NEW MOBILE DIGITAL TV APPLICATIONS SHOW VERSATILITY OF BROADCAST TRANSMISSIONS
LG Broadens Capabilities of Mobile DTV for Viewers, Broadcasters with Social Media, Digital Signage, Emergency Alert Applications
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 10, 2012 – Mobile digital television is evolving rapidly in 2012 beyond delivery of robust broadcast local TV signals to mobile and handheld devices.
At International CES® 2012, the co-inventor of the ATSC Mobile DTV Standard, LG Electronics, is showing exciting new applications that make mobile DTV an educational and informational resource to viewers watching wherever they go, including on public transportation, at public events, and even on the move with a portable device connected to social networks.
The new applications for Mobile DTV – including a unique social media platform and instantaneously updated digital signage – are being demonstrated in the CES Mobile DTV TechZone (Central Hall 13546) here this week as more than 140,000 expected attendees get their first view of tomorrow’s technological breakthroughs. LG mobile DTV technology also is at the heart of the mobile emergency alert system (M-EAS) demonstrated publicly for the first time at CES as part of a landmark broadcast pilot project with PBS. (See separate news release.)
“While mobile DTV is just getting started as a compelling service for broadcasters, there are even more interesting applications made possible by mobile DTV’s non-real-time capability,” said Dr. Jong Kim, president of LG’s U.S. R&D Lab, Zenith. “Data can be transmitted to receiving devices designed to display social networking updates, weather, news crawls, and even location-based advertising.”
Dr. Kim said LG is working with Harris Corporation, through its Broadcast Communications business, on ways to help TV stations leverage the power of their broadcast spectrum while enhancing service to their communities by transmitting live broadcasts to more locations. “The ATSC Mobile DTV standard offers broadcasters remarkable flexibility to address the changing demands of consumers and advertisers. As broadcasters ramp up their national rollout of mobile DTV, LG is proud to pave the way with innovative new mobile DTV apps,” he said.
Mobile DTV Keeps Bus Passengers Informed
LG’s CES mobile DTV digital signage demonstration is made possible through a cooperative effort with Harris, which has developed the necessary MDTV transmission equipment that already powers an onboard mobile DTV digital signage system on city buses in Raleigh, N.C. using LG digital signage displays.
Mobile DTV is an ideal method of reaching groups of people – whether they’re in transit buses, on light rail, or even in a limousine or taxicab. At CES, CBS affiliate KLAS-TV is broadcasting live updates to show the flexibility of the standard and exemplify this new mobile DTV application.
“The CES demo with KLAS builds on our experience with DTV pioneer WRAL-TV for a mobile signage system inside Raleigh’s downtown circulator bus route. There, we’re delivering live TV – typically news content or the station’s main program content – to a center window on the display. Surrounding that transmission is important information, such as a weather forecast and radar, news headlines, community event listings and advertising,” said Jay Adrick, vice president of broadcast technology for Harris Broadcast Communications.
Information outside the main signal is delivered by KLAS utilizing the ATSC Non-Real-Time candidate standard for data transmission. As seen on the LG digital signage display, weather radar information is typically updated every three minutes. The “news crawl” gets updated every five minutes, and the temperature can change every 10 minutes. Advertising is sent directly to the small Harris® InfoCaster™ Player that is attached to each display, with a playback schedule that is based on the time of day.
“We are also working on geolocation-based advertising that could be triggered by the proximity to a certain spot, such as a restaurant. There’s also audio delivered as part of the system, which is automatically muted by driver announcements,” said Adrick.
Outdoor venues, such as train stops for light rail, are other potential locations for MDTV digital signage technology. A number of broadcasters have expressed interest in the technology, and a new generation of the Harris product is now in field trials.
Tweet-TV Broadcasts Shared Experiences
Another new mobile DTV application shown by LG this week is “Tweet-TV,” which brings together public comments about specific broadcasts and retransmits them for all viewers to see.
Viewers engaged with Tweet-TV would be able to interact with program content and submit their comments on programs. The broadcaster consolidates the real-time comments and transmits those short messages with the video and audio, enabling a transparent conversational overlay. The Mobile DTV application enables viewers to carry on an open discussion of program content or reply to questions that could be part of an audience quiz.
In collaboration with Roundbox, LG is showing how the new "Tweet-TV" mobile DTV application that will allow viewer "tweets" to be displayed interactively on a mobile DTV receiver while a program is airing. A Harris MDTV transmitter would deliver viewer tweets, received as data files and then displayed on a prototype LG Android smartphone.
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About LG Electronics USA
LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances, commercial displays, air conditioning systems and solar energy solutions, all under LG’s “Life’s Good” marketing theme. Digital television pioneer LG Electronics LLC is the U.S. R&D lab for LG Electronics. For more information, please visit www.lg.com.
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