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.

Compatible devices include the iPhone 3G and 3GS, third-generation iPod Touch, BlackBerry phones with Wi-Fi, and Windows PCs. The Tivit has a built-in, 3 hour rechargeable battery.

A similar version of the Tivit is already available in Japan which is why you can already find references to the Tivit iPhone app.

Watch live mobile TV on an iPhone

By installing dedicated application software, “Tivit Mobile TV Viewer” on yoursmart phone or PC, you can watch Mobile Digital TV channels from Tivit through a Wi-Fi connection on your smart phone or PC.

Watch live mobile TV programs anywhere, anytime! You don’t have to sit and wait to watch your favorite TV programs or sporting events in front of the TV at home anymore. Tivit enables you to enjoy live TV programs from anywhere, at anytime. Now you can watch live mobile TV programs on the smart phone or PC with Tivit.

Provides Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) Information

Tivit provides a Mobile DTV channel list that is currently available and also provides detailed information of TV programs. You can select a desired TV program with the channel, program title and broadcasting time and view detail information of the program.

Firmware Updater

Firmware upgrading can enhance system stability after the purchase. If you install a dedicated client application (Firmware Updater) that can be used for upgrading firmware, you can upgrade the newest firmware of Tivit by yourself.

The Tivet can also be used as a battery for your iPhone!

Article Source: http://www.ezdigitaltv.com/The_Tivit.html

“Younger generations want programming on the go,” said Dennis Wharton, a spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters. “To access TV on a cellphone, on a laptop or in the car is a game changer for local broadcasters. It will provide a renaissance for over-the-air broadcast TV.”

If enough people watch using the mobile TV technology, known, for lack of a more marketable name, as “ATSC Mobile DTV Standard,” local stations will be able to charge more for commercials and increase their revenue.

Getting a signal on a portable TV was not always a challenge. When analog television was the nation’s standard, a small set could pick up a signal at the ballpark, at the beach or in the car, though viewers often put up with a fuzzy, ghost-filled image.

But digital TV, the standard that went into effect last year, was developed for stationary televisions.

The mobile devices must catch a special signal, a slice of the broadcast frequency, and software processes it to display a clear picture on the go.

The technology will be used on new portable televisions with up to 10-inch screens, and smartphones and laptops with special adapters will also receive the signals. The devices must be within about 60 miles of a broadcast tower for a picture as clear as the television at home.

The first devices will become available in April. They include a $249 TV-DVD player from LG; a $120 device the size of a cigarette box from Valups, a Korean set-top box maker, that retransmits a mobile signal to an iPhone, iPod or BlackBerry over Wi-Fi; PC dongles and set-top boxes for automobiles from iMovee; and a $149 iPhone/iPod mobile TV cradle from Cydle.

Once the signals are switched on and the devices gain in popularity, broadcasters may add specialty channels like sports and weather, offering more revenue opportunities.

The Mobile DTV standard also allows for two-way communication. When viewing an ad, a viewer may push a button to see more information or have it sent by e-mail. The system can also be used for voting, polling and audience measurement.

Mobile TV devices with GPS function could also feed location-specific ads so that, for example, an ad for a restaurant would appear only to someone nearby.

If Mobile DTV proves popular, it could threaten FLO TV, a subscription service developed by Qualcomm that offers programming from the four major commercial broadcast networks and Comedy Central, ESPN and others. To watch, subscribers must buy a $200 receiver or a compatible smartphone and pay $150 for a year’s subscription, or $200 for two years.

“Free mobile digital TV will be devastating to what is already a very small market for FLO TV,” said Richard Doherty, an analyst with the Envisioneering Group.

But FLO TV does not see it that way. It expects to sell its services as a premium add-on, much the way that consumers watch free TV and pay for cable services.

“There could be a ‘Best of FLO TV Channel’ that we’d sell bundled with free digital channels,” said Alice Kim, the company’s senior vice president of strategy.

Because FLO is aimed at the smartphone market, the broadcasters behind the mobile DTV effort are eager to see their service developed for cellphones, too. Samsung Electronics, one of the world’s largest makers of cellphones, is testing mobile TV in a modified Moment cellphone model to learn if the technology is a good business opportunity for wireless carriers.

“People don’t want to carry a separate video player,” said John Godfrey, vice president for government and public affairs at Samsung Electronics. “A mobile phone is the one essential device for consumers.”

Source: NYTimes http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/15/business/media/15mobile.html?scp=1&sq=mobile%20dtv&st=cse