Two new Vizio Razor models will feature ATSC-M/H capable tuners and are extremely slim coming in at under 1 inch thick for easy mobility. The VMB090 will feature a 9 inch LED display, mdtv tuner, and a price tag around $199.99. The larger VMB100 will feature a 10 inch LED display, mdtv tuner and a price tag of $229.99. 

The one downside of the Vizio Razor’s are the antennas used in the device. With a simple dipole antenna the Razor’s will have a very short range and also have multi-pathing issues in areas such as downtown in a city where signal reflects off of multiple buildings. 

At the $199.99 – $229.99 price tag the Vizio Razor’s will make an excellent introductory MDTV system. 

#4. FLO TV

While FLO TV is currently the most publically advertised MDTV device it also has a few major drawbacks. 

Featuring a 3.5″ , 320 x 240 pixel resolution touch-screen display, built-in speakers, audio output and a wide variety of available programming compared to most current MDTV markets FLO TV is coming out of the gate strong. 

However, FLO TV has several drawbacks that we believe in time will see the service fade. First, FLO TV requires not only a $250 equpiment charge for the 3.5″ display, but also requires a monthly programming charge unlike other devices sporting a ATSC-M/H tuner and allowing you to pickup free over-the-air broadcasts. Availability and programming are also limited as local broadcasters continue to adopt free MDTV broadcasts. 

FLO TV has a good backing and a large headstart, but we believe free will win out in the end. 

#3. Tivit – Free TV for your iPhone

The Tivit is a stand-alone device that contains an ATSC-M/H tuner, 9 inch expandable antenna and a WI-FI transmitter that re-transmits the collected MDTV signal and broadcasts it to your iPhone. The user launches a Tivit iPhone app and your up and watching mobile television. 

What makes Tivit unique is the ability to broadcast the mobile handheld television signal to a device many of us already own. The Tivit will not only work with your iPhone but also the Android, Blackerry or your own personal computer or laptop. 

Current Tivit models showcased at CES had some software bugs and missing features, but the Tivit release is not scheduled until later in 2010. Cost estimates put the Tivit between $90 – $120. 

#2. Your Cell Phone

While our number three gadget on the list brings MDTV to your existing phone, get ready to have an ATSC-M/H tuner built into most cell phones in the next two years. Instead of using a Tivit type device their will be new versions of the iPhone, Android and Blackberry featuring an internal tuner, antenna and all-in-one MDTV device. 

LG is currently showcasting the GSM phone which features a 3-inch LCD screen and a battery capable of delivering up to 4 hours of mobile television viewing. LG’s 7-mm square LG2161R receiver chip is pushing much of this technology and includes a VHF and UHF tuner, the mobile DTV demodulator and the circuitry necessary to display mobile DTV signals. It offers faster channel changing speed than earlier chipsets and power consumption has been reduced, allowing increased viewing time. 

While most cell phone models will not be released until 2011, this part of the industry will really be the game changer. When you can wrap the MDTV technology into your personal cell-phone you will begin to see wide acceptance of the technology. 

#1. Winegard Cio

What’s the most important part of MDTV? Actually being able to receive the signal! Winegard has been making television antennas since the 1950’s and if anyone can acquire that signal on-the-go and figure out how to expand the range, it’s them. 

The Cio features an internal ATSC-M/H tuner, antenna, 10.2-inch touch-screen, CD/DVD player, iPhone/iPod connector and emulator, SD card reader, USB connection for a 3G or 4G dongle, wireless internet card, audio output over included RF headphones, FM modulator to your car’s stereo, or standard audio output to your own headphones. While the Cio is primarily sold as an in-car system mounted on the brackets of your head-rest, the Cio is also completely mobile and can be easily removed, a 5-hour battery pack inserted, and taken with you. 

While the Cio we were able to get our hands on at CES had several software bugs the device itself was top-notch. The screen looked crystal-clear and the device was picking up over 20 channels that day inside the convention center. 

The Cio will be available in Summer 2010 and is currently priced at $599 for version 1 and $699 for version 2 which features the internal ATSC-MH tuner.

#1. MDTV Gadget - Winegard Cio

4Caster C42 also extends beyond broadcast to support 3GPP and HTTP streaming formats, allowing distribution of Mobile TV to all Multimedia phones, including Android, Apple iPhone, Blackberry and Windows, over wireless broadband and Wi-Fi networks. Breaking through screen boundaries, 4Caster C42 can be configured to support distribution to PCs using Microsoft Smooth Streaming and Adobe Flash Dynamic Streaming, as well as HD and SD IPTV and broadcast television.

Envivio will debut 4Caster C42 for Mobile Broadcast on March 23 at simultaneous events around the world. It can be seen in Beijing at CCBN 2010 (Stand 3401); Las Vegas at CTIA Wireless 2010 (Stand 1333); London at IPTV World Forum 2010 (Stand 158), and New Delhi at Convergence India 2010 on the SeaChange stand (Stand C-95). The solution will also be on display April 12-15 at NAB 2010 (SU4302) in Las Vegas.

“Two critical and tightly related factors will establish the success of mobile TV broadcasting,” says Julien Signes, President and CEO at Envivio. “The efficiency with which we can fit mobile TV within the available bandwidth and the quality of the experience we can deliver together will determine customer satisfaction. By succeeding on both accounts, the Envivio 4Caster C42 is a true enabling platform for this exciting new way of reaching consumers around the world.”

4Caster C42 for Mobile Broadcast builds on the proven technologies and extensive field experience Envivio gained through its award-winning predecessor, the widely-deployed 4Caster M2. The result is the best video quality possible within the tight bandwidth allocated for mobile broadcast.

4Caster C42 for Mobile Broadcast readily adapts to any broadcast operation while delivering four times the channel density of previous generation encoders. It ingests MPEG-2 or H.264 sources from satellite and terrestrial networks, as well as analog, SDI and HD-SDI sources direct from broadcast studios. Envivio’s exclusive compression technologies ensure the best experience for consumers by enabling broadcasters to deliver more channels of content and higher quality video. IP-based statistical rate control delivers up to a further 40% bandwidth reduction per channel for mobile broadcast networks. An available DVB-Simulcrypt interface provides comprehensive content protection through third part conditional access systems. All Envivio encoders feature a flexible software architecture that is readily upgradeable to deliver quality enhancements and support changing requirements.

Envivio is an established leader in Mobile Broadcast encoding solutions. In China, more than 250 mobile broadcast channels using Envivio systems and the CMMB standard are on-air with the ability to reach millions of consumers. Envivio is also used in the U.S. by the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC) to showcase Mobile DTV services based on the ATSC-M/H standard.

Designed to the highest broadcast standards, 4Caster C42 delivers 99.999% uptime and features fully redundant signal routing and power management. The Envivio 4Manager system further provides automatic N+1 redundancy protection for always on reliability, as well as high level service management functionality.

For more information about Envivio Mobile TV solutions, visit www.envivio.com.