Microsoft joins Intel, Modeo, Motorola, Nokia and Texas Instruments as founding members of the Mobile DTV Alliance.
Microsoft Corp. today announced its participation as a founding member of the Mobile DTV Alliance, a new organization created to promote the growth and evolution of the open standard for broadcast digital TV on mobile devices, Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB-H). Microsoft joins a distinguished group of mobile industry leaders including Intel Corporation, Modeo LLC, Motorola Inc., Nokia and Texas Instruments Inc. (TI). As part of the Mobile DTV Alliance, Microsoft will help promote DVB-H best practices for delivery of premium-quality broadcast media to mobile devices for the North American market.
“Demand for over-the-air delivery of digital entertainment to mobile devices is driving the need for broadly supported mobile broadcast technologies like DVB-H,” said Pat Griffis, senior director of Windows Digital Media at Microsoft and Microsoft’s board member in the alliance. “By combining our respective industry expertise, Microsoft and fellow founding members of the Mobile DTV Alliance will help make DVB-H-powered mobile TV a reality for consumers.”
“Microsoft joined at the formation of the alliance, rounding out our participation at every level of the wireless ecosystem. We are pleased to be able to announce its participation as a founding member,” said Yoram Solomon, president of the Mobile DTV Alliance and director of strategic marketing and industry relations for the Mobile Connectivity Solutions business at TI. “The Mobile DTV Alliance provides an open ecosystem for the mobile digital TV marketplace, greatly increasing revenue opportunities, innovation and services to consumers.”
DVB-H technologies enable consumers to receive live TV-like experiences directly on their mobile handset and other DVB-H-based devices. In addition, operators will benefit from increased revenue opportunities while preserving cellular network bandwidth for voice and other data services.
“Microsoft’s participation in the Mobile DTV Alliance as a founding member will accelerate the introduction of mobile digital television based on DVB-H into cell phones, PDAs, laptops and portable media players,” said Michael Schueppert, president of Modeo.
Mobile-optimized Microsoft Windows Media technologies from Microsoft — such as Windows Media Audio Professional, Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) and Windows Media Video (Microsoft’s implementation of VC-1) — have already been successfully deployed for use in mobile broadcast solutions, including Modeo’s pilot of its DVB-H mobile broadcast network last year. By participating in the Mobile DTV Alliance, Microsoft will collaborate with industry leaders on best practices both with handsets and services, further advancing Windows Media-enabled solutions for DVB-H and helping deliver comprehensive video broadcast offerings for mobile operators.
Additional information about the Mobile DTV Alliance can be found at http://www.mdtvalliance.org.
About DVB-H
DVB-H is an open procedure standard developed by the DVB Project and enjoys broad industry support with more than 100 companies working on DVB-H components, devices and services today. The open approach of the DVB-H standard nurtures flexibility of business models, competition and sales opportunities for the value chain. The DVB-H standard incorporates OFDM air interface technology with good spectral efficiency, immunity to multipath fading and good mobile performance.
About Microsoft
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