Mobile500 Alliance Demonstrates End-to-End Solution for Monetizing Mobile DTV at 2012 International CES®
Seattle To Be First Beta Market Using Devices made by Technology Enablers Elgato, Expway, Siano and Opanga
LAS VEGAS – January 9, 2012 – The Mobile500 Alliance today unveiled a breakthrough end-to-end solution that will enable its member broadcasters to build new revenue streams through Mobile DTV (MDTV). The goal is to make the solution available to Alliance member companies after beta launch and evaluation in Seattle.
The demonstration shown at 2012 International CES includes a Mobile500 application for iOS devices that supports audience measurement, ESG data, channel logos, interstitial ads and banner ads. Live recording and time shifting of over-the-air MDTV content will be included through DVR-like functionality built into the app.
Also included in the Mobile500 solution are new tuner devices, which are small adapter/dongles for iPads that will run a TV app from Elgato, incorporate an MDTV chip from Siano, and use Expway’s Mobile DTV middleware and audience measurement solution. At the local television station, Expway’s Electronic Service Guide (ESG) delivery server powers the MDTV head-end.
Audience measurement and the additional ad placements will enable Mobile500 member stations to generate new revenue streams by utilizing their broadcast airwaves. Subscription, pay-per-view, and targeted and interactive ads also will be part of the eventual MDTV offering as the Mobile500 solution is deployed.
The Mobile500 exhibit also will include Opanga Networks and its NetRover™ Mobile content distribution platform, which utilizes the consumer’s 3G/4G/Wi-Fi connection to pre-position movie and TV content into mobile device memory. Mobile500 will be working during the beta launch in Seattle to integrate Opanga’s functionality into the consumer offering from stations.
“We are really pleased that the Mobile500 Alliance has been able to pull together for CES 2012 an end-to-end solution for building a vibrant Mobile DTV business. We feel we have the right partners involved, companies whose combined experience in the commercial deployment of mobile television around the world will enable our member stations to launch an exciting new business model,” said Colleen Brown, chair of the Mobile500 Alliance board of directors and president and CEO of Fisher Communications in Seattle.
“We’re excited to work with the Mobile500 Alliance and our partners Siano and Expway to bring mobile TV to the iPad”, said Markus Fest, Elgato's CEO. “Our EyeTV Mobile product is already a huge success in other parts of the world, and we can't wait to see ATSC M/H launched successfully.”
The following is a list of partners in the project and their respective roles:
Broadcast Companies
- The Mobile500 Alliance is coordinating the CES demonstration as part of its overall mission to create Mobile DTV business opportunities for its member broadcasting companies.
- Fisher Communications, Inc. is spearheading the demonstration and will lead the beta launch in Seattle on behalf of the Mobile500 Alliance, of which it is a member.
- Sinclair Broadcast Group (SBG), also a Mobile500 member, will be providing multiple MDTV channels through KVMY-DT, one of its two stations in Las Vegas. KVMY-DT will utilize a multi-vendor platform.
- Acrodyne Services, a subsidiary of SBG, is providing systems integration of the Mobile500 solution and installation at KVMY-DT.
MDTV Technology Enablers
- Elgato provides the MDTV app that combines the Mobile500 user interface with an ATSC-M/H compliant video player.
- Expway provides the Mobile DTV middleware and audience measurement for the devices, and its FastESG™ will handle the broadcast transmission of the EPG, banners and interstitial (pre-roll) ads, at the individual station level.
- Siano provides adapters, based on their next-generation MDTV chipsets, which enable Apple iOS devices, including iPads and iPhones, to receive the MDTV programming and full range of services.
- Broadcast Interactive Media (BIM) provides the TitanTV Electronic Program Guide (EPG) and feature-rich data listings for the demonstration.
Mobile Network Video Optimization
- Opanga Networks brings their experience and products for distributing high quality mobile video without overburdening the cellular networks and will work with Mobile500 to integrate those products with the Mobile500 solution.
The Mobile500 Alliance is at booth #13447 in the Mobile DTV TechZone in Central Hall.
