[opendtv] Hybrid ATSC-ATSC Mobile DTV tuners Now Available

From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:09:22 -0500
http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/119338

Hybrid ATSC-ATSC Mobile DTV tuners Now Available
by Doug Lung, 04.15.2011.

When I write about Mobile DTV, I often get e-mail from readers asking where 
they can buy Mobile DTV receivers. So far, the choices have been limited - 
Amazon offers an LG DVD player, the Coby USB receiver and some in-car systems. 
At NAB, two companies announced immediate availability of Mobile DTV receivers. 
These receivers also include conventional ATSC reception, allowing less robust 
reception of stations that have yet to add a Mobile DTV stream.

Three portable receivers are available under the "RCA" logo. These include a 
3.5-inch portable TV that can operate on 4 "AA" batteries - ideal to have on 
hand in case of a large earthquake or hurricane, a 3.5-inch portable TV with 
built in lithium battery and an FM radio tuner, a 7-inch TV with built-in 
battery, and an in-car DTV tuner/receiver. Suggested retail prices range from 
$119 for the battery operated portable to $179 for the 7-inch portable. Go to 
www.RCAPortableTV.com for more information and ordering. Units ordered during 
NAB should be shipped from California sometime next week.

I've referred to Hauppauge's Win-TV Aero-m USB ATSC/ATSC Mobile DTV tuner in 
previous articles, but much to the frustration of readers this handy tuner was 
not available for sale. The Win-TV Aero-m is now available for sale on 
Hauppauge's Web Store for the bargain price of $59. I have been using one of 
these tuners for Mobile DTV reception under Windows XP since receiving a sample 
from Hauppauge but haven't done extensive testing on how it compares with other 
ATSC USB tuners in conventional ATSC reception due to the lack of support in 
Linux. Hauppauge's other ATSC tuners are widely supported in Linux and I'm 
hoping that the Linux media developers add Win-TV Aero-m support now that the 
product is available at retail.

More products should be available soon. Valups showed its new "Tivizen" 
receiver for the iPod, iPhone and iPad and Cydle showed an iPhone cradle for 
Mobile DTV reception. Winegard showed its CioTV in-car media player with 
support for Mobile DTV and a wide range of other media. Pixtree, Crestech, and 
DTVInteractive (maker of the Coby tuner) showed a variety of USB Mobile DTV 
tuner sticks for netbooks and notebooks. Hauppauge also had small tuners on 
circuit boards that allow tablet and netbook manufacturers to easily add mobile 
DTV capability to their products.

As at CES, the receiver manufacturers wanted to know when more stations would 
begin broadcasting mobile DTV. 76 stations in 32 markets are on the air now. 
With the new mobile DTV broadcast equipment and lower priced equipment on 
display at NAB (see "Manufacturers Highlight Mobile DTV at 2011 NAB Show" in 
this RF Report), we should [see] more stations adding mobile DTV streams. 
Mobile DTV equipment is not locked into one channel (exciters are frequency 
agile) so this is one product stations can buy now even if they have to change 
channels in the future. Discussions with other engineers, both at the station 
and group level, showed a high interest in rolling out Mobile DTV, even if 
business models were not yet clear.

 
 
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[opendtv] Hybrid ATSC-ATSC Mobile DTV tuners Now Available

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