO Dr. H.G. Lee says, "Delivering
robust DTV signals to a wide range of devices for mobile-
portable-handheld applications is the final frontier in terrestrial
digital TV broadcasting. In-band mobile DTV will give broadcasters
new business opportunities and consumers exciting new products
and services. That's what MPH is all about."
For the demonstration two mobile MPH streams are being transmitted
simultaneously with the normal DTV programming of Sinclair
Broadcast Group's local affiliate of the CW, channel 29. KVCW-DT.
One of the MPH streams is the real-time MPH encoded version
of the normal channel 29 programme to demonstrate that a local
broadcaster's normal programming can indeed be received on
the go.
The MPH system capitalizes on the combination of Harris'
expertise in broadcast systems -- including transmitters,
exciters, encoders and software -- and the system development,
integrated circuit design and vast consumer electronics experience
of LG Electronics and its US R&D subsidiary, Zenith.
The in-band mobile DTV technology, under development for
nearly two years at the LG Electronics DTV Laboratory in Seoul
and at LG's Zenith lab in Chicago, builds on two key ATSC
standards, also developed by Zenith - the Enhanced VSB (E-VSB)
system and 8-VSB, the system at the heart of the well-established
ATSC DTV broadcast standard currently used by more than 1,500
US DTV broadcasters and in every DTV receiver sold in the
US.
To help commercialise its technology concepts for the broadcast
industry, LG Electronics turned to Harris' broadcast communications
division. Harris'extensive systems integration expertise and
research capabilities contributed to the broadcast system
development. According to Harris and LG, the overarching goal
of the joint development effort was to devise a ATSC-compatible
mobile solution for local broadcasters to maximize the use
of their 6-MHz, 19.39 megabit-per-second digital pathway in
delivering a wide range of compelling and profitable consumer
services.
This meant maintaining the centerpiece application, digital
high-definition television (HDTV) to the tens of millions
of fixed receivers in consumer homes, while reaching viewers
on the go with a low-bit-rate digital TV signal and data services.
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