ATSC developing its own mobile DTV broadcasting standard

Squarely falling into the "you've got to be kidding" category, the Advanced Television Systems Committee has just announced that it will be developing its very own standard to "enable broadcasters to deliver television content and data to mobile and handheld devices via their DTV broadcast signal." In case you weren't aware, the world is quickly becoming over-saturated with hordes of other mobile television protocols, and just like the other guys, the forthcoming ATSC-M/H standard will be backwards compatible, which will allow "operation of existing ATSC services in the same RF channel without an adverse impact on existing receiving equipment." Among the services it hopes to channel are ad-supported (free to the user) television broadcasts, elusive "real-time, interactive services," subscription-based TV, downloadable content for on-demand playback, and there's even the potential for "real-time navigation" niceties in the future. Still, we're sure the standard will find a way to operate just fine, but unless a bidding war breaks out and the cost for mobile TV plummets due to all this competition, we're not really sure all these like-minded options are entirely necessary.

[Via MocoNews]

[JediFonger @ Apr 10th 2007 3:12PM]

wtf is wrong with the CURRENT standard?

NVidia has demonstrated GPU can work in cellphone-sized applications, surely it is powerful enough to receive ATSC HDTV and downscale it to 2pixel by 2pixel screens (i kid, i kid). i mean c'mon, ANOTHER radiation to increase cancer?

[Kevin @ Apr 10th 2007 4:08PM]

Problem with current ATSC standard is its physical layer cannot handle moving receivers. Stationary receivers like ur antenna or TV has no problems, but as soon as you start moving that antenna with any speed, the whole signal gets garbled up. So the new mobile standard should help with receiving ATSC signals in cars and on bikes, etc.... For all the tech explanations, check out ATSC in Wikipedia

[JediFonger @ Apr 10th 2007 7:54PM]

so... WHY didn't they think of this BEFORE ATSC is finalized.

[Andrew Jones @ Apr 10th 2007 3:13PM]

So - remind me again. Where's the NEED for a mobile ATSC standard? I can't think of a good reason that current mobile devices (ie: laptops, UMPC, consoles) can't ALREADY receive ATSC transmissions.

[Mark @ Apr 10th 2007 3:34PM]

these are the same guys that walked into a room with 1 standard NTSC and came out with 18 ATSC standards. I can't wait.

[bill @ Apr 10th 2007 5:16PM]

Has anybody figured out yet as to why anyone would either want or actually watch TV on a phone, or wander around and looking even goofier that usual looking at a small box in your hand.

And if they attempt to do so, will it simply result in a knot on their head from the surrounding p****d off people. With the additional possibility of laws simple outlawing them or blocking such as is done in some offices and restaurants for cell phones now....

[Sam @ Apr 10th 2007 5:20PM]

Little late to the game

[Kevin @ Apr 11th 2007 12:15AM]

DVB (the European HDTV standard) had this figured out before ratification. The US still chose ATSC because it was better suited for the vast rural areas of much of US. DVB works better in crowded urban areas, like in most of Europe. That is why either side chose their respective standards. So the US decided to go with ATSC for its better coverage in sparse areas and chose to forego the mobile TV aspect. Each had their reasons.