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Open Mobile Video Coalition Integrated into NAB
The OMVC mission for the past 5 ½ years since its inception has been simple: to accelerate the development of mobile digital television service in the United States. As described below, the OMVC succeeded at this mission and played a strong role in what is becoming part of an exciting new generation of television broadcast service to the public. Having completed its primary mission, the integration of OMVC into NAB is a logical next step for long term success and further evolution of the mobile DTV broadcast service. OMVC was formed as a voluntary association, eventually composed of 36 members that own and operate over 500 commercial television stations, as well as the Association of Public Television Stations, Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Public Broadcasting Service, which represent an additional 360 public television stations. Trade associations NAB and MSTV were also affiliated with the coalition as associate members. The founding of OMVC was announced in April 2007 in Las Vegas just prior to the opening of the NAB Show by nine of the largest U.S. television broadcast groups. Later that year, the NAB Board of Directors approved seed funding of 750 thousand dollars to jump start the implementation of the organization's agenda; later, the organization was funded by member dues. The coalition was initially headed by Brandon Burgess, President/CEO of ION Media Networks and subsequently headed by Vincent Sadusky, LIN Media President/CEO, who took over in late 2010. Anne Schelle, a wireless industry leader and pioneer in the digital cellular revolution, joined OMVC as its executive director in March 2008, subsequently spearheading OMVC's projects and executive duties throughout the organization's life span. Taking advantage of her experience and expertise, Ms. Schelle will continue in a consulting capacity to the NAB as it assumes the OMVC functions. The OMVC Technical Activities Group (OTAG), chaired by Sterling Davis, vice president of technical operations for Cox Media (now retired), was the principal technical committee in the OMVC organization and responsible for OMVC's technical projects and consensus-driven activities. As part of the integration into NAB, Mr. Davis will lead the continuing work of OTAG as the chair of the NAB Mobile DTV Working Group, a new group operating under the auspices of the NAB TV Technology Committee, which is chaired by Craig Harper, VP/CTO of Belo Corporation. OMVC also included device and transmission equipment manufacturers and software and middleware providers as part of its Mobile DTV Forum, which was added to the OMVC organizational structure in January 2011, chaired by Jay Adrick, vice president of broadcast technology for Harris Broadcast. The important work of the Mobile DTV Forum will continue as the Mobile DTV Forum will liaison with the new NAB Mobile DTV Working Group under the continued leadership of Mr. Adrick. Taking a step
back, OMVC can be historically viewed as having played a pivotal
role in a successful multiple-phase template for developing new
broadcast services. In the first phase, various industry discussions
and negotiations led to informal consensus that mobile DTV broadcast
service was indeed a worthwhile goal, followed by almost simultaneous
formation of a standards setting effort through the ATSC and the
founding of OMVC as an advocacy and consensus building effort in
April 2007. In the second phase, the accelerated ATSC process culminated
in the adoption of its Mobile DTV Standard in October 2009 in which
OMVC contributed significantly in the development and evaluation
of proponent technologies. OMVC continued the third phase of this
process, filling technical gaps, conducting studies and advocating
for mobile DTV among a diverse array of industry and government
stakeholders. The next evolutionary phase was the formation of business
consortia Mobile Content
Venture in April 2010 and the Mobile
500 Alliance in December 2010. Finally, services and products
have now been publicly introduced: The Mobile 500 Alliance plans
to introduce the My
DTV service in selected markets using an accessory manufactured
by Elgato for iOS devices. Mobile Content Venture has initiated
the Dyle TV branded service. The
Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G phone can receive the Dyle service
and was introduced as part of the MetroPCS mobile network service
offering in August 2012. The EyeTV mobile accessory for Apple devices
to receive Dyle service was announced in November 2012. New consumer
products designed to receive mobile DTV broadcasts will be featured
at the upcoming International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas
this January at the Mobile TV TechZone (Central Hall Booth 14340).
The practical era of mobile DTV broadcast service is clearly now
underway. -- Mobile DTV
RF Broadcast Scenarios Other OMVC accomplishments
and information can also be found on the new mobile DTV portion
of the NAB website, which will also include regular updates on the
activities of the NAB Mobile DTV Working Group and other mobile
DTV-related activities. |
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TV
TECHCHECK WILL RETURN JANUARY 7, 2013 |
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The
Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC) 