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About the Mobile500 Alliance
The Mobile500 Alliance was incorporated in December 2010 with the goal of creating a new growth industry around Mobile DTV. The alliance has embraced a Statement of Principles for the MDTV industry calling for standards-based systems, software-based conditional access, and maximum interoperability. The Alliance currently has 47 member broadcasting companies, including four public broadcasters, which hold licenses to 427 television stations. The current DTV signals of these stations reach 92% of US TV households.
About Fisher Communications, Inc.
Fisher Communications (FSCI) is an innovative local media company with television, radio, Internet and mobile operations throughout the western United States. Fisher operates 18 television stations, which include network affiliations with ABC, CBS, FOX, Univision and CW that reach 3.5% of U.S. television households, and three radio stations targeting a full range of audience demographics. Fisher Interactive produces more than 120 local and hyper-local websites and delivers comprehensive multiplatform advertising solutions to local businesses. The Company is headquartered at Fisher Plaza in Seattle, WA. More information about Fisher Communications, Inc. is available at www.fsci.com.
About Expway
Expway is the world leader in Electronic Service Guide Solutions for broadcasters, telecom operators and device manufacturers for Mobile DTV. Its customers include blue-chip companies such as NTT in Japan, TDF in France and Mobile 500 Alliance in the US. Expway’s FastESG for Mobile DTV solution encompasses the right tools for broadcasters to generate additional revenue and device makers to move on a fast track to manufacture desirable devices with the right features. Expway is headquartered in Paris, France and has offices also in the US and Japan. For more information, visit us at www.expway.com.
About Elgato
Elgato produces award-winning TV software together with a complete range of TV tuners and capture devices to watch, record, and edit TV and HDTV on Macs and PCs. Elgato is the home of EyeTV, the world’s leading television solution for Mac computers. Elgato also produces a variety of world-class H.264 video conversion and streaming products. Elgato is privately held with offices in Munich, Germany and San Francisco, California. Visit us at www.elgato.com.
About Siano
Siano is the world’s leading supplier of mobile broadcast DTV solutions. Pioneers of the multi-standard approach, Siano provides high-performance and fast time-to-market digital TV solutions for cellular-handheld, consumer electronics, automotive and public transportation device makers and solution/services providers. Close partnerships with global tier-1 PC, mobile handset and home entertainment manufacturers boast a customer base that includes Samsung, Motorola, LG, ZTE, Huawei, Dell, Lenovo and many others. Siano has offices in the US, China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, LatAm (Brazil, Argentina) and EMEA (Israel). For more information, visit us at www.siano-ms.com.
About Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today. Sinclair owns and operates, programs or provides sales services to 73 TV stations in 46 markets. Sinclair's television group reaches approximately 26.3% of US television households and includes FOX, ABC, MyTV, CW, CBS, NBC, MTN and Azteca affiliates. Sinclair, either directly or through its Ventures subsidiary, makes equity investments in strategic companies. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. was founded in 1986, went public in 1995 and is traded on the Nasdaq Exchange under the ticker symbol SBGI.
About Acrodyne Services
Acrodyne Services, a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, provides a full range of technical services to TV broadcast stations, ranging from troubleshooting to turnkey site projects for facility conversions and upgrades, including Mobile DTV. The company's latest product, the SAM-MT 450 DTV Monitoring Probe, provides continuous, real-time monitoring of all relevant technical parameters of standard ATSC and Mobile DTV broadcasts. Now in widespread use in the US, it includes descrambling support and content playback, and can be easily integrated into a network monitoring solution. More information is available at www.acrodyneservices.com.
About Opanga Networks
Opanga Networks is the leading innovator of pragmatic video distribution solutions that leverage surplus network capacity in real time to efficiently pre-position high-quality HD content to any device. Opanga's NetRover™ solutions are based on its patented adaptive bandwidth management technologies that enable a superior playback experience without causing the network congestion or degradation typical of other streaming video applications. NetRover enables network operators to leverage existing network assets and create highly efficient and scalable video delivery services that offer an appealing viewing option for consumers. Content owners can develop media-rich apps with exceptional industry leading HD playback quality to protect their brand experience while doing their part to relieve network congestion. Opanga is a privately held company headquartered in Seattle, WA. For more information, please visit www.opanga.com or email smarternetworks@opanga.com.
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Contact: John Lawson
Mobile500 Alliance
+1.703.347.7070