Andre Yoskowitz
20 Apr 2009 1:09
Broadcasters are set to announce later today that Washington D.C. will be the first city in the United States to receive free digital TV (DTV) broadcasts for their mobile phones, laptops and in-car entertainment systems.
The broadcasts using "mobile DTV" technology will hit the city in July or August and will come from the local affiliates of CBS, NBC, PBS, FOX and Ion.
At launch, the broadcasts will be identical to those seen on standard TV sets, including commercials.
The big question that looms however is what devices users will need to receive the signals. Mobile phones are prime candidates but the largest wireless carriers have their own TV services which cost money and have been very reluctant to sign up for the free broadcasts.
Among the large companies supporting the technology are Dell, Samsung, LG and Kenwood. Dell is expected to release a netbook with a built-in mobile DTV receiver later this year, and Kenwood is currently developing car-based receivers.
Before the end of 2009, broadcasters hope to beam their signals to two dozen other cities including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston and Atlanta.