ATSC Begins Work on Mobile-Handheld DTV Standard
ATSC began working to set a national standard for digital broadcasting to mobile and handheld devices, the group said Mon. The group’s plan, adopted in Dec., calls for mobile and handheld standards work this year. ATSC could have developed separate standards for mobile and handheld devices but opted for an integrated approach, Pres. Mark Richer said. The new standard will support broadcasting and datacasting to laptop computers, small handhelds, vehicles traveling at highway speeds and other mobile devices, and be backwards compatible with existing DTV gear.
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ATSC won’t have a candidate standard ready before year’s end, even if “things go very well,” Richer said. The more competing solutions ATSC receives, the longer the standard- setting process will take. Separately, NAB said it set up a “multi-year, multi million dollar” technology advocacy program to help develop and commercialize new technologies that use broadcasters’ spectrum.
At least 2 groups have public mobile broadcasting regimes likely to compete at ATSC. Harris recently said it will demo a mobile broadcast solution at NAB (CD April 4 p4), and for months Samsung and Rohde & Schwarz have been pushing their fixed-broadcast A-VSB technology’s mobile benefits for months. Sinclair will help both groups show their products at NAB (CD March 30 p8). “Both systems are very impressive,” said Sinclair Vp-Engineering Del Parks.
More proposals could surface, Richer said. While that could delay the process, it would assure ATSC gets the best solution. ATSC went public with this process to get input, Richer said: “It’s very important in an organization like ATSC that it’s an open process and a very even playing field.” The group has been looking at A-VSB as a standard for fixed reception, but hasn’t officially considered its mobile and handheld features, Richer said.
Meanwhile, NAB will put millions behind a campaign to develop and commercialize more broadcast-friendly technology, it said. The effort, Flexible Advanced Services for TV & Radio on All Devices (FASTROAD), will be led by a steering committee of NAB executive staff, board members and other “representatives from NAB broadcast member organizations,” it said. A technical committee of NAB staff and member-company engineers will pick projects for the group to take on. NPR Labs and MSTV will be involved as well.
The effort grew out of a technology advocacy task force formed last year and led by LIN TV’s Ed Munson (CD June 21 p15). In the last year, that group heard presentations by outside consultants, reviewed potential products and set a course for FASTROAD. NAB’s board voted in Jan. to launch the program; the Executive Committee set organizational details last month, NAB said. “This program will play a key role in the acceleration and adoption of new broadcast technologies,” NAB Pres. David Rehr said in a release.