LG, Samsung join for US mobile TV standard

LG and Samsung this morning jointly said they would team up to promote a new standard for digital mobile TV in the US. Already submitted to the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) that governs HDTV, the unnamed format would use the existing wireless spectrum already in place for digital over-the-air broadcasts to conventional tuners. The choice would not only make adding portable TV simple for existing providers but would do so without impacting the bandwidth available for full-size digital broadcasts, the companies say.

The format should be tested this year by a group of interested broadcasters known as Open Mobile Video Coalition, the Korean firms say. Actual devices and services using the new mobile TV technology should be in place by early 2009.

An adoption of a more universal mobile TV standard is considered crucial for bringing the US up to par with Korea, Japan, and other regions in the world which already offer unprotected mobile TV formats for phones and portable media players. AT&T and Verizon already offer mobile TV for their cellphones but do so using the encrypted MediaFLO format, which prevents users from tuning in without getting permission from their cellular carrier or a similar provider.

Filed under: industry, gadgets, digital imaging
Other story tags: Samsung, LG, MediaFLO, ATSC