(25 June 2007 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: LG Electronics and Harris corporation which are joint developers of the Mobile-Pedestrian Handheld (MPH) in-band mobile digital television system, submitted a proposal to the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) for a standard.

This would enable broadcasters to provide digital television (DTV) signals to a range of mobile and portable devices.

The ATSC is an international, non-profit organisation developing voluntary standards for digital television systems.

The ATSC Technology and Standards Group requested proposals from companies offering systems aimed at facilitating the delivery of DTV programming and data to mobile, pedestrian and handheld devices via the digital broadcast signal.

LG and Harris submitted a proposal detailing their technology for the delivery of mobile and handheld DTV, which is backward-compatible to the current standard.

With MPH, consumers can view programmes from local broadcasters, watch movies and sports, check local news and
weather information and access pay services - even when travelling in fast-moving vehicles or using handheld video devices away from home.

The MPH in-band mobile DTV system provides robust DTV signals to mobile, pedestrian and handheld devices. Harris, which works on television transmission systems, and LG Electronics, which develops receiver systems and DTV standards, designed MPH to be fully compatible with the ATSC A/110 standard for distributed transmission.

Until now, reliable reception of signals transmitted by terrestrial broadcasters has not been possible in fast-moving vehicles or pedestrian handheld devices such as mobile phones or laptop computers.

Unlike the cellular-based approach, MPH technology uses only the single, existing transmitter from commercial and public broadcasters. For broadcasters, this new technology enables new and potentially lucrative revenue streams.

LG Electronics president and CTO Dr. H.G. Lee says, "As long-time, active members of the ATSC and key players in the development and marketplace implementation of digital television, LG Electronics, its U.S. R&D lab and Harris look forward to working closely with our fellow ATSC members and with ATSC staff on mobile DTV.

"We share the ATSC's enthusiasm for this promising new technology, which we believe will enhance and complete the digital television experience for consumers and broadcasters alike."