Watching TV on mobile not far away
Tuesday, 16 February 2010, 22:53 IST   |    3 Comments
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Watching TV on mobile not far away
Bangalore: Everyone would like to watch TV as much as they can, but often they can't as they have to be constantly on move. From Sports to TV sitcoms, many times you wish you could watch TV anywhere you want. Well, your wish is on the verge of completion as U.S. broadcasters have decided transmit a signal for a new class of devices that can show programming, even in a car at high speed, according to New York Times. 30 stations in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington have installed the necessary equipment, at a cost of $75,000 to $150,000 and they would start broadcasting in the month of April. "Younger generations want programming on the go," said Dennis Wharton, a spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters. "To access TV on a cellphone, on a laptop or in the car is a game changer for local broadcasters. It will provide a renaissance for over-the-air broadcast TV." If enough people watch using the mobile TV technology, known, for lack of a more marketable name, as "ATSC Mobile DTV Standard," local stations will be able to charge more for commercials and increase their revenue. Even though the number of television has increased in the world but in the last 10 years, broadcasters have lost 25 percent of their audience. The technology will be used on new portable televisions with up to 10-inch screens, and smartphones and laptops with special adapters will also receive the signals. The devices must be within about 60 miles of a broadcast tower for a picture as clear as the television at home. The first devices will become available in April. They include a $249 TV-DVD player from LG; a $120 device the size of a cigarette box from Valups, a Korean set-top box maker, that retransmits a mobile signal to an iPhone, iPod or BlackBerry over Wi-Fi; PC dongles and set-top boxes for automobiles from iMovee; and a $149 iPhone/iPod mobile TV cradle from Cydle. The Mobile DTV standard also allows for two-way communication. When viewing an ad, a viewer may push a button to see more information or have it sent by e-mail. The system can also be used for voting, polling and audience measurement.

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