Coalition charter
1. What is the mission of the Coalition?
To accelerate the development of mobile digital broadcast television, and capture the full potential of the digital television spectrum in the United States. The coalition will help identify and encourage broad adoption of technologies that enable mobile reception of digital broadcast television signals, so that consumers can watch television wherever and whenever they want, not just in the home.
2. What are the activities of the Coalition?
The Coalition's activities include helping define technical requirements for new technologies, encouraging technology companies to develop new products that meet the requirements, supporting technical and consumer trials, conducting market analysis and research and educating consumers and regulators about the technology and related services.
3. Who performs the work of the Coalition?
The Coalition will depend largely on voluntary contributions of time and resources from member companies for much of its work. In addition, it is expected the Coalition will have a small, dedicated staff.
4. Who is eligible to join the Coalition?
Membership is open to any U.S. television broadcaster.
5. Who is in charge of governing the Coalition?
An executive committee consisting of representatives of member broadcasters will decide certain issues, whereas other issues will be put to a vote of the entire membership.
6. Will the Coalition make decisions on behalf of its members?
The Coalition will not be able to make decisions for or make statements on behalf of its members. The Coalition may make recommendations on certain issues, but it does not have any binding authority on its members.
7. Why aren't non-broadcasters able to join the Coalition?
The Coalition is intended for companies in the broadcast television industry, which share many strategic and operational objectives and challenges, to have a forum to discuss issues related to mobile television. There are other bodies in existence today, such as the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), which include both broadcasters and non-broadcasters.
8. What is the relationship between the Coalition and the ATSC?
The Coalition comments on, makes suggestions to and makes recommendations regarding issues being discussed within the ATSC. Regarding mobile digital broadcast video, the Coalition aims to facilitate a rapid and smooth standardization process within the ATSC.
Mobile Television Basics
9. What is mobile digital video?
As it pertains to the coalition, mobile digital video is an enhancement to the existing terrestrial digital television system that allows a high quality digital video signal to be received by a moving receiver, either at pedestrian or vehicular speeds.
10. I can buy a portable TV today -- what will be different in the future?
Portable televisions today receive the analog television signal, which is scheduled to be shut off in February 2009. Furthermore, portable analog televisions tend to have poor picture quality due to the limitations of the analog system. Mobile digital video will coexist with the digital television systems, will continue to be in service after February 2009, and will have excellent picture quality.
11. Why can't I get mobile digital video today?
The terrestrial digital television system was designed to maximize broadcast coverage to fixed locations in homes, and, as such, cannot yet support mobile reception. New technologies are now emerging that allow the current system to add mobile reception without sacrificing in-home coverage, and the Coalition's goal is to accelerate the commercialization and standardization of these new technologies.
12. Will I be able to get HDTV in a mobile environment?
It is anticipated that mobile digital video will allow for a very high quality picture to be received in a mobile environment, but since mobile receivers have small screens, there will not be a need to broadcast HDTV to a mobile device.
13. What kind of content will be available?
It is expected that there will be a wide variety of content available for mobile video, including many of the same programs that are available at home today, but the specific content will be decided only when the service is commercialized. In addition, users may be able to access weather, traffic and public safety information.
14. Will the content be free or will I have to pay?
It is expected that mobile digital video technology will support both free ad-supported and pay models, but the specific business models will be decided when the service is commercialized.
15. What kinds of devices will it work in?
Most video-capable devices can receive mobile digital video by adding a receiver module to the device. Video-capable devices in the market today include cell phones, video-capable MP3 players, laptop computers, portable game players, digital cameras and camcorders, portable DVD players, personal navigation devices and in-car entertainment systems, among others.
16. Will I have to buy new equipment to make it work?
In some cases, the device manufacturer will need to build the receiver into the module, while in other cases consumers will be able to purchase a receiver module and plug it into a device they own. It is expected that the cost of the receiver module will be very affordable.
17. I get video today on my cell phone -- how is mobile digital video different?
Most video today on cell phones comes over the cellular networks, which are designed for point-to-point voice communications and have limited capacity to carry video. As a result, most video today on cell phones is of poor quality and expensive. Mobile digital video by broadcasters is designed to transmit video to very large areas simultaneously, and, as such, can carry a very high quality picture at almost no incremental cost.
18. What is the difference between mobile digital video that will be implemented by current television broadcasters and new digital broadcast networks that are aimed at cell phones?
The mobile digital video system from current television broadcasters uses the existing digital television spectrum and the existing, nationwide digital television infrastructure. As such, the broadcast industry has a substantial amount of spectrum available and has already invested and built out most of the infrastructure needed to enable mobile digital video. The new digital broadcast networks from non-broadcasters require dedicated spectrum to be purchased and completely new infrastructure to be built. Because of the limited amount of spectrum available and the cost of the network, the number of channels on the new networks is expected to be far less than that which the broadcast industry collectively can offer, and the cost of the services is expected to be higher than that which the broadcast industry can offer.
19. Why is the digital television spectrum better than other spectrum for mobile video?
The digital television spectrum is ideally suited for video because its signals travel long distances, penetrate walls well, can be easily received in a fast moving vehicle, and require only a small antenna. Spectrum that allows signals to travel farther typically require antennas too large for mobile devices, and spectrum that allows for a smaller antenna typically have less range and are more difficult to receive in moving vehicles.
Broadcaster Specific Issues
20. Why is mobile digital video a good thing for broadcasters?
Mobile digital video allows broadcasters to reach their viewers in more locations, at more times in the day, and in more formats. This is expected to increase viewing time and create new revenues streams, thus translating into higher revenues for broadcasters. In addition, enabling mobile use of digital spectrum adds important public service and emergency response dimensions to each broadcaster’s digital news and community service capabilities. In short, we are accelerating the development of mobile digital television, and helping capture the full potential of the digital television spectrum in the United States.
21. What is the expected business model for broadcasters?
The technology is expected to allow for a wide variety of potential business models, including free, ad-supported, subscription, and pay-per-view, postpaid and prepaid. The specific business models that will be chosen will be determined as the service is commercialized.
22. Do all broadcasters have to offer the same services, or choose the same business model?
The technology is expected to support multiple business models, and it is possible that different broadcasters will select different business models. The specific business models that will be chosen by each broadcaster will be determined as the service is commercialized.
23. How expensive will it be for broadcasters to upgrade their facilities to enable mobile digital television?
Since any new technology will likely be built on top of the existing digital broadcast television system, it is anticipated that the upgrade cost will be small, far less than the cost to upgrade broadcast facilities from analog to digital. The Coalition will look for ways to minimize the cost to broadcasters.
24. Will broadcasters have to choose between offering HD and mobile television?
The new technologies will allow broadcasters to transmit HD signals to homes as well as to mobile devices. Each broadcaster will have the flexibility to make its own decision about which services to offer on its signal.
25. Is the underlying technology behind mobile digital broadcast television the same as has been demonstrated at NAB and CES?
The Coalition is evaluating all new technologies that meet the requirements, including but not limited to ones that have been demonstrated at NAB and CES. The Coalition is working to evaluate all technologies so that the best one is chosen in a timely fashion.
|
|
