Digital TV Facts: The Latest

The Advanced Television Systems Committee plans to develop a standard for delivering digital TV broadcasts to mobile and handheld devices.

“The ATSC-M/H standard will facilitate broadcasters’ use of their DTV broadcast channels to provide new services directly to small hand-held receivers, laptop computers and vehicles moving at a high rate of speed,” said ATSC President Mark Richer. ATSC-M/H is to be backward-compatible with existing digital TV receivers.

ATSC is the standards body that coordinates the technology used for over-the-air (OTA) digital TV broadcasts in much of North America and in South Korea.

News of yet another attempt at a mobile TV standard was greeted with a “you’ve got to be kidding” from the folks at Engadget. Fact is, though, the world needs more than one such standard. If you want to catch plain old “Today Show” broadcasts from your local NBC affiliate in Cleveland, that will be one technology. A viewer in Tokyo, watching whatever comparably fatuous morning show that I imagine people wake up to in Japan, will make use of another. And if you prefer to sit at the bus stop watching video-on-demand (VOD) clips delivered via your cell phone provider’s network, that will require an entirely different technology. Even if you could somehow smash together all the various technologies into a single standard, I’m not sure you’d want to—hashing out all the details would take just slightly longer than forever, and the result would be riddled with compromises.

That said, I’m not sure U.S. consumers will need A-VSB and MPH and ATSC-M/H for OTA mobile digital TV broadcasts. (It’s not even clear to me at present whether ATSC-M/H will compete with the other two technologies or perhaps somehow incorporate them.)

In a must-read post at Display Daily, DTV analyst Aldo Cugnini considers some differences between A-VSB (backed by Samsung) and MPH (backed by LG/Zenith and Harris). Cugnini, whose involvement with DTV technology dates to the “Grand Alliance,” suggests that MPH builds on E-VSB (enhanced VSB) technology developed by LG Electronics. Making use of E-VSB, he suggests, could offer LG the opportunity to pick up additional royalties after the company’s patents related to the 8-VSB modulation method used in ATSC run out in the years to come.

• Links: ATSC, Engadget, Display Daily

LG/Zenith and Harris are teaming up for the latest entry in the mobile TV platform race. Their MPH (for Mobile-Pedestrian-Handheld) technology would allow broadcasters to reach cell phones, laptops, in-car receivers and other mobile devices. As with the A-VSB platform promoted by Samsung, MPH ties into existing digital TV broadcast infrastructure, allowing station owners to reach viewers directly instead of relying on mobile-phone companies. Viewers might even enjoy mobile TV programming for free (and by rights it should be free—it uses public airwaves intended for freely available TV broadcasts).

Can LG and Harris hope to overtake A-VSB, which not only shows promise but has a head start? We shall see, beginning later this month, when MPH makes its debut at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in Las Vegas.

Earlier:
• Europe’s mobile TV standard: It won’t be A-VSB
• Will A-VSB starve HDTV?
• Samsung to demo A-VSB mobile TV at CES
• Local channels on mobile TV: Test shows promise

• Link: think d2c

Mobile TV in Europe needs a single technology standard, according to a European Commission official. DVB-H, related to Europe’s DVB-T standard for terrestrial digital television, might be at the top of the list.

In the U.S., the prospect of receiving over-the-air ATSC broadcasts on mobile devices with A-VSB holds promise, though the technology probably won’t find a place in Europe. DVB-H, however, is already gaining a foothold in the U.S.—and its advantage could grow if the EC puts its finger on the scale in favor of that standard.

Earlier:
• Local channels on mobile TV: Test shows promise
• Will A-VSB starve HDTV?
• Mobile TV signals for free? Maybe, with A-VSB

• Link: BBC

The technology behind digital television, poised to give analog broadcasts the heave-ho in less than two years, continues its relentless advance. The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), guardian of the U.S. digital TV standard, will join with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) to present the latest DTV marvels at NAB2007.

