DTV goes mobile

MobiTV is joining Sinclair Broadcast Group and the Public Broadcasting Service to offer a new business model, called mixTV, for mobile digital TV, reports TMCnet.

Officials say that mixTV could emerge as a strong business model for mobile DTV because it opens opportunities for broadcasters, mobile network operators and content providers while providing a compelling user experience for consumers.

Kay Johansson, chief technical officer at MobiTV, says: “We've seen great success with a subscriber-based business model delivering content over existing wireless networks, and this model shall evolve as new technologies become available.”

DiBcom, a fabless semiconductor company and specialist in mobile TV solutions, has entered into a partnership with the satellite-based service Solaris Mobile to provide mobile television across Europe, says Mobile Europe.

Solaris Mobile is one of four operators that submitted an application to the European Commission last October for the roll-out of mobile satellite services over dedicated S-Band spectrum.

The Eutelsat W2A satellite carries Europe's first S-Band payload owned by Solaris Mobile. It will offer mobile satellite services such as the broadcasting of video, radio and data to mobile devices and vehicle receivers as well as a range of interactive mobile services.

The worldwide recession's effect on Las Vegas and the broadcasting industry was evident at this week's National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, with attendance down by about 20% from last year, says Las Vegas Sun.

David Rehr, chief executive of the NAB, says the broadcasting industry has made substantial progress in re-establishing radio as a major media force and now has tremendous opportunities to deliver video programming through more and more computers and smartphones.

He says: "By 2012, we expect 130 million phones and 25 million media players will be able to receive mobile television. An NAB study concluded that TV broadcasters could see incremental revenue of more than $2 billion after 2012 with mobile DTV.”