Roundbox

Mobile Digital Television Innovations Win Industry Recognition in Collaborative Effort

"Best of CES" Technology Seen by Thousands of Retailers, Broadcasters, Public Officials

Washington - January 11, 2010 - As the electronics industry converged on Las Vegas to showcase the latest new product introductions, Mobile Digital Television technology is bringing home prestigious awards from the most discerning technology editors in the world.

With the collaboration of broadcasters, programmers, and technology companies, the Open Mobile Video Coalition sponsored a special TechZone at CES 2010 to highlight the Mobile DTV ecosystem. More than a dozen companies introduced more than 20 new Mobile DTV products that they plan to roll out in the coming year. Technologies on display at CES included netbooks equipped with Mobile DTV; battery-operated Portable Mobile TV Sets; Mobile DTV USB Receivers for Laptop computers; the award-winning Tivit -- a unique Wi-Fi Access Point for Mobile DTV Reception; prototype cell phones with Mobile DTV; demonstrations of Electronic Service Guides and Interactivity (Voting, Polling, Web access); and displays of transmission and test equipment for broadcasters.

Unlike current mobile TV offerings that are subscription-only and largely offer only pre-recorded shows, Mobile Digital TV from local broadcasters offers real-time coverage of local breaking news, local weather, and local emergency alerts in addition to favorite network programs shows that consumers really want to watch. With some 30 stations already on the air, broadcasters are now upgrading their transmission systems to offer a variety of Mobile DTV channels.

Hundreds of broadcasters, cable and television executives, retailers, and government officials saw broadcaster innovation and collaboration for themselves in Las Vegas, with Mobile Digital TV emerging as one of the most talked-about new technologies of this year's show.

"We are gratified that so many manufacturers and retailers understand the potential that exists to bring live, local TV programs to viewers wherever they are going. The full ecosystem was on display, showing CES attendees the real innovations developed to support a new era in over-the-air TV broadcasting," said Brandon Burgess, Chairman of the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC) and Chairman and CEO of ION Media Networks.

With development partially funded by the OMVC, the "Tivit" from Valups won three awards for innovation at CES. Tivit is a small Mobile DTV receiver that beams TV signals via Wi-Fi to an iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, or laptop. The Tivit is one of several devices that will be part of the OMVC's upcoming consumer showcase in Washington, D.C. that is designed to gauge consumer interest in Mobile Digital Television. The showcase begins in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area in the first quarter of 2010, with eight local area television stations transmitting up to 20 channels of free and premium broadcast TV programming to hundreds of mobile devices that will be used by actual viewers and local residents. The Dell Inspiron Mini 10, a new mini netbook computer, the Samsung Moment? mobile phone, LG Mobile Digital Television and the Tivit are among the Mobile DTV-enabled devices that will be made available to showcase participants in the nation's ninth-largest media market. Local and national programming from familiar network broadcasters will be available in the event organized by the OMVC.

Award Winning Mobile DTV Technology
The credit-card-sized Tivit Mobile DTV receiver was named one of a dozen "Best of CES" products by CNET, which recognizes winners as having the hottest products in their respective technology categories for their unmatched innovation and creativity, and their ability to excite consumers and help them explore a world gone digital. CNET editors reviewed hundreds of entries, as well as scoured the 2010 CES show floor for products to consider for the prestigious award. The Tivit wins a "Best of CES" award in the "mp3 and Video Players" category, and a complete list of "Best of CES" winners can be found here: at http://www.cnet.com/ces.

Manufactured and marketed by Valups, the Tivit was also lauded with an Editor's Choice Award as one of 22 top tech introductions at CES by Popular Mechanics and was named one of 17 "Best of CES" products by Laptop Magazine.

Companies exhibiting in the 2010 CES Mobile DTV TechZone include consumer device manufacturers DTVinteractive, iMovee Corporation, LG Electronics, PIXTREE, Samsung, Valups, and WITHUS/Crestech; broadcast equipment suppliers Axcera, Lumantek, Rohde & Schwarz, Sarnoff Corporation, and middleware companies Expway and Roundbox.

ABOUT THE OPEN MOBILE VIDEO COALITION
The Open Mobile Video Coalition is a voluntary association of television broadcasters whose mission is to accelerate the development of mobile digital television in the United States. The OMVC is composed of 29 members that own and operate over 450 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. Membership in the OMVC is open to all U.S.-based television broadcasters.

Contact:

Dave Arland
Dave@ArlandCom.com
317.701.0084

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