Mobile DTV Coming Soon to a Device Near You

[spunker88]

So it looks like at the 2010 CES Show devices with Mobile DTV (http://www.mobiletechnews.com/info/2010/01/05/185731.html) are being introduced. Just like some of us has suspected, this Mobile DTV will allow stations to use spare bandwidth (http://www.omvc.org/about-mobile-dtv/mobile-dtv-101/) to broadcast there channel(s) in a mobile format while leaving the rest of there channels intact and the same.

Since this sounds like its up to the station to implement, im sure it will be slow to be implemented in rural markets like mine. Im assuming that by lowering the bitrate, the channels will be easier to pick up while moving and in buildings with the small antennas built in. If this is true, I would love to see TVs start implementing an option to fallback onto the mobile signal when the regular station's signal is too low. Granted this mobile signal will look terrible on a large TV, but its better than nothing.

Im kind of interested on how this will work while in motion, in a car, they mention buses in some news stories. But I guess cell phones all work fine in cars so if this technology is built correctly it should work in motion.

Read more:
http://www.omvc.org/

[Jim Thomas]

The GM of KTVD 20 Denver told me via email that they are not running subchannels because they are reserving that bandwidth for mobile TV broadcasting. They are projecting rolling it out by summer of 2010. I don't own a handheld device for that reception, but I will be curious to see how it goes over *in the news* when it happens.

[cd637299]

Is this the same/similar reasoning as to why the CBS O&O's don't have subchannels yet? Maybe they are testing the waters for a similar thing?

And, what about that "Dot 2 Network"? Any relation to CBS?

cd

[Jim Thomas]

And, what about that "Dot 2 Network"? Any relation to CBS?
cd


Dot 2 Network is NOT related to ANY major network. They are an independent company and appeared in October 2008. They were hoping that digital TV stations would *jump on the bandwagon* once the DTV transition happened and sign up to run them as some *extra* content (a subchannel, thus "Dot 2"). Their advertising is a co-op effort, meaning they share the ad revenues with any of the stations that sign up to be affiliates. KWGN 2 Denver was to be an affiliate but that hasn't happened yet. I really think the economy has stymied so many things in so many different areas, which would include the development of DTV.

http://www.dot2network.com/national/

[cd637299]

Jim,

I was asking because the CBS O&O's don't have subchannels, and I thought maybe they were reserving any possible ones for a Dot 2.

From what I have seen, I don't think that Dot 2 appears *anywhere*, be it cable, satellite or OTA.

cd

[Jim Thomas]

From what I have seen, I don't think that Dot 2 appears *anywhere*, be it cable, satellite or OTA.
cd

According to Wikipedia, Dot 2 is in eight of the top 20 TV markets and a handful of lesser markets.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.2_Network

If they don't start getting affiliates signed up before long, they're going to bite the dust. No viewers means no revenue.

Regarding the CBS O&O's, they will not allow the use of subchannels. They're all about providing HD content in primetime and won't allow anything to compromise that. I got that bit of information from the GM at KCNC 4, Denver (a CBS O&O station).

[cd637299]

Ahhhhh, the thick plottens!

cd

[cd637299]

Just an update here---

Orlando TV was coming in today. The Wiki article, FWIW, sez that WKMG's -2 is Dot 2, but such is not the case. It's LATV (Spanish).

Is anyone here getting Dot 2 anywhere? I'm not sure it ever got off the ground.

cd