One step closer to mobile TV

This year’s TelcoTV conference has service providers looking beyond the living room. The show, typically centered on IPTV and broadband, is tackling the bigger picture of how the Internet, over-the-top video, long-tail content and, especially, mobile devices are changing how television is delivered.

The Open Mobile Video Coalition demonstrated this week that one industry segment, local broadcasters, already is changing how they deliver TV. Two local Chicago broadcasters, ION Media Networks and Fox Television, held successful mobile digital TV demonstrations in the downtown market, confirming that they can deliver a number of local and live broadcasts over a variety of mobile devices and phones. The service, which uses a draft of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) mobile TV standard, could give other mobile TV providers a run for their money.