DTV Hot Spot technology demonstrations will include ATSC ACAP Standard application development tools and CE solutions, A-VSB for indoor and mobile reception, ATSC receiver software and development tools, distributed transmission test generator and analyzer, an advanced DTV multicasting service, D-ENG return channel capabilities, ATSC Software Data Download Standard and broadcast monitor, and home networking. Companies demonstrating these technologies in the DTV Hot Spot include AMD, BitRouter, ETRI, HANA, Harmonic/KBS, Microwave Radio Communications, Samsung, Unisoft, UpdateLogic, and Zenith/LG.

Also featured this year is a special demonstration of the ACAP Field Trial Project and its participating organizations, and an NAB/MSTV demonstration of high performance, easy-to-use DTV converter boxes for consumers.

NAB’s trade show opens April 16 in Las Vegas.

• Link: NAB

Mobile digital TV transmissions using A-VSB technology, demonstrated by Samsung at the Consumer Electronics Show, won mostly favorable press coverage last week. The proposed A-VSB standard shows real promise for delivering ATSC digital TV broadcasts—over the public airwaves—to mobile devices. Here’s a big question, though, about A-VSB:

What about HDTV?

While A-VSB really isn’t envisioned for HD broadcasts, a station using the technology might be in a position to shortchange its high-definition programming for home viewers. Doug Lung, in another indispensable “RF Report” post, quantifies the problem:

For broadcasters, the cost in terms of bandwidth for transmitting a signal like the one transmitted on Channel 22 by KVMY for the demonstration may be more than they can afford. The demonstration used quarter rate coding, which meant 3 Mbps were needed to transmit a 750 Kbps media stream. In addition to that, an additional 2.8 Mbps was used by the supplemental reference signal (SRS). This barely leaves enough room to transmit one HDTV program.

To support mobile TV, a station that multicasts could choose to degrade its HD broadcasts. Lung notes, however, that the Advanced Television Systems Committee

will be conducting tests of the proposed A-VSB standard, and acceptable reception may be possible with less error correction and less data devoted to the SRS.

HDTV enthusiasts are already on guard against cable and satellite firms, and broadcasters, too, who shortchange the HD signal. As for me, I welcome A-VSB. Free, on-the-go TV via your cell phone or laptop is a deal I simply wouldn’t want to pass up.

Earlier:
• Samsung to demo A-VSB mobile TV at CES
• Local channels on mobile TV: Test shows promise
• Mobile TV signals for free? Maybe, with A-VSB

• Link: TV Technology

A-VSB, an emerging technology that uses broadcast spectrum to deliver digital television to cellular phones and in-car TVs, will get its next test at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas:

[T]he invite-only demonstrations will be the first to use battery-operated handheld TVs, which Samsung will demonstrate in moving vehicles on Las Vegas streets and highways, [Samsung’s John] Godfrey said. The portable TVs, all prototypes, might also be demonstrated inside the convention center, the company said at press time.

(Why not demo it inside, too, at Samsung’s $875,000, 25,000-square-foot exhibit space? They will have sufficient room, I would say.)

A-VSB technology may even offer a path to more reliable reception for some U.S. home viewers whose over-the-air digital TV signals are plagued by interference. (Certain kinds of reception problems can be traced to inherent features 8-VSB, the modulation scheme used by the ATSC digital TV standard.)

HDTV lovers, ever vigilant, worry that bandwidth consumed by A-VSB will shortchange their high-definition signals. That could happen, especially on stations that offer multicasts concurrent with HD programming. Free, over-the-air mobile TV signals may, after all, come at a cost.

• Link: TWICE

Digital TV reception for over-the-air viewers in the U.S., a longtime worry, has made impressive strides, according to year-end articles from two DTV technology experts.

Inherent problems with the American digital television standard, while not widely known among the general public, raised early doubts within the TV industry about whether the cutover from analog to digital would end in disaster. As the 2009 cutover approaches, broadcasters may breathe a sigh of relief knowing that reception drop-out and multipath interference appear to have diminished significantly in the current generation of digital TV receivers for the ATSC standard.

Doug Lung:

“Fifth generation” demodulators have narrowed or eliminated the advantage DVB-T [Europe’s standard. –Ed.] had in multipath rejection. Mobile and portable reception is now possible….

The improvement in performance compared with older DTV tuners is amazing.

Pete Putman:

In short, the ATSC system has gone from a “works on paper, but not in the field” concept to a mainstream DTV transmission and reception standard over the past 10 years.

Earlier:
• Digital TV broadcasts ‘don’t work’
• As digital TV reception controversy dims, E-VSB gets another look
• Will digital TV reception problems doom broadcast TV?

• Links: TV Technology, Pro AV

Local digital TV channels might make their way to mobile phones over the broadcast spectrum, a road test of an emerging technology suggests. A variation on standard over-the-air transmission, A-VSB (Advanced-Vestigial Side-Band) is designed to compensate for a shortcoming in North America’s digital television standard:

Sinclair [Broadcast Group], which raised concerns in the late ’90s over the ATSC standard’s inability to support mobile or portable reception, is bullish on the technology.

Sinclair—an early, vocal critic of ordinary 8-VSB modulation—is on board? I’ll take that as a good sign. Tests in a car moving at up to 80 MPH, using Samsung equipment, were “pretty encouraging,” according to transmitter manufacturer Rohde & Schwarz.

Next question (premature, perhaps, but I’ll ask anyway): What kind of reception can we expect without a rooftop antenna?

Earlier:
• Mobile TV signals for free? Maybe, with A-VSB
• Handheld digital TV: U.S. market is still waiting
• Mobile TV coming to ’select’ US cities

• Link: Broadcasting & Cable

Free broadcast TV on your cell phone—isn’t that the kind of promise the future could keep without even breaking a sweat? Well, not so fast. American digital TV uses the ATSC standard, which just wasn’t built for mobile use.

But as Doug Lung explains, a proposed standard known as A-VSB, an enhancement to ATSC’s 8-VSB modulation, would make U.S. digital TV more mobile-friendly.

Earlier:
• Handheld digital TV: U.S. market is still waiting
• Mobile TV coming to ’select’ US cities

• Link: TV Technology

Philips and chipmaker Freescale are among the newest members of the Mobile DTV Alliance, an industry group that promotes the DVB-H mobile TV standard in North America.

DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld) is an offshoot of the digital TV broadcasting system used in Europe, DVB-T (the T is for Terrestrial). In Europe, support from Nokia has given DVB-H a further boost. In the U.S., the standard will have to duke it out with the MediaFLO platform developed by Qualcomm.

The Mobile DTV Alliance announced its founding in January with membership from Intel, Motorola, Nokia, Texas Instruments and Modeo. Other new members announced today are Harris, Mediaphy, MobiTV and Silicon & Software Systems. LSI Logic Corporation also joins as an associate member.

• Link: Mobile DTV Alliance

A week’s worth of reminders that television’s ever-expanding universe is up for grabs:

• More video ads move online, rivaling TV (Washington Post):

…Google video ads’ low cost and ease of use for advertisers—they can upload their video and pay online by credit card—should be a concern for television networks.

“If you want to buy an ad on TV, boy, it will take you forever,” [Sascha Zorovic, an analyst with Oppenheimer & Co.] said. “You’ve got to find the right person, set up a meeting, maybe go to New York.”

• Mobile TV use leaps 40% in first quarter (Hollywood Reporter [sub.])

• Internet TV viewing makes big jump (Blogcritics)

• TV downloads: The current options (TechCrunch)

• Disintermediation: The future of TV distribution? (erikso.com)

• Key Senate Democrat unveils draft telecom bill (National Journal)

Handheld-TV investors might need a little hand-holding right now. A report from Strategy Analytics warns of a mobile TV “bubble”:

…the current hype surrounding broadcast mobile TV services remains out of proportion to evidence of consumer interest and willingness to pay.

Well, now, that doesn’t sound good. I just wish they would tell me: How long must I wait until this hype gets back into proper proportion?

In case you’re making bets:

Strategy Analytics predicted that the mobile TV format battle would be won by DVB-H, instead of Qualcomm’s FLO and Korea’s DMB technologies.

“We also believe that Qualcomm’s FLO will struggle to gain traction outside the US market, despite being a superior technology to DVB-H,” said David Kerr, vice president of the research firm’s wireless division.

• Link: press release