ATSC gives initial thumbs-up to MPH mobile TV standard

Merely weeks after a handful of TV broadcasters voiced their approval of the MPH mobile TV standard, the almighty ATSC has elevated its specification for Mobile Digital Television to Candidate Standard status. Or it will early next week, based on the futuristic December 1st date on the press release. Anywho, the thumbs-up brings the standard one huge step closer to actual implementation in the United States, though a final standard isn't apt to be agreed upon until late next year. Not that the delay is really a problem -- after all, a grand total of 19 people in this great nation even care about TV on the go, right?

[Via mocoNews]

[Hellios Posted Nov 27th 2008 7:17AM]

So this is just like 1Seg? Except you know, 4 years later.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 27th 2008 8:14AM]

Wrong.

[n230099 Posted Nov 27th 2008 8:21AM]

I like something to do on long drives but how would one take a call when there's good show on?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 27th 2008 8:24AM]

the chinese have had these on touch screen phones more than 2 years ago.. it's about time the corporate giants of the cell phone world kept up

[bstump Posted Nov 27th 2008 8:34AM]

Quite a few carriers already have mobile TV here ZIG, they are trying to implement a *standard* for it so there aren't 10 different types of video out there and people can actually develop programs / make videos for 1 video type instead of 10.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 27th 2008 8:44AM]

i just got a blackberry storm, which would be ideal for this. but with all the on-demand stuff available, i personally don't see the need for tv. but i suspect a lot of sports fans would disagree with me.

[Gad Get Posted Nov 27th 2008 10:00AM]

Can I have your Storm?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 27th 2008 9:15AM]

Not very surprising that Americans want an own mobile TV standard. Now people can spend coming years crying here, when Nokia, SE and Samsung phones only support DVB-H.

[kalleboo Posted Nov 27th 2008 10:52AM]

I'm thinking the same thing, how many standards are there now? 1seg in japan, DMB in korea, DVB-H in europe, and none of those were good enough for the americans so they made a fourth one...

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 27th 2008 9:16AM]

Whoooaaa, a press release from the future... Dude.

Think they have flying cars on December 1?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 27th 2008 10:04AM]

So it's like FM radio? You have to search for TV all along your trip?

No thanks, I'll stick with my Slingbox that lets me watch anything I want on the entire trip.

[risu Posted Nov 27th 2008 10:31AM]

Looks like 1-SEG...

[spin cycle Posted Nov 27th 2008 12:00PM]

This stuff already flunked out in every country it has been set up in.

[Valicore Posted Nov 27th 2008 4:48PM]

Why! Why why why?! Can't the US use one of the bagillions of standards that are out there, in use?! I have trouble believing that many people are gonna use it, if any broadcasters will even install the equipment, that is.

What happened to MediaFLO?

[spin cycle Posted Nov 27th 2008 8:41PM]

Because apparently it is in-band with regular TV (ATSC). This means that regular TV stations use their regular frequency allocations, regular bandwidth and regular transmitter towers instead of having to set up new parallel services.

The other standards don't integrate with ATSC in this way.

So this does make a bit of sense.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 27th 2008 6:04PM]

Well... I used to watch TV on an Icom IC-R3. It was always fun to be able to watch The Simpsons while I was on the bus home in the evening.

I can't say this would be without an audience somewhere.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 25th 2008 2:58AM]

I'm an amateur radio operator and storm spotter for the National Weather Service. In Alabama we don't see much horizon due to hilly terrain and trees. Here a tornado can be on you before you see it, so I use mobile TV to watch radar. In severe weather my life, and the safety of those for whom I am reporting, depends on having that radar image in my truck!