Mobile DTV Standard Approved by ATSC

The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) today announced that it has elevated its mobile Digital Television (DTV) candidate to standard status. Now that sounds like a mouthful, but what it really means is that digital broadcasters are one step closer to being able to launch free-to-air mobile TV. Proponents of the standard include handset manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, as well as MobiTV, among others. While still a ways off from being a reality, 2010 at the earliest (as broadcasters are not required to move to digital broadcasting until February 2009), the move by ATSC paves the way for device manufacturers and broadcasters to work toward test devices and services sometime next year.