In contrast to terrestrial DTV, a key architectural feature of Mobile DTV is that it is built upon an Internet and IP technology foundation. In addition to leveraging the vast economies of scale found in these technologies, their inherent flexibility also creates new opportunities for device OEMs and broadcasters. In this session, Roundbox will discuss two specific IP data services found in Mobile DTV - Service Guidance and Mobile DTV Widgets.

By using the XML over IP-based OMA-BCAST technology, Mobile DTV's service guidance model brings consumers a rich, cable TV-like model for discovering and navigating through broadcast programming. Numerous studies have revealed the importance of service guides in the television experience and demonstrate that up to 10% of a subscriber's total viewing time is often spent within the guide. Mobile DTV supports multiple service guide models and enables a flexible mix and match of service guide models for broadcasters, mobile operators, and OEMs. Roundbox will present conference attendees with an overview of these different experiences, their advantages and disadvantages, and discuss how they can be enabled both at the broadcaster and by device OEMs.

Second, "Mobile DTV Widgets" leverage the underlying IP-based transport found in ATSC-M/H to broadcast file content in addition to audio/video streams. Because this content can be downloaded, stored, and randomly accessed by modern mobile receivers, Mobile DTV Widgets provide consumers a web-like, on-demand experience while leveraging the reach and economics of broadcast networks. Mobile DTV Widgets are based on the "ATSC Non-Real Time" (NRT) standard which is currently in the final stages of development. NRT uses standard web- based file formats like HTML and RSS to ensure that broadcasters and device manufacturers can quickly leverage their web technology investments to deliver entirely new consumer experiences. Roundbox will present an overview of Mobile DTV Widgets, discuss use cases, and present current ongoing work both in standards as well as within deployments around this exciting new technology.

Speakers:
Dr. Peter Mataga, CTO
Mark Rushton, Senior Director, Broadcast Sales
Time: 1:00 pm ET Thursday, March 11, 2010

In this month's SMPTE PDA Now session our guest speakers introduce the essential technology concepts behind Mobile DTV. They will discuss topics such as Mobile DTV architectures, Mobile DTV acronyms, bandwidth requirements, allocations, and even touch on broadcast scenarios. Discussions will also include the underpinnings of ATSC A/153 and then touch upon signaling and announcement (Service Guide). Finally, our speakers will wrap up by providing a detailed explanation of relationship, integration, function and the user experience.

Please join our guest speakers, Dr. Peter Mataga, CTO and Mark Rushton, Senior Director, Broadcast Sales, both of Roundbox, as they explore the new world of Mobile DTV